Commission for Case Manager Certification Passes 30,000 Mark for Its Board-Certified Credential

New models of care demand professional leadership to guide care coordination, team-based care functions that increase health care value

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC™), the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies case managers, marked a major milestone today, announcing that the number of its board-certified case managers has now passed the 30,000 mark.

The December 2010 examination period brought the total number of Certified Case Manager (CCM®) credential holders to 30,144. CCMC established the standard for case management credentialing in 1992 with its rigorous examination, which is continuously validated through evidence-based research. Case management is a collaborative process that assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates the options and services required to meet the client's health and human service needs.

CCMC is a non-profit, volunteer organization overseeing the process of case manager certification across multiple clinical disciplines—trained case managers who come from backgrounds as social workers, registered nurses and professionals in workers compensation and vocational rehabilitation are all eligible to apply for the CCM.

Board certification of case managers is gaining increasing importance as health care delivery systems push to meet greater expectations for care delivery, patient safety and improved patient outcomes. CCMC's 2009 Role & Functions Survey of nearly 7,000 case managers found that a growing number of employers require case management certification (36 percent, compared to 26 percent in 2004), and more employers offer additional compensation for certification (27 percent in 2009 compared to 20 percent in 2004).(1)

"Health care delivery today is often fragmented and uncoordinated, which can accelerate cost and lead to poor health outcomes," said CCMC Chair Annette C. Watson, RN-BC, CCM, MBA. "Care coordination and effectively managing care transitions are just two of the functions of case management that are now widely touted as a means to de-fragment the system of care delivery and provide safer, better care across the continuum. Board certified case managers have demonstrated they are well qualified for these tasks."

Research indicates that well-designed care coordination interventions, delivered to the right individuals, can improve patient, provider and payer outcomes.(2) A foundational emphasis on team-based care in advanced primary care models such as the patient-centered medical home has also expanded the role of case managers. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), the accreditation organization with the leading recognition program for primary care practices that have transformed into medical homes, requires evidence of a team-based approach to chronic illness management, and requires non-physician staff to manage preventive services, help develop individualized patient care plans and do ongoing case management and follow-up of patients with chronic conditions.  These medical home principles and the NCQA requirements align with CCMC's philosophy that everyone benefits when clients reach their optimum level of wellness, self-management, and functional capability: the clients being served; their support systems; the health care delivery systems; and the various payer sources.

"The board-certified case manager has the knowledge, experience and competence to provide professional services to patients across the health care spectrum, from complex medical conditions to serious injury or ongoing mental health challenges," Watson said. "For the most vulnerable among us, health care can be a confusing maze. The board-certified case manager can be the advocate a patient needs to navigate that system with optimum results, particularly in this evolving environment."

To learn more, read the CCMC issue brief, "Care Coordination: Case managers 'Connect the Dots' in New Delivery Models" at http://www.ccmcertification.org/pdfs/Care_Coordination-Case_Managers_Connect_the_Dots_in_New_Delivery_Models.pdf.

About CCMC

The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies case managers.  The CCMC is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM® credential.  CCMC is positioned as the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the case management industry.  For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org.

(1) "Growing Trend: Case Management Certification Desired—and Paid For—by More Employers CCMC." Issue Brief vol 1, issue 1 (http://www.ccmcertification.org/pdfs/Growing_Trend-Case_Management_Certification_Desired_and_Paid_for_by_More_Employers.pdf).

(2) "Outcomes of Implementing Patient Centered Medical Home Interventions: A Review of the Evidence from Prospective Evaluation Studies in the United States." http://www.pcpcc.net/content/pcmh-outcome-evidence-quality.

SOURCE Commission for Case Manager Certification