LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – June 2006 – The Case Management Society of America (CMSA) is pleased to announce that the eighth annual celebration of National Case Management Week will take place October 8-14.

CMSA joins a number of other national organizations supporting CM Week in efforts to unify case and care management professionals, to educate the public about case management, and to increase awareness and recognition of the significant contributions case and care managers make to quality healthcare for patients, healthcare providers, and payers. This year's theme, "One Purpose – Many Paths!" reflects the industry's strong focus on the
varied strategies within case/care management to improve the quality and cost efficiency of healthcare, as well as the industry's need to recreate itself and its mission, vision, and educational approach — and to lead the transition to the next generation of integrated care management. 

"Acknowledging care managers through a nationally recognized event such as National Case Management Week is vitally important as the field becomes increasingly known as a strategy of great significance across the continuum of care," says Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN, CMSA's Executive Director. "Not only does case management support patients and their families in navigating the healthcare system, it decreases the fragmentation of services, encourages health
team communication, and contributes significantly to patient safety, quality of life, and cost-efficient management of limited resources," adds Connie Commander, RN, CCM, ABDA, CPUR, President of CMSA. "Therefore, case management can and should be recognized and celebrated by the healthcare industry as a crucial element of care giving."

Central to the CM Week logo design this year is a colorful crossroad and road sign that features the four primary case manager role functions: Assess, Educate, Plan, and Advocate. This design was chosen to symbolize that, although caregivers may follow different paths, they share a common purpose: To have an efficient collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, and advocacy for options and services to meet their patients' health needs.

National Case Management Week has been celebrated annually since 1999 and is acknowledged each year during the second full week of October. CMSA offers resources to help individuals and employers plan their CM Week celebration. Ideas such as hosting a recognition luncheon, creating posters for the workplace, coordinating public relations and governmental recognition, and other promotional suggestions are included in CMSA's 2006 Promotional Guide available here. CM Week t-shirts, mugs, wristbands, and pens are also available for purchase through the website here. Dress shirts with embroidered CMSA logos may be ordered here.

For more information about National Case Management Week or to learn more about the products, ideas, and opportunities available for its celebration, please visit www.cmsa.org/cmweek or contact Michele Lee at mlee@acminet.com or at (501)225-2229.