Commission for Case Manager Certification and Catholic Health team to prepare case managers for board certification

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. and BUFFALO, N.Y., July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commission for Case Manager Certification (the Commission) is teaming with Catholic Health to offer an unprecedented workforce training opportunity to nurses and social services professionals. It is the latest in an expanded educational effort by the Commission to enhance case manager knowledge and meet the demand for a well-prepared workforce.

The Commission will bring its Case Management Certification Workshop to Catholic Health Oct. 21-22, 2014. The in-depth training will prepare some 60 professionals to sit for the Certified Case Manager® (CCM®) credentialing exam. The workshop will be held in Catholic Health's new state-of-the-art Administrative & Regional Training Center in downtown Buffalo, which also serves as its corporate headquarters.

The Commission, with more than 35,000 board-certified case managers, is the oldest and largest nationally accredited organization certifying case managers. Although it has recently hosted certification workshops in its New Jersey office, this is the first time it will bring the highly-regarded workshop to a health provider's education site.

"Catholic Health has a tradition of supporting employees with workforce training opportunities, from tuition reimbursement to hosting an RN bachelor's degree program," said Patrice Sminkey, the Commission's CEO. "As accountable care organizations like Catholic Health and medical homes emphasize better care coordination and improved care transitions, training a cadre of highly skilled, knowledgeable case managers ensures Catholic Health will have the people it needs to meet these new demands."

With grant funding from New York's Health Workforce Retraining Initiative, Catholic Health will provide scholarships for 42 case managers to attend the workshop and take the CCM exam. The candidates come not only from Catholic Health's integrated health system, but also from physician practices that are part of Catholic Medical Partners.

The Commission has reserved an additional 18 places for case managers from across the region to participate in the workshop. For details and to register, click here.

"In today's rapidly changing health care environment, case managers are integral members of the health care team," said Cheryl Friedman, vice president of care management for Catholic Health. "Helping our case managers achieve this certification recognizes the importance of their professional development, promotes quality practices and enhances the care and service we provide our patients."

Sminkey said the Commission will host a certification workshop Oct. 9-10 in its Washington, DC office as part of its continuing commitment to education and professional development. Another learning opportunity will be offered through the Commission's CMLearning Network's series of education webinars this fall, at no charge to attend. Case managers can access professional knowledge resources online at any time (and earn up to 57 continuing education credits) through the Commission's Case Management Body of Knowledge.^™

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.

About Catholic Health
Catholic Health is one of the largest providers of healthcare in Western New York. As the region's top integrated health system, its broad network includes three hospitals on four campuses; a number of primary care, long term care, and subacute care facilities; and of host of home care, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitation services. Its more than 8,000 associates and 1,400 physicians are part of a healing ministry dating back more than 160 years. Among its many services, Catholic Health is known for excellence in cardiac care, stroke care, women's services, vascular services, orthopedics and rehabilitation.    

SOURCE Commission for Case Manager Certification