CMSA Blog
Stay in the know on the most recent updates and best practices for case management. Gain insight from peers in the field as well as leading experts. From legislative initiatives to real-world applications for the latest practices, the CMSA Blog is the go-to resource for new and seasoned case managers. Find every perspective HERE!
The Latest in Case Management
Fall Forward: Advancing Case Management with Purpose
By Jenny Quigley-Stickney, MSN, RN, MHA, MA, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC, CPHM, FCM As September arrives and the season begins to change, we are reminded that change can bring new opportunities. Fall gives us...
CNS Week 2026
By Pamayla E. Darbyshire, DHA, MSN/CNS Ed, FCEITR The 17th Annual Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Recognition Week is September 1–7, 2026. This year’s theme, “Amplify,” mirrors the National...
The Power of Active Listening and Individualized Discharge Planning
By Eleanor Diaz, MSN, BSN, BA, ACM-RN, ONN-CG One case that deeply touched my heart reinforced the importance of conducting comprehensive assessments and developing individualized care plans. It...
Career Advancement & Advice
What Professional Identity Means to Me: A Personal and Professional Reflection
By Colleen Morley DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMGT-BC, CMCN, ACM-RN, FCM, FAACM Professional identity is a phrase we use often in healthcare, but for me, it is far more than a theoretical...
Legacy: The Quiet Footprints We Leave Behind
By Anna Zimmerly, BSN, RN Have you ever wondered what people will remember about you when you’re no longer standing in the room—but your kindness, your voice, or your care still echo...
How to Find Momentum After a Career Slowdown
By Lily Tamrick Career stalls rarely arrive with a bang. They settle in like fog: quiet, subtle, cumulative. For case managers, whose work centers on guiding others through systems, it's easy to...
Professional Development
Celebrating Us! Celebrating Leadership! Celebrating the Future of Case Management!
10 Reasons to Join Us October 3 for CMSA’s Virtual Leadership Conference By Janet S. Coulter, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM The Case Management Society of America’s 2nd Annual Virtual Leadership Conference...
Perspectives of an Older Case Manager
By Michael B. Garrett, MS, CCM, CVE, CPCHE I have been involved with professional case management practice for more than 40 years. My experience has included workers’ compensation, long-term...
CMSA Fellow Class of 2026
By Gary Wolfe, RN, CCM, FCM At the Annual CMSA Conference the CMSA Fellows Class of 2026 was introduced. The Fellow Program was introduced in 2021 to recognize distinguished...
Perspectives
Advocacy in Its Purest Form: A Nurse’s Reflection on Family, Ethics, and End‑of‑Life Care
By Lisa Schaffer, BSN, RN, CIC, CRRN, CCM Nursing is difficult to define because it encompasses so many responsibilities at once—assessment, patient and family education, compassionate care, and...
Perspectives of an Older Case Manager
By Michael B. Garrett, MS, CCM, CVE, CPCHE I have been involved with professional case management practice for more than 40 years. My experience has included workers’ compensation, long-term...
The Surprising Connection Between Letterboxing and Case Management
By Janet Coulter, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM At first glance, letterboxing may seem far removed from healthcare. It is an outdoor treasure-hunting activity where participants follow clues to...
Health and Wellness
Do You Know August?
By Sandra Zawalski, MSN Ed, CRRN, CCM, MSCC Did you know August is National Wellness Month and taking small Steps can have a lasting Impact? As summer begins to wind down, August provides a natural...
The Healing Power of Humor: Why Sometimes the Best Medicine Isn’t in the Care Plan
By Heather Kelly, MSN, RN, BCPA, CPC Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: chronic illness, fear of the unknown, and conversations about end-of-life care are not exactly punchline...
When You Don’t Want to Get Out of the Shower: Cues About Overload and Restoration
By Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick DBH, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CCM, CCTP, CRP, FCM I was recently doing something I do often: stand in my shower with hot water cascading pouring...
Case Management
The Power of Active Listening and Individualized Discharge Planning
By Eleanor Diaz, MSN, BSN, BA, ACM-RN, ONN-CG One case that deeply touched my heart reinforced the importance of conducting comprehensive assessments and developing individualized care plans. It...
What Case Managers Are Telling Us About Equity in Practice
By Colleen Morley DNP RN CCM CMAC CMGT-BC CMCN ACM-RN FCM FAACM There’s something both encouraging and eye-opening about what case managers across the country are sharing about equity in...
Just Because I Can, Should Not Mean I Have to: Lessons from the Hospitalization of a Family Member for Professional Case Managers
By Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick DBH, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CCM, CCTP, CRP, FCM One of the biggest challenges for healthcare professionals is when our family and friends have a...
Clinical Care
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders: A Growing Clinical Priority for Case Managers
By Heather Kelly, MSN, RN, BCPA, CPC Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) represent a group of hereditary connective tissue disorders characterized by abnormalities in collagen, the primary structural...
The Many Faces of Brain Injury
By Jenny Quigley-Stickney, MSN, MA, MHA, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC, CPHM, FCM Can you imagine having a fall in your classroom, injuring your head, and never regaining your ability to educate children? Can...
Hidden in Plain Sight: Chronic Kidney Disease
By Janet Coulter, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM Did you know that chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 adults in the United States? That is approximately 35.5 million Americans and...
Advocacy and Policy
What Case Managers Are Telling Us About Equity in Practice
By Colleen Morley DNP RN CCM CMAC CMGT-BC CMCN ACM-RN FCM FAACM There’s something both encouraging and eye-opening about what case managers across the country are sharing about equity in...
Implications of Recent Department of Education Budgeting for Professional Case Management
By Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick DBH, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CCM, CCTP, CRP, FCM There has been considerable chatter about the Department of Education ruling outlining which educational degrees are recognized...
Left in the Dust: Maryland’s DDA Cuts Are Devastating Disabled Children and Families
By Tami Wantola, BSN, RN and Sandra Zawalski, MSN, RN, CRRN, CCM In January 2025, Maryland’s disability community was blindsided by the unthinkable: a proposed $200 million...
The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of CMSA.