Ahoy Mate. Step aboard for the ride of your life.
Case Management is…a treasure chest of riches or a map that enables us to better serve our patients and their families. I may bring my good intentions with the desire to aid a patient function at his or her optimal level, but it wasn’t until I began studying for the CCM and ACMA exams that I recognized what a rich gift Case Management offers us to constantly grow and strengthen our skill sets. It gives me the tools to do my job well.
There are times as a dedicated practitioner it feels like being on a deserted island…kind of like Tom Hanks in “Cast Away” where we must learn and be aware of the tools around us in order to survive….think “Wilson” here. As I’m navigating the maze of complex patient care with multiple conflicting agendas at times, the Case Management Values help me remain grounded and focused on “patient-centered care.” To: “not get swept up in the story but to stay focused on the symptoms and behaviors.” I constantly dive into my Case Management Treasure Chest or pull out my map, confident that I will find the tools to do my job well.
Case Management also values communication and collaboration. That “show of support” and Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) work is invaluable to our profession. There’s a proverb: “Go faster alone but further together” that resonates with me in our role as Case Managers and the “glue” we bring to the (IDT) where “connectedness” is the key that unlocks that treasure chest or gives us the ability to read the map more clearly to better navigate challenges we experience in our daily work.
Guest post from Alissa M. Myatt, LCSW, CCM, ACM-SW, submitted as part of our “Case Management Is… Contest” and selected as an Honorable Mention!
I live and practice in sunny Southern CA, state of the “shake and bake.” I have worked in hospitals since 1985 beginning on the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital and since 2006 as a Medical Social Worker at my local Community Hospital. I love direct patient care and love to hear each patient’s story. When I’m not at the hospital I love to be outdoors. My husband and I love to hike, travel, and bird watch. I also love to read, watch classic movies, and practice yoga.