By Patricia Noonan, MBA, RN, CCM, CDP, FCM
Dear Friends,
It is with deep sadness that I share of the recent passing of Carol A. Gleason who was a dear friend to the professional case management community. Carol was a steadfast advocate for quality patient care and a public policy champion for legislation that supported professional case management practice. I first met Carol at the Case Management Society of New England (CMSNE) while serving on the public policy committee and she quickly became my friend and mentor.
Carol was a strong leader and active member of CMSNE serving on the CMSNE Board of Directors, then as President Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. She was actively engaged in the CMSNE chapter for many years by serving in leadership roles of committees such as the conference committee and scholarship/CMOY committee. During Carol’s Presidency, the CMSNE chapter had grown to one of the largest chapters across the country providing quality education to case managers in New England. She received the CMSNE CMOY Award in 2007.
Carol was an active member of CMSA/CMSNE for nearly two decades. At CMSA, she participated in leadership roles serving on the CMSA Board of Directors, Chair of the Conference Committee, and Chair/Vice-Chair of the CMSA Public Policy Committee.
Carol presented at conferences and at CMSA Hill Day events/forums throughout the years. She educated and engaged hundreds of case managers on the importance of participating in public policy advocacy to impact quality care. She educated legislators on Capitol Hill and at the State level on the Case Management Model Act, CMSA’s Standards of Practice for Case Management, and Nurse Licensure Compact Legislation which she advanced in Massachusetts. Carol also served as a reviewer of CMSA’s Core Curriculum. She received the CMSA AOSE Award in 2011.
Carol had a love for professional case management practice and a passion for public policy advocacy. She served as a mentor to CMSA chapters by growing public policy committees through the CMSA Liaison Network and was instrumental in developing the CMSA PPC Handbook. In her role as a case manager working at Brigham & Woman’s Hospital in Boston, she exemplified the role of a professional case manager serving as a role model to her co-workers delivering patient-centered care.
Carol’s contributions were also significant to the certified rehabilitation nursing community. She founded the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) Legislative Committee which influenced federal legislation on behalf of nurses and patients while serving as Chair/Vice-Chair of the Health Policy Committee. Carol was the editor of PLAN (Pertinent Legislation Affecting Nurses), a monthly Massachusetts publication utilized by nursing institutions, organizations, and academia to easily keep informed of the role of government in their nursing practice and patient care.
Carol was an inspiration to so many professionals in the case management community. She was knowledgeable of the healthcare landscape and willing to share her insights through presentations and publications. She was always willing to extend a welcoming hand to mentor others. Carol’s significant contributions will be remembered.
Please join me in making a donation in loving memory of Carol A. Gleason to the CMSA Foundation, the charitable non-profit organization that funds awards in research and practice improvement in case management – the profession that Carol dearly loved.
Link to the CMSA Foundation here:
https://www.cmsafoundation.org/inmemory
Bio: Patricia Noonan, MBA, RN, CCM, CDP, FCM, is a passionate advocate for professional case management practice with over twenty years’ experience in case management leadership roles. She has served on the CMSA Board and CMSA Foundation Board. Patricia currently serves as Chair of the CMSA Public Information Committee; Director on the CMSA Foundation Board; and Chair of the CMSNE Membership Committee. She is experienced in Population Health: ACO, Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial and Employee care management program development. She has published articles and presented on important case management topics. Patricia is the recipient of the CMSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025, CMSA CMOY Award in 2021, CMSA AOSE Award in 2017, and was recognized as a CMSA Case Management Fellow (FCM) in 2022.