The Day Everything Changed
BY SHELLEY O’BRIEN, MSW, LICSW, CCM
March 11, 2020, was a historic day. It was the day everything changed. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared SARSr-CoV-2 a global pandemic.
Browsing: COVID-19
The Post-Pandemic Life of a Workers’ Comp Case Manager
BY THERESE M. QUINN, RN, BSN, CRRN, CCM, JD
A professional nurse case manager has an interesting role in the arena of workers’ compensation. Aside from developing a thick skin, a nurse case manager must demonstrate excellent communication skills in order to facilitate communication between all parties, including the injured worker, the employer, the providers and the insurance claims adjusters.
The Problematic Nature of Telehealth Treatment
BY JENNIFER CORREA-ELKINS, LCSW-C
The COVID-19 pandemic required technological modernization that changed the direction of mental healthcare.
Reflecting on COVID Spawned Mental Health Impact on Healthcare Professionals
BY ROGER ORSINI, MD, MBA, FACS, AND DENNIS ROBBINS, PhD, MPH
How many doctors and nurses are walking around with bright smiles on the outside while suffering darkness on the inside? How many of us continue with life without acknowledging the need for or seeking treatment, respite or some other form of help? How many of us are willing to die rather than confront what is overwhelmingly happening inside our heads?
How Does COVID-19 Affect Our Children?
BY JANET COULTER, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM, AND MARYANN OTT, RN, BSN, CCM, CPC
The COVID-19 pandemic resembles a blockbuster horror movie. Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on children is a challenge, and the findings remain controversial.
COVID-19: Impacting Hospital Readmission With Focused Care Transition Calls
BY KATHLEEN (KATHY) PARRY, BSN, RN, CCM
The past 2 years have turned the healthcare industry upside down. The COVID-19 epidemic has impacted the industry in ways no one could have imagined. Rapid change in the healthcare environment meant switching from in-person work to remote work where case managers led the way by engaging patients as they transitioned through the delivery system from inpatient through the next level of care.
Integrating Physical and Mental Social Determinants of Health
BY REBECCA PEREZ, MSN, RN, CCM Behavioral healthcare in the United States falls perilously short of being a functional, effective system. Mental health and substance use disorders (MH/SUD) are universally categorized as behavioral health disorders, and this label will be used throughout this article (Knutson, 2021). Currently, available services are underfunded,…
The Impact of Coronavirus on the Mental Health of People: What the Legislators Are Doing About It
BY SUSAN PLOUGH, PHCNS-BC, MSN, CCM At the end of 2020, many Americans thought the worst of the pandemic was behind us. However, as we enter 2022, we continue to deal with many of the same issues we dealt with then. We would all agree that COVID-19 is an international public…
Value of Disability Insurance Emphasized in Post-COVID Work Life
BY STEVE PERRIGO, JD For most people, the benefits section of a job offer can be a footnote. Health insurance coverage is essential, and having a good retirement plan is a plus, but the rest of the line items tend to be glossed over. But one benefit is gaining higher visibility…
The Tears I Didn’t Expect (THIS MIGHT MAKE YOU CRY TOO)
BY ANONYMOUS Do you love attending the national CMSA conferences? I sure do and was so excited I was able to attend the 2021 event, my second National, when at first it seemed unlikely. During 2020 some health challenges came my way, and after quite some time I was finally…