From the Executive Editor

Celebrations and Reflections

Catherine M. Mullahy

We’ve reached midyear of 2022, and June is typically a time to celebrate. We look forward to beautiful weather and time to enjoy and celebrate the special times in our lives—graduations, weddings, family reunions, and birthdays for the newest arrivals. We are professionals, but we are also individuals who hopefully have rich and deeply satisfying personal lives. As we were putting together this issue of CareManagement, it occurred to me that there were numerous significant occasions in the month of May. There was Mother’s Day, Nurses Week, Mental Health Awareness Month, ALS Awareness Month, Armed Forces Day, International Red Cross Day, and Memorial Day. It seems that every day in May, and in fact most months, we need reminders to take note of special occasions, even if only for a few moments in a very busy day. It’s somewhat of a sad commentary that our lives have become so scheduled and yes, overcommitted, that we do need these “push-pause” moments (thanks, again, CCMC for those!) to stop, reflect, and be in the moment. Country music legend George Strait has a song titled, “The Breath You Take,” in which there is a repeated lyric that says, “Life’s not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away.”

Even though I haven’t called the phone numbers of my friends, some of them dating back to grammar school, and the phone number associated with my childhood home in years, I still remember them. In contrast, I now have difficulty recalling many of the phone numbers of individuals, including my children and grandchildren (don’t tell them!), that I call very frequently…and why? Because I no longer have to remember them—I have access immediately on phone, a click away. The same is true for the day/date. When someone asks me what the date is, I often have to acknowledge that I don’t know or can’t recall. Thankfully, it’s comforting to know that I’m not

alone as more and more individuals rely on their phones.

We are so inundated with bits and bytes of information that it’s extremely difficult and continuously challenging to take it all in and to process information and use it in meaningful ways. How should we determine what is truly significant, and, equally important, what is the best way to discern its relevance to the work we do each day, especially as it relates to the patients entrusted to our care? We need to take time periodically to assess not only our patients’ needs but also our own needs and the needs of our colleagues, family, and friends.

There are numerous articles, webinars, blogs, courses, and books that provide us with information and education. Each of these attempts to persuade us that their content should be considered more important and actionable than all the others. As each of the issues of CareManagement journal is created, we recognize that professionals need information that will enhance their practice, improve outcomes for their patients, and underscore their commitment to be part of the lifelong learning experience that case managers embrace.

We recognize that our patients and their families have needs, including clinical, behavioral, financial, legal, and ethical, that are increasingly challenging and complex. We also need to examine our patients’ social determinants of health. All of these needs must be assessed and incorporated within the intervention we are providing.

How can we continue to meet the needs of case managers who are trying to balance multiple demands and responsibilities while facing increased stresses within their practice settings? We cannot create change from outside these settings, but we can provide the education, tools, resources, and encouragement that can influence change. In fact, we encourage our readers to become change agents within their practice settings.

We invite you to share what you would like to see in this publication. Take a few minutes and look at the “Inside This Issue” (cover of this publication) and the overview of the CE articles, special sections, columns, and features. I would truly appreciate it if you would contact me directly and share your “most valued” content and recommendations for topics. Consider this a personal invitation to become a part of this publication. Take a look at ACCM | CareManagement for more information about each of these features and for our Author Guidelines. I welcome the opportunity to work with you and look forward to hearing from you!

We need to take time periodically to assess not only our patients’ needs but also our own needs and the needs of our colleagues, family, and friends.

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