Another Opportunity…and an Invitation!

Each issue of this publication provides me with many opportunities to communicate with our readers. As Executive Editor, I reach out to authors to explore their interests, to learn what is resonating with them, and to gather new articles. As I review their manuscripts, there is often a recurring theme. Understandably, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our authors felt a need to discuss the issues affecting their colleagues and their patients. There have been articles discussing those issues, and we continue to explore other COVID19 topics that will meet the changing needs of our readers.

Some of our case management authors are highly experienced clinicians, social workers, counselors, and therapists who have shared their expertise through their manuscripts, whereas others are submitting their first article to CareManagement. We welcome all of these efforts! This publication and others fulfill an important need—the continuing education of our case management readers.

Various programs and evidencedbased initiatives in a wide variety of practice settings have been created by case management teams and departments all across the country. When these professionals decide to “tell their story,” they provide valuable information. Often these articles serve as models of care and intervention that others might adopt. As the authors discuss the various components of those programs, the goals they hoped to achieve, the challenges they encountered, the research that was conducted, the case studies that illustrated their process, and the outcomes they achieved, they become the instructors in the laboratory of

Catherine M. Mullahy

case management’s real world. This information is increasingly valued and vital in these rapidly changing times. While some perceive their experiences in healthcare as learning opportunities and want to share those with others and contribute to the body of knowledge and the practice of case management, not everyone in case management responds the same way to the overwhelming environment that was their experience over the past several years.

Many case managers felt overwhelmed. There was (and still is) the burden of caring for too many patients, with increasing uncertainty and the lack of a roadmap to ensure that they were providing the best care possible. Many of our colleagues were dealing with the death of individuals who were not able to be comforted by their families. Understandably, many case managers felt overwhelmed because they were trying to determine the protocols while supporting each other, their patients, and their families. Without time to react to those feelings as they were occurring, those feelings eventually took their toll. We are just now seeing the aftermath of an unprecedented worldwide health crisis.

Some case managers wanted to deepen their understanding of the factors that were impacting their patients, including clinical, behavioral, and, of course, the growing importance and influence of the social determinants of health. To address these factors, case managers have returned to the classroom with the hope that they would be better prepared to meet the needs of the growing numbers of patients with complex care needs. For other case managers, their professional responsibilities, staffing shortages, and the increasing challenges to balance work and family schedules while also taking caring of themselves led them to evaluate their role and workplace setting. Some made the decision to leave the profession, and others decided they wanted to practice in another healthcare setting.

We are seeing articles and forums that explore “quiet resignation,” hiring and retention of staff, issues of empathy, bullying in the workplace, and strategies to overcome or reduce burnout. Additionally, there has been a focus on developing a strategic approach to the disturbing increase in suicide among our colleagues. Although these situations are often difficult, they need to be addressed.

There certainly are more than enough issues that impact our continues on page 39