Little Rock, AR (August 19, 2003) - Each year, the Case Management Society of America, (CMSA) recognizes members whose case management careers elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and exemplify merit and distinction. The CMSA National Awards are designed to recognize a level of achievement that few can match. Nominations for both awards are currently being accepted via mail and fax. Nominations forms and award benefit information are available at www.cmsa.org or by contacting Rhonda Harris at 501/225-2229 ext. 53 or email rharris@acminet.com. Postmark deadline for submission for each award is February 14, 2004.

CMSA’s 2003 National Case Manager of the Year (CMOY) Award was presented to Connie Commander, RN, CCM, ABDA, CPUR , of Pearland, Texas, at their 13th Annual Conference & Expo in San Antonio, in June 2003. A member since 1994, Commander owns Commander’s Premier Consulting Corp., a case/medical management consulting service and is partner/owner in Provider Solutions, Inc., helping individual physicians and ancillary medical services navigate through the healthcare delivery fields and insurance payor arenas. She is a member and past president of the CMSA Houston Gulf Coast Chapter and is currently her chapter’s Case Manager of the Year. Commander is noted for her great insight into finding alternative solutions to meet the needs of the patient and for her creativity and flexibility in making the benefit structures work. Known as a supportive and encouraging mentor whose loyalty and caring have helped her advance through several levels of leadership positions in her local chapter, Commander also currently serves CMSA at the National level as Secretary.

Innovation, creativity and resourcefulness serve as the cornerstone of CMSA’s Award of Service Excellence presented in 2003 to Liz Zemke, RN, MS, CCM, CPDM, WCCA/P , of Fresno, CA. Zemke, a member since 1997, has worked for Intracorp for the last seven years, where her role is that of coordinator, facilitator, advocator, and educator. A below-knee amputee for eight years as a result of an auto collision, Zemke is a member of CMSA’s Fresno chapter. She began an amputee peer support group in central California and volunteers her time by traveling throughout the state to visit approximately 250 new amputees per year. She dismisses the notion that her volunteer efforts are in any way noble. “In fact,” she says, “I think it’s selfish in a way, because the more you help others, the more you’re helping yourself. It’s a form of recovery.” This year she taught a class at California State Fresno and is the western Regional Representative for the Amputee Coalition of America. An active member of the Continuity of Care Association, Zemke is also a two-time recipient of the Nursing Excellence Award for Community Service.

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