Hope you are having a good summer. I love sharing my annual summer reading list. This year marks 10 years of publishing this list. My first summer reading list was posted on July 1st, 2016. I have written this list with the help of friends, family and colleagues. Here...
Communication is at the heart of everything a nurse case manager does. In the healthcare communication can easily become fragmented as insurance, physicians, therapists, employers, and other healthcare professionals juggle busy schedules and competing priorities....
I am back! Over the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to do two things that always recharge me—take a vacation and attend the annual Case Management Society of America (CMSA) Conference in Las Vegas. My husband and I traveled through the Canadian Rockies and the...
It’s time to put together my annual Summer Reading List, and I would love your recommendations! What book did you read this year that you simply could not put down? What inspired you, challenged you, or stayed with you long after you finished it? Old favorites and new...
Memorial Day, is observed on the last Monday of May. It is a day to honor members of the military who were killed in service, both during deployments overseas or in training and service in the U.S. Across the country, Americans spend the day visiting cemeteries,...
Every spring, commencement speakers share lessons, inspiration, and wisdom with graduates across the country. Recently, The Washington Post highlighted several memorable commencement speeches, and I thought I would share a few of my favorites. Even if you are long...
I was reading a post from a friend who is battling cancer. He talked about psychological flexibility. As I have not heard this term before, I did a little digging. In this article, I wanted to share what I learned and how nurse case managers can use this skill to be...
If you know a nurse, take a moment during National Nurses Week to call, text, or email them and simply say thank you. Small gestures of appreciation can mean more than you realize. These continue to be stressful times across every area of nursing practice. Yet nurses...
The United States spends nearly $5 trillion annually on healthcare—more than any other nation in the world. Yet despite this staggering investment, the country consistently ranks near the bottom among developed nations in key measures such as life expectancy, chronic...
I just finished watching season 2 of The Pitt. If you have been watching it, I know you are trying to take in all the issues that were presented and what was left hanging for season 3. If you did not see it, you can stream season one and season 2 on HBO/Max. The Pitt...
Negotiation is one of the core skills nurse case managers rely on every day. Whether we’re coordinating care, advocating for services, or helping families navigate complex systems, we spend a surprising amount of time in conversations where emotions run high, and...
Healthcare in general is undergoing a profound transformation—in this article, I wanted to look at an area many of us don’t think about because we live in an urban or suburban area. Rural areas across the country are set to be hit the hardest as the Big Beautiful Bill...
Passover and Easter are both springtime religious holidays that celebrate liberation, renewal, and hope. Passover marks the Jewish people’s freedom from slavery in Egypt, while Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection in Christianity. Both holidays emphasize themes of...
Most of us are used to waiting for things — in line at the grocery store, at a red light, or for the coffee to finish brewing. How much waiting each of us can tolerate is deeply individual. But waiting in a healthcare setting is a different kind of waiting. It carries...
Using patient portals is a critical part of care coordination and helping the patient be an active member of their team. So why are they so difficult to use as compared to other industries? Think about other systems you have learned how to use over the past few...
In theory, your primary care physician (PCP) is the quarterback of your care. Managed care was designed so that every person had a PCP who knew them, followed them over time, and helped manage their health. In return, the managed care company paid the PCP a...
Last week, in Part One, I talked about the Discharge Planning Process. In Part Two, I wanted to continue the discussion and expand on how effective discharge planning can improve outcomes regardless of your setting Areas covered in part one: Emphasize early...
Discharge Planning is one of the most important functions that case managers and Board Certified Patient/Health Advocates perform. Depending on where you meet your patient, an inpatient hospital or rehabilitation facility, an outpatient rehabilitation facility, a...
