Care coordination, care transitions topics kick off Commission for Case Manager Certification CMLearning webinar series

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Oct. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Poor coordination of care transitions cost an estimated $12-$44 billion each year—not counting the human cost of common transition mistakes such as medication errors, infections and falls. As health care providers respond to the carrots and sticks within the Affordable Care Act intended to improve care transitions, the Commission for Case Manager Certification (the Commission) is hosting no-cost webinars to educate and update case managers in the latest strategies for better care.

The Commission hosts its CMLearning Network® webinar series each year, intended to educate and raise awareness of current issues for case managers and others involved in coordinated, multi-disciplinary care. To begin the series this season, the Commission hosted a Sept. 30 webinar featuring Adam J. Zolotor, MD, DrPH, interim president of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine and associate professor of family medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Zolotor gave an overview of the changes in health care affecting case management practice since implementation of the ACA. A recording of that webinar, "Four-years post-ACA:  The evolving role of the case manager," is available for viewing at no charge on the Commission's website at http://ccmcertification.org/cmlearning-network/webinars.

The second webinar in the series features care transitions expert Mary Naylor, PhD, RN, the Marian S. Ware professor in gerontology and director of the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Naylor is the chief architect of the Transitional Care Model, providing a roadmap for health care organizations to improve the quality of health care via high-quality, cost-effective, evidence-based solutions to address care transitions. The Commission will host Naylor Dec. 2 for the webinar, "Care Transitions: Evidence-based best practices."

The Commission's CMLearning Network features webinars, issue briefs and other learning tools designed to advance education and training of both the board-certified case manager and the professional case manager through certification, renewal and continuing education. Board-certified case managers may register for the webinars to earn continuing education credit (small fee applies).

"The CMLearning Network brings current resources and information for case managers to learn about breakthrough processes and best practices for high quality, patient-centered case management services," said Patrice Sminkey, the Commission's CEO. "Our health care landscape demands a knowledgeable, well-trained workforce to take leadership for care coordination and care transitions. As the value of board-certified case managers as connectors in the health care system expands, the CMLearning Network is a critical resource for information and professional development."

About the Commission for Case Manager Certification 
The Commission for Case Manager Certification (the Commission) is the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies more than 35,000 professional case managers. The Commission is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that oversees the process of case manager certification with its CCM^® credential. The Commission is positioned as the most active and prestigious certification organization supporting the practice of case management. For more information, visit www.ccmcertification.org, connect with the Commission on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.    

SOURCE Commission for Case Manager Certification

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