By Paul Borja, DNP, EdD, PhD, PHN, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC, CMCN, CNML, CMGT-BC, CDONA, FACDONA, FAACM 

According to Michael DeAngelis (2019), the core of volunteerism is altruism. It is the sense of selfless concern for the well-being of others that brought me to offer my time and talents to CMSA. Volunteering in a professional organization allows individuals to affect change, impact practice, and ultimately, the lives of our patients, who are the recipients of our care and services. 
 
It took a person to take a leap of faith with me by suggesting that I put my name forward for consideration for board membership. It took me a few weeks to decide if I were to take on such a massive undertaking with all the goings-on in my life, with graduate school, a then 2-year-old child, and a busy work life. I doubted the time commitment, if I had what it takes to lead, and if I had the guts to face the unknowns.  
 
But boy, I was happy I took that first step! 
 
I was fortunate to have been given the chance to serve as a board member, which eventually opened the doors for me to lead as the President of the Sacramento Chapter and the National Secretary. Not only did it challenge me to face my fear of speaking in front of large crowds, but it did something more. It allowed me to work on self-doubt, develop skills, strengthen my emotional intelligence, and build an extensive network of professionals with the mission to serve our patients. Interestingly, it made me own up to my mistakes, trust more, and work with the board in developing solutions with an open heart and mind.  
 
All these efforts and busy days paid off in an unexpected twist of fate. A vital career path unfolded, and I was entrusted to be the Director of Case Management at an extensive hospital system of not just one but two hospitals. This career move was both financially rewarding and also sprung up the idea of my ability to affect change, impact practice, and affect the lives of patients on a larger scale—my very reasons why I started volunteering in the first place. I felt that I hit the jackpot! 
 
There were questions in my interview that I was able to provide concrete examples of how I handled conflict, was accountable, led professionals with different backgrounds, and led projects of various scales from my work with CMSA. Had it not been for CMSA, I would have stumbled and not have had adequate responses to secure the role. I had leveraged and taken advantage of what I had learned from being a volunteer and taking on a formal role in leadership.  
 
Now, it has been my goal to develop others, seek opportunities to further what I know, mentor budding leaders, and challenge people to take that next step to volunteerism like that special person who had faith in me some years back. 
 
I challenge all our readers to take that leap of faith and volunteer with CMSA. It does not have to be anything huge; it could be simple tasks you can take on during your spare time or joining committees and task groups. Only then would you truly experience the grueling but ever-rewarding fruits of volunteerism.  

The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) is the leading, oldest, and largest case management membership association providing professional collaboration and education across the healthcare continuum. If there is a patient, there is most likely a CMSA member providing their Case Management to improve health outcomes. Are you ready to join us? Click here: https://cmsa.org/

References: 
DeAngelis, M. (2019). How to Leverage Volunteering for Professional Development. University of Pennsylvania Career Services. Retrieved on July 12, 2024 from https://careerservices.upenn.edu/blog/2019/08/15/how-to-leverage-volunteering-for-professional-development/.  

Bio: Paul Borja, PhD, DNP, EdD, MBA, PHN, RN, CCM, ACM-RN, CMAC, CMGT-BC, CNML, FACDONA, FAACM is very passionate about education, health equity, and focus on social determinants of health. He has been in the healthcare industry for 18+ years as a nurse, educator, case manager and leader in different facets. Paul has always sought for opportunities to serve his community and the profession he is in. Paul looks forward to giving more of his time and expertise to important causes. He is a multi-site Director for Adventist Health Lodi Memorial and Dameron Hospitals and an Adjunct Professor of Administration and Management at California Coast University. He was a recipient of the Kaiser Permanente Continuity of Care Excellence Award in 2017 and 2018. He had recently been featured by Aidin for their #CMSpotlightAward. He is currently the CMSA National Board Secretary and the President of CMSA Sacramento Chapter. He is a Fellow for the American Academy of Case Management and Association of Certified Directors of Nursing Administration.