By Janet Coulter, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM
Autumn is here! What a beautiful time of year! The leaves are changing colors, temperatures are cooling down, and the days seem to be getting shorter. It’s a wonderful time to go hiking and enjoy the vibrant foliage. Bonfires and watching football games are Fall favorites. It’s also time for fall festivals and to make plans for holiday gatherings. Apples, pumpkins, and squash are abundant. Birds are migrating south while squirrels gather food to prepare for winter. Daylight savings time has started! It’s also time for case managers to reflect on the successes that have been “harvested” throughout the year. Fall is a perfect time for reflection, a time to identify our successes and opportunities for improvement, evaluate client outcomes and case management strategies, and prepare for the new year.
Autumn is also a season for preventive health measures, such as flu shots and annual check-ups. This is the ideal time for case managers to emphasize preventive care and provide education on seasonal health concerns. By helping clients schedule necessary screenings and vaccinations, case managers actively work to prevent potential health issues. The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) encourages case managers to incorporate preventive health into their strategies, which reduces hospital readmissions and improves client well-being (CMSA, 2023). By promoting self-care, case managers help clients achieve better outcomes, ultimately “harvesting” the fruits of our supportive efforts.
Just as farmers invest time in learning new techniques to improve their harvest, case managers benefit from continual learning. Fall is a good season to take advantage of certification renewals, attend case management conferences or webinars, and engage with CMSA. There are over 160 educational offerings on the CMSA website, free for members. In addition, Case Management Week provided many learning opportunities for members and nonmembers. Autumn is traditionally when students return to school, so it is only natural that case managers turn to educational pursuits, too.
Fall is an excellent time to reconnect with interdisciplinary teams and establish plans for the upcoming year. Case managers are central coordinators in the client’s healthcare journey, collaborating closely with physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists, and other providers. To “harvest” successful outcomes, we need to have strong, trusting, interdisciplinary relationships. Fall is the perfect time to strengthen and solidify our interdisciplinary relationships.
As fall progresses into the holiday season, case managers may need to address additional support needs. The holidays can be stressful for our clients and their caregivers. Case managers can help clients and caregivers navigate the challenges of the holiday season by arranging temporary support or connecting them with community resources. Planning ahead can help to ensure that clients receive the care and resources they need without interruption, even during the holiday season.
Autumn offers case managers a valuable opportunity to pause, reflect, and prepare for the year ahead. By assessing past achievements, solidifying care partnerships, and reinforcing preventive strategies, case managers can “harvest” successful outcomes and set the groundwork for continued quality care. Embracing this season of change ensures that case managers remain resilient, resourceful, and ready to provide exceptional client care all year long.
The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) is the leading, oldest, and largest 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. As a member, you gain exclusive access to benefits such as timely case management knowledge through publications, events, and access to 150+ pre-approved continuing education courses, free online, 24/7*. In addition, you’ll join a vast community of Case Managers practicing across the care continuum and at every level of practice. Learn more here: https://cmsa.org/membership/individual-membership/
Bio: Bio: Janet S. Coulter, MSN, MS, RN, CCM, FCM is a Fellow of Case Management and a board-certified transplant case manager with a large health plan. She is currently President of the Case Management Society of America National Board of Directors. She has held positions as a nurse educator, administrator, team leader, and Director of Case Management. Janet holds a Master of Science in Nursing from West Virginia University and a Master of Science in Adult Education from Marshall University. Janet has been a recipient of the CMSA National Award of Service Excellence and Southern Ohio Valley CMSA Case Management Leadership award.