Little Rock, AR - CMSA announced today that Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN, succeeds Jeanne Boling, MSN, CRRN, CDMS, CCM, as Executive Director of the association. This announcement follows a one-year period during which Ms. Lattimer served as the organization's Associate Executive Director and fulfills CMSA's transition plan for the association. Going forward, Ms. Boling will serve as the Associate Executive Director and association ambassador. In that role, she will assist Ms. Lattimer in leading the association and in bringing advanced care management strategies to the nation's largest case management association, which currently serves approximately 9,400 members.

Formerly with Health Integrated, Inc., Ms. Lattimer served as Executive Vice President of Clinical Services and was responsible for the company's product development, product integration, and consulting services. Ms. Lattimer is President and owner of Integrity Consulting, which provides support to the healthcare industry for the development of advanced care management strategies and operational integration. With over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Ms. Lattimer has held positions at various levels of care delivery.

In 2005, Ms. Lattimer led CMSA in developing its extensive online Educational Resource Library, which was made available to CMSA members in mid-January 2006. The library will support case managers with an extensive array of CM education tools ranging from basic entry level to masters-level preparation.

"We couldn't have imagined a better transition plan," said CMSA President, Susan Rogers, RN, BSN, CCM. "Jeanne came on the scene years ago when our industry was in its infancy. Since then, she has provided the stability we needed and helped the association mature into the largest international case management organization that we have become. With Cheri's added expertise, we're poised to embark on a very exciting future. CMSA is incredibly fortunate to have the combined forces of Cheri and Jeanne at the helm."

Ms. Lattimer says about her new role, "Case managers have always served an important role in the effective delivery of healthcare ... but today, CMSA is increasingly being invited to take a seat at the table where health policy is being developed. Although it is an exciting place to be, we also humbly recognize our responsibility as patient advocates. It is through these collaborative ventures that case management will be acknowledged as the glue that ensures care coordination in a progressively more complex healthcare maze. This is a profession that is ripe with possibility and growth. It is a privilege to work with CMSA and help define the collaborative practice models that will grow case management practice within the healthcare industry."