Case managers bring vital skills to help employers adopt health-conscious culture.

Forward-thinking companies and organizations are embracing the concept of managing employee health holistically to improve overall wellness and productivity. As these initiatives are designed and implemented, case managers will be key players, given the important skills we bring to the table. The focus on employee health, including the need for greater integration of medical and behavioral interventions, was a key topic at the Institute of Health and Productivity Management’s (IHPM’s) conference held in Orlando in late March. The conference brought together CEOs, corporate medical offices, wellness directors, case managers, disease managers, and pharmaceutical industry professionals, as well as organizations such as the American Cancer Society, which has educational initiatives around employee health issues such as smoking cessation and nutrition. As a case manager, I saw within this gathering of corporate and healthcare thought leaders an important opportunity for the case management professional. As advocates and educators, case managers are in a unique position because of our skill set, including clinical expertise, our knowledge of resources within a community, and our interpersonal skills that enable us to be the collaborators and communicators within multidisciplinary teams. The challenge is for the practice of case management to be proactive in reaching out to employers, to inform them of our skills and expertise, and to promote case managers as essential members of health and productivity teams. Rather than waiting for others to invite us to participate, case managers need to be willing to take the lead. The Case Manager Roles and Function Study, completed by the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC), not only documents the evolution of the practice, but continues to build a definitive foundation by which we can prove the value of our practice (see January/February 2006, “Roles and Function Study, Part I” and March/April 2006, “Roles and Function Study, Part II”). Interestingly, one way case managers can become involved in employer initiatives is to start “at home.” Although we work in different practice settings, the majority of case managers are employees; we work for other firms and organizations. Within the companies where we work, we need to look for ways in which we can help provide employee education and promote wellness and chronic disease prevention. We need to explore the roles we can play within our organizations as advocates. Building upon this experience, case managers can take the next News and Views