Posted on 01/11/2018 - 9:02 AM
CCMC announces new resources for case manager workforce development
Health industry thought leader podcast series offers insight for today's case manager
The Commission for Case Manager Certification announced it’s adding a new podcast series to the suite of professional tools—accessible online, face-to-face, live-virtual and for home study—that organizations can use to train and develop case managers. CCMC’s Take a Listen podcasts feature conversations with national thought leaders, including Karen DeSalvo of Dell Medical School (former acting assistant secretary for health); Dara Richardson-Heron of the National Institutes of Health All of Us research program; Kana Enomoto, senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General; and Thomas Goetz, co-founder of Iodine (former executive editor at Wired).
“The case manager's role as client-centered guide on the health care team is critical,” says MaryBeth Kurland, CAE, the Commission’s chief executive officer. “A powerful way to showcase professionalism and commitment to excellence is board certification with ongoing professional development. These tools respond to employer demands for learning opportunities available in a range of modalities for today’s workforce. They should be a catalyst for employers and experienced case managers to reach out to the new, diverse pool of up-and-coming case managers—to mentor and help develop them professionally.”
Thousands of case manager job postings attest to the acute need for more highly trained professionals. The demand links to three issues health care organizations must address: an older, sicker population; the growth of value-based delivery models; and demand for care coordination that better serves individual and population health.
An aging case manager workforce further exacerbates the shortage. Only two percent of board-certified case managers are under age 35, and the median age is between 55 and 59— well above age 42, the median age of the U.S. labor force.1,2
Successful case management directly affects the risk-based outcomes for provider payment models, including accountable care organizations, that reward whole-patient care.3 Improving patient experience is a key factor in provider reimbursement, and well-prepared case managers—as advocates, care coordinators, patient educators and team communicators—are essential for success.
More than 44,000 case managers hold the Commission’s Certified Case Manager® credential, the largest and oldest such certification. It represents a commitment to lifelong professional development. To support that, the Commission’s CMLearning Network® Resource Center offers free and low-cost workforce development tools specifically for case managers: the CCMC New World Symposium®, issue briefs, professional journal, workshops, webinars, and the new Take a Listen podcasts.
The Commission’s 2017-2018 compendium, Preparation, Development and Readiness: A Call to Action spotlights the urgent demand for prepared, capable case managers.
“Health care employers can’t afford to overlook cultivating the next generation of case managers,” Kurland says. “Professional certification ensures competency and alignment with ethical standards for consumer protection and delivery of safe, effective case management.”
About the Commission for Case Manager Certification
The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies more than 44,000 professional case managers and over 2,600 disability management specialists. The Commission is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM® credential. The Commission also oversees the process of disability management specialist certification with its CDMS® credential. The Commission is positioned as the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the practice of case management. For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org, connect with the Commission on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.
1 Health2 Resources and CCMC, Professional and Demographic Characteristics of CCMs, January 2017
2 Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_306.htm
3 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2015/02/04/peds.2014-2725.full.pdf 2