By Karen Hooven BSN, RN, CRRN, CCM
Sunflowers. I love their tall, huge stems and sunny yellow flowers reaching for the sky! This year, I planted several sunflowers to see if they would grow. They did! I was so happy! I thought the flower at the end of the long green stem would never open, but finally the blooms blossomed into their full majesty. I was amazed and happy.
I am looking forward to enjoying the other five sunflowers blooming! What makes you happy?
I’ve never planted Sunflowers before. I took a chance. Watered them. Fed them. Fawned over their growth and sturdiness!
Take a chance. Case management is all about giving our patients the best possible chances and doing what is right and good for them. We think out of the box. Sometimes we are successful, and sometimes we have to return to that drawing board.
Did you know there are several types of Sunflowers? I only knew there were tall ones (Giant) and short ones. There is a “common” sunflower, “golden Ray F1”, “Ring of Fire”, “Wild”, “Henry Wilde”, “Mammoth”, and more. There are nearly 70 species of Sunflowers, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. They are native to North and South America. The common sunflower is used as food; the yellow oil is sweet and can be used as table oil. The oil can also be used in soaps and paints. The seeds can be dried, roasted, and ground into nut butter. Who knew sunflowers had so many practical uses?
Sunflowers have several representations: Loyalty, Spiritual devotion, long life, and lasting happiness. The bright, happy yellow flowers inspire our hearts and make us smile.
Post Malone and Swae Lee sang a song entitled, Sunflower, for the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse movie. One of the phrases states, “Fightin’ for my trust and you won’t back down”! This phrase made me think of Case management. We fight for our patients’ well-being through advocacy! We strive to empower our patients’ ability to navigate the complexities of insurance and the care transition process. Our goal is to enhance the happiness and well-being of our patients by sharing our expertise in case management.
Currently, I have eight sunflowers that have bloomed. Five are drooping, which means their time in the Sun has come to an end. My plan now is to cut off the drooping heads and harvest the seeds. I will need to dry them thoroughly before packaging the seeds for next year.
Think about it. Case managers are Sunflowers! I bet you are smiling right now! The more we learn and grow in our field, the more knowledge and resources we bring to the table for our patients. We learn and grow through each other by networking, attending conferences, and belonging to an organization like CMSA and the affiliate chapters. We plant the seeds for advocacy and empowerment by being involved. We take the chance to grow our “seeds” through networking and involvement in our local chapters and national conferences. Join us. Become a member today.
Sunflowers. Happiness. Growth. Loyalty. CMSA!
There's only ONE MONTH LEFT to register for the immersive CMSA Case Manager Boot Camp in Nashville, TN! Join us from September 24-26, 2025, for an unparalleled opportunity to sharpen your skills and elevate your practice. This dynamic program features:
Interactive Exercises:
-Apply what you learn in real-time.
-Engaging Group Discussions: Share insights and learn from your peers.
-Practical Case Studies: Tackle real-world scenarios to build confidence.
Plus, earn a significant 19.5 CEs to boost your professional development!
Space is limited —Register here: https://www.pathlms.com/cmsa/courses/45993
Bio: Karen Hooven is a Bachelor prepared Nurse earning her degree from Ursuline College in 1980. She has over 44 years professional Nursing experience. Retired from MetroHealth medical center, a level 1 Trauma center, in 2010. Currently employed at The Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital since 2010. Currently manages 18 employees in the Care Management dept. of this 142 Acute Care Hospital. Karen has been active in CMSA for many years. She is the co-founder and current president of the Cleveland Chapter of CMSA. She is the Vice Chair of the 2024-2025 CMSA Membership committee. She is certified in Rehabilitation Nursing (CRRN) and in Case Management (CCM). She has presented at ARN, Spinal Cord conferences, and CMSA. Karen has been presented with the CMSA Case management Practice Improvement Award in 2017 for her work on the Kaizen Documentation Team and presented a paper on this same subject at CMSA conference. Karen has won several Excellence Awards in Care management. In 2024, she was presented an Excellence award for the Medina multidisciplinary LOS Reduction Team that she chaired. In 2024, she was a recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award by the Cleveland Clinic Enterprise for her work in Case management. Karen is enthusiastic in the Empowerment and Advocacy of Case management and the people we serve.