Every year, the American Association of Case Management Association (ACMA) sets aside one week in October to highlight the contributions case managers make to healthcare every day. One of the goals of Case Management Week is to educate care partners, providers, regulators and consumers about the value case managers bring to the successful delivery of care.
“Case managers are the silent heroes of the healthcare continuum,” said Tamar Swain, MBA, BSN, RN, ACM, National Program Director, Case Management, Ascension. Tamar recently joined Ascension to focus on building a national standard for inpatient case management. “This year’s ACMA theme, Case Management: Setting New Standards for Care, is quite fitting to the work that will continue to unfold in Case Management as we ensure best practices, build strategic relationships, and create alignment and consistency in the way we deliver care to those we serve across our markets.”
Case management represents a wide range of services and diverse methods of organizational structure. The concept of case management conveys different meanings to individuals and to organizations.
According to the ACMA, case management in hospitals and health systems is a collaborative practice model including patients, nurses, social workers, physicians, other practitioners, caregivers and the community. The case management process encompasses communication and facilitates care along a continuum through effective resource coordination. The goals of case management include the achievement of optimal health, access to care and appropriate utilization of resources, balanced with the patient’s right to self-determination.
“Our case managers act as advocates, educators, navigators, care coordinators and resource managers to empower patients, families and caregivers to successfully manage their conditions, navigate and locate access to services and resources, and obtain high-quality, cost-effective care,” Tamar said. “They routinely encompass dedication, commitment, and passion for working with patients, their families and healthcare partners, making a monumental, life changing imprint on the lives of our patients, their care experiences and the entire healthcare delivery system.”
Case managers work in areas such as case management, utilization management, physician advisor and other care transition roles.
“Our case management team members perform miracles each day, often with limited resources. We appreciate their collaborative servant leadership this week and every day,” Tamar said.
