Posted on 03/12/2024 - 9:00 AM
Age and race top the list of factors associated with health disparities, with disproportionate impact on disease burden, quality of life, and access to care. Case managers, with professional training in nursing, social work and allied health areas, coordinate care and advocate for clients. Next week, leaders from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (the Commission) will dive into the impact of care coordination to address these health inequities at On Aging 2024, the nation’s largest multidisciplinary conference on aging, organized by the American Society on Aging.
Vivian Campagna, DNP, RN, CMGT-BC, CCM, ICE-CCP, the Commission’s chief industry relations officer, and Ed Quick, MA, MBA, CDMS, Commission chair, will present “Health Care in Older Adults of Color: Addressing Inequities through Care Coordination” at the national event. They will explore the impact of care coordination at various touchpoints in life and the intersectional impact of aging and race. Attendees will learn ways to address these inequities, close care gaps, and better serve clients.
Case managers and disability management specialists work in a range of settings—clinics and physician offices, hospitals and home care, health plans, workers’ compensation, absence and leave management, and rehabilitation organizations throughout the continuum of care. The Commission manages the knowledge and role-based assessments to certify these professionals. It also sets the criteria for ethical practice and supports case managers and disability management specialists with lifelong learning opportunities.
Campagna and Quick’s session will spotlight the value of care coordination to address health care inequities and introduce actionable strategies to enhance health care outcomes for all clients.
"Case managers and disability management specialists play a vital leadership role in driving positive outcomes for their clients,” says Quick. “This is about recognizing the unique challenges within a complex system and stepping up to address them. Case managers and disability management specialists must ensure every client receives the highest quality of care, regardless of factors such as race and age.”
In addition to presenting a session on health inequities, the Commission is also celebrating National Social Work Month. In their pivotal role, case managers, many of whom are social workers, advocate for their clients and champion support for vulnerable populations. To celebrate this work, the Commission is highlighting a number of free resources focused on empowerment and building professional and personal resilience. This includes the Commission’s new eBook, Push Pause for Case Management Leaders, a collection of more than 50 insightful two-minute motivational videos developed to assist leaders, inspire action, and further develop the case management and disability management workforce.
“The Commission is dedicated to providing opportunities for case managers and disability management specialists to increase awareness of inequities and continuously develop their skills,” Quick said. “Professional development is one way the Commission empowers case managers and disability management specialists to better serve their clients and make a meaningful difference in their lives."
Additional professional development resources include Certification 360™ Virtual Workshops, the CMLearning Network®, Case Management Body of Knowledge®, Core Knowledge Curriculum, and PACE™ opportunities. These resources aim to elevate skills, expand knowledge, and keep professionals at the forefront of the evolving landscape.
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About the Commission for Case Manager Certification
The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited case management certification organization, credentialing more than 50,000 professional case managers and disability management specialists. The Commission is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM® and CDMS® credentials. Offering an extensive portfolio of certification and professional advancement activities, the Commission is the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the practices of case management and disability management. For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org and www.cdms.org, connect with the Commission on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.