By Colleen Morley, DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMGT-BC, CMCN, ACM-RN, FCM, FAACM
April carries a special kind of energy. It is a season of renewal, visibility, and forward movement. For the CMSA Foundation (CMSAF), April is more than a month on the calendar. It is a call to action. Join us for our 2nd annual CMSA Foundation Month!
This year’s theme, “Momentum That Matters – Moving Case Management Forward,” captures both our profession’s history and its future. Momentum is not accidental. It is built. It is sustained. And it is powered by people who believe that case management is essential to transforming healthcare.
Healthcare is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Payment reform, workforce strain, digital innovation, health equity imperatives, and complex care coordination challenges require strong, evidence-based case management more than ever before.
Momentum matters because:
- Patients with complex needs cannot wait for systems to “catch up.”
- Case managers need research, education, and tools to remain practice-ready.
- Leaders must be equipped to advocate for resources, recognition, and measurable outcomes.
- The profession deserves data that validates its impact across the care continuum.
The CMSA Foundation exists to generate and support that momentum. The mission of the CMSA Foundation is to support research, education, and professional development that advances the science and practice of case management.
That mission translates into:
- Funding innovative research that demonstrates the value of case management.
- Supporting emerging leaders and scholars.
- Providing grants that explore new models of care coordination.
- Strengthening the evidence base that influences policy, practice standards, and outcomes.
When you support the Foundation, you are not donating to a concept—you are investing in the measurable advancement of the profession.
Momentum that matters is not noise. It is not a slogan. It is visible in outcomes:
- Research that shapes practice standards.
- Data that influences regulatory and payer conversations.
- Educational resources that strengthen competency.
- Leaders who step forward because someone invested in their growth.
Every funded project adds velocity to our profession. Every contribution fuels forward movement.
April is when we intentionally amplify that energy. Our 2nd Annual Case Management Foundation (CMSAF) Month! This year, we invite you to do more than observe CMSAF Month. We invite you to MOVE..
- Move your body. Participate in a chapter Move-a-Thon, walk, run, stretch, cycle, or simply commit to daily activity in honor of the profession.
- Move your network. Share the mission. Post. Invite colleagues. Encourage your team to contribute.
- Move your resources. Donate in support of research and professional development that strengthens case management nationwide.
- Move the profession forward. When we combine individual action with collective purpose, momentum accelerates.
We invite you to participate in the CMSA Foundation Move-A-Thon, be part of a team, collect pledges, or donate. Your contribution helps:
- Support innovation & research in case management.
- Expand opportunities for awareness of case management contributions to healthcare.
- Grow the evidence base of the profession of case management.
As you know, even small contributions compound when multiplied across a committed community. Momentum is built through participation. Case managers are connectors. Coordinators. Advocates. Translators across systems. Imagine what happens when that same coordinated energy is directed toward advancing our own profession.
CMSA Foundation Month in April is OUR moment to:
- Celebrate our impact.
- Invest in our future.
- Strengthen the research infrastructure behind our work.
- Create sustainability for the next generation of case management leaders.
Momentum that matters does not happen by chance. It happens because professionals like you choose to act.
Your Call to Action
✔ Donate to the CMSA Foundation
✔ Participate in a MOVE event
✔ Encourage your team to join
✔ Share why case management matters
✔ Be part of the forward motion
Let’s create measurable momentum.
Let’s build evidence that influences systems.
Let’s invest in leadership that shapes the future.
Let’s MOVE case management forward—together.
Learn more about the CMSA Foundation and the CMSA Foundation Month Move-A-Thon.
Bio: Dr. Colleen Morley, DNP, RN, CCM, CMAC, CMCN, CMGT BC, ACM-RN, IQCI, FCM, FAACM is the Associate Chief Clinical Operations Officer, Care Continuum for University of Illinois Health System and the current Immediate Past President of the Case Management Society of America National Board of Directors and President Elect of CMSA Chicago. She has held positions in acute care as Director of Case Management at several acute care facilities and managed care entities in Illinois, overseeing Utilization Review, Case Management and Social Services for over 14 years; piloting quality improvement initiatives focused on readmission reduction, care coordination through better communication and population health management. Her current passion is in the area of improving health literacy. She is the recipient of the CMSA Foundation Practice Improvement Award (2020) and ANA Illinois Practice Improvement Award (2020) for her work in this area. Dr. Morley also received the AAMCN Managed Care Nurse Leader of the Year in 2010 and the CMSA Fellow of Case Management designation in 2022. Her 1st book, “A Practical Guide to Acute Care Case Management”, published by Blue Bayou Press was released in February, 2022. Her 2nd book, "Practical Guide to Hospital Readmission Reduction , published by Blue Bayou Press was released in February 2024. Her 3rd book, "Practical Guide to Acute Care Case Management Leadership" is in the works, targeting publication in 2025. Dr. Morley celebrates 25 years of nursing experience and 20 years in case management in 2024. Her clinical specialties include Med/Surg, Oncology and Pediatric Nursing. She received her ADN at South Suburban College in South Holland, IL; BSN at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, FL, MSN from Norwich University in Northfield, VT and her DNP at Chamberlain College of Nursing.