Little Rock, AR – Connie Commander, RN, BS, CCM, ABDA, CPUR, of Pearland, Texas, took office as the 16^th President of the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), an international organization of over 9,600 members and the leading non-profit 501(c)(6), multi-disciplinary, professional association dedicated to the support and advancement of the care management profession. Commander was installed as the new President at CMSA’s annual conference held June 13-17, in Grapevine, Texas.

Connie is principal of Commander’s Premier Consulting Corporation and has over 25 years in development, implementation, and management of numerous medical management departments. She has held numerous management positions in health plans, clinic models, and in the Independent Physician’s Association in the Chicago and Houston areas. Utilizing both local and national affiliations, Connie mentors others in the art of case/care management. She has published and presented at a national level on issues relating to utilization and case management, department development, and enhancements utilizing medical management software to assist with outcome measurements. She views networking and staying current as personal and professional responsibilities.

“We are a growing number of strong professionals,” says Connie, “who must continue to reach out to others by stepping out of our professional silos and uniting as one voice to effectively navigate through the healthcare maze to strengthen our ability to advocate for our clients. Effective measurements of our productivity will not only prove our self worth, but will encourage active participation by our peers in the ‘art’ of practicing care management.”

At the Texas meeting, CMSA welcomed the following individuals to its 2006-2007 Board of Directors:

CMSA National Board of Directors 2006-2007

CMSA Officers:

o    President, Connie Commander, RN, BS, CCM, ABDA, CPUR, Pearland, Texas

o    President-Elect, Peter Moran, RN,C, BSN, MS, CCM, Newburyport, Mass.

o    Vice President, Deborah Gutteridge, MS, Kansas City, Mo.

o    Secretary, Carolyn Simon, MSN, RN, CPUR, CCM, Albuquerque, N.M.

o    Treasurer, Mary Jane McKendry, RN, MBA, CCM, CHE, Haverhill, Mass.

o    Immediate Past President, Susan A. Rogers, RN, BSN, CCM, Overland Park, Kan.

o    Executive Director, Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN, Little Rock, Ark.

o    Associate Executive Director, Jeanne Boling, MSN, CRRN, CDMS, CCM, Little Rock, Ark.

CMSA Directors:

o    Carol A. Gleason, MM, RN, CRRN, CCM, LRC, Marblehead, Mass.

o    Margaret (Peggy) Leonard, MS, RN,C, FNP, CM, Niskayuana, N.Y.

o    Mary Beth Newman, RN, MSN, A-CCC, CMAC, Loveland, Ohio

o    Rebecca Perez, RN, CCM, CPUR, CPUM, High Ridge, Mo. (Member-at-Large)

o   Nancy Skinner, RN, CCM, Whitwell, Tenn.

o    Patricia Agius, RN, BS, A-CCC, CCM, CPHQ, Danbury, Conn. (Chapter Presidents’ Council Representative)

To view information on CMSA's Board of Directors, click here.