Commission for Case Manager Certification Installs New Officers

Commission leadership poised to take on the challenges and opportunities presented by the Affordable Care Act and other changes to the health care delivery system

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Commission for Case Manager Certification (the Commission) recently installed a new slate of officers for 2011/2012. The Commission is the oldest and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies case managers, having certified tens of thousands of case managers since 1992.

These five volunteer leaders bring passion, commitment and diverse academic and professional experiences to the table. Working with the Commission's executive team, board of commissioners and volunteers, they will advocate for professional case management excellence through certification and related programs and services.

Dorothy Consonery-Fairnot, BS, MSHA, RN, CCM, CLNC, has assumed the role of chair. Consonery-Fairnot is the southeast regional manager for MedInsights, a workers' compensation managed care organization. She is responsible for the administration of field case management services for 10 southeastern states and oversees the national medical-legal product line services. She holds a nursing degree from Nicholls State University and a master's degree in health care services administration from the University of St. Francis. She completed a post-graduate fellowship in hospital administration at Grady Health System in Atlanta.

"I am honored to be entrusted with this role, and I look forward to an exciting, productive year," she said. "The Commission is characterized by a longstanding commitment to be the unified voice for all case managers—whether they come from the nursing, social services or vocational rehabilitation disciplines. Our new strategic services and educational offerings—namely, the Case Management Body of Knowledge™ and the CM Learning Network™—allow the Commission to improve the visibility and promote the value of the case management profession. Through the CCM® certification, the Commission has created a pathway for the professional case manager to demonstrate they have the advanced skills and experience to fulfill a vital role that protects the patient and the consumer in today's health care landscape. Board-certified case managers are the professionals who can protect the future delivery of quality, cost-efficient health care, and the Commission is the organization that is shaping the future of case management."

The other 2011/2012 officers are:

• Chair-elect: Kathryn Serbin, BSN, MS, CCM, section chief of the Women's Health Clinic and senior nurse, surgical clinics at the Ambulatory Care Center of the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Facility in Chicago, a Veterans Health Administration system facility
• Treasurer: Mike Joyce, CIA, CPA, CLU, FLMI, FAHM, chief auditor and compliance officer at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association in Chicago
• Secretary: Sue Jensen, Ph.D., RN, CCM, associate professor, Kirkhof College of Nursing - Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Immediate Past-Chair: Annette C. Watson, RN-BC, CCM, MBA, founder and principal, Watson International Consulting and senior vice president, Community Transformation Department, Taconic IPA in Fishkill, N.Y.

As Consonery-Fairnot observed, case management has taken center stage in today's health care arena.

"This is a critical time for case management. Health care costs are escalating and the health care delivery system is undergoing transformation from fragmentation to better coordinated care. Board-certified case managers in all 50 states are making the difference for patients and consumers."

Models of care such as the patient-centered medical home and accountable care organizations emphasize core activities of the case manager, including care coordination. These models align with the Commission'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 system; and the various payer sources.

About the Commission for Case Manager Certification

The Commission for Case Manager Certification is the first and largest nationally accredited organization that certifies more than 30,000 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 CCMC on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @CCM_Cert.

SOURCE Commission for Case Manager Certification