CMSA’s 30th Anniversary and a Virtual Annual Conference: June 28- July 2 PLUS On Demand July 3-11

Pat Stricker, RN, MEd
Former SVP, Clinical Services
TCS Healthcare Technologies

Congratulations to CMSA! 

CMSA has been a driving force in the case management industry for 30 years and is more relevant now than ever! It all started so case managers working in varied, unconnected organizations and in different locations could share aspects of care management, standards of practice, patient outcomes, performance expectations, new ideas and innovations, and other topics relevant to everyone.

Thirty years ago the sharing of ideas with a large group of people in different locations in a timely manner was a much more difficult process. Remember, there were no conference calls yet, so information had to be shared in written format by “snail mail” or magazine articles. And that made it much more of a one-way sharing of information. Local case management groups working in different organizations began to gather monthly to discuss issues and plan educational programs. Slowly these local groups became regional and state professional organizations, associations or societies, thanks to the hard work and unwavering commitment of volunteer leaders who worked tirelessly to make these groups successful.

Once the professional groups were formed, some began to conduct regional and state conferences on an annual basis, and eventually that led to national conferences, bringing all the regional groups together. The purpose of these conferences were focused on: developing and approving standards of practice, evidence-based guidelines, regulations and policies; installing new leadership positions; developing future plans for the organization; discussing challenges and new ideas and innovations; providing new knowledge and education for the members; and dialoging and networking with others.  Service providers were also invited so members could learn about programs and products that could make their work easier or improve the experience for their patients.

Today many organizations are canceling their conferences due to the coronavirus pandemic. This is causing members to have to find other ways to obtain the continuing education hours needed for licensure, but not CMSA. They have quickly stepped in and created an innovative way to hold the conference, rather than canceling it, by presenting it in a virtual format.

Will that be as good a conference as actually being there live and in-person? For some, who go for the networking and “fun activities” associated with the conference, probably not. However, let’s look at how a virtual conference can provide all the key aspects of an on-site conference, with the exception of person-to-person networking and “live fun activities.” You may be surprised to learn that it might turn out to be more appealing and advantageous for you than traveling to Boston.  

Why People Attend Conferences
People have their own personal reasons for attending a conference. Some attend for the networking opportunities and fun activities, while others are more interested in acquiring the new industry knowledge and gaining insights into new, innovative programs, strategies and best practices being used by other organizations. When asked why they attend conferences, case managers say they want to:   

1. Grow personally and professionally: They want to gain new perspectives and refine their ideas about work processes; gain new insights and ideas; increase their professional development; and attain opportunities for career advancement. Adding conference attendance to their CV or resume also is an added benefit.
2. Acquire new knowledge: Participants want learn about new programs, guidelines, strategies, techniques and best practices that other organizations are using; obtain ideas, innovations, and lessons learned from academic and thought leaders; keep updated on the latest research and advances in data analytics and technology systems. Case managers also want to know about other organizations’ business practices, strengths and best practices and what peers in their area of practice are doing, so they can adapt those experiences to their own area of practice.
3. Learn about new “tools of the trade”: Case managers are interested in learning about new types of software systems, devices, tools and remote monitoring to increase productivity and efficiency; hear about new educational programs and contents, as well as care coordination services and resources for patients; and learn how to use tools and skills that are not taught in their organization.
4. Find solutions to problems: Participants want presentations that discuss problems other organizations are having and what suggestions they have for solving those issues. They also want to gain a multi-disciplinary view of how to approach and solve problems.
5. Connect with sponsors and other exhibitors: Case managers want to meet and interact with exhibitors, so they can be aware of available services and products, should they need them. 
6. Meet and network with like-minded people from different geographic areas, interests, and backgrounds: Case managers want the opportunity to meet others and connect with thought-leaders to ask questions and share ideas, as well as network with peers and industry leaders.

Because we have the internet, video conferencing, online conference meeting apps, and a lot more technology today than they did 30 years ago, all of these goals can be accomplished in a virtual conference, except #6 – meeting and networking with others in person. Virtual conferences try to accommodate some interaction and networking, although they need to be done in different ways. For example, Interactive Sessions allow participants to interact by asking questions of the presenter.

CMSA has also built two networking sessions into the conference agenda on Sunday and Wednesday evenings to accommodate this need. While it is different than in-person and takes more diligence and planning, networking can be done by the attendee after the conference by using the attendee and presenter lists to email or phone people they would have tried to meet during the conference. While it is not the same as being there and talking with someone in-person, it is a form of networking that provides an opportunity to communicate with others and gain additional information.   

Now let’s look at some of the advantages that virtual conferences have over on-site conferences.  

Advantages of “Attending’ a Virtual Conference (VC)

• Lower Cost: There is no cost for travel, lodging, and meals. This could save $1,000 - $2,000 for the week, which could outweigh the benefits of “being there."
• Overall Cost Per CE Is Less: Since the overall cost is much less, the cost of each CE is less.
• Access to All Sessions: The VC provides access to all interactive and concurrent sessions, compared to an on-site conference in which an attendee can only choose one of the three to four concurrent sessions offered for each time slot.
• More CEs than an On-site Conference: Because all the sessions will be available for review and CEs On-Demand, the VC is able to provide more total CEs.
• All content is CM-related:  Unlike other conferences, all of the sessions are pertinent to the practice of case management.
• Ability to Review: You can review a session if you missed something or didn’t understand it.
• Less Time: Time away from work, family, and other priorities is hard to justify and sometimes not possible. This option offers an easier way to juggle priorities.
• No Set Schedule: You have the option of “being there” for the interactive sessions each afternoon or you can choose to use the On-Demand feature and view all Interactive and concurrent sessions whenever it is convenient for you – on your own time frame and in the comfort of your own home.
• 2 Weeks to Complete: You have 2 weeks to complete all the sessions, so it can fit into your lifestyle. 

The following is the agenda for the 5 days (June 28-July 2), plus you get full On-Demand access to all Interactive and On-Demand content for an additional week after the conference (July 3-11) so you can review all or as many sessions as you wish, at your leisure. In all, there are 72 hours of continuing education for RNs and CCMs. This is an unprecedented number of hours that far exceeds other conferences. (Hours are pending for Social Work [36] and Ethics [23]). The registration fee also includes a FREE 1 year CMSA national membership and a chapter membership. Where else could you find case management-specific educational content with that many available CEs presented by industry experts at this price, plus free national and local membership dues for a year?  This is an amazing value! 

Interactive Sessions occur each afternoon and are available anytime on-demand from July 3 through July 11.

• 2 Networking Sessions – “Meet and Greet” and “Roundup”
• The Annual Meeting
• 3 Roundtable Discussions (additions to the VC)
• 2 Keynote Speakers
• Opening Night “30th Anniversary Party” with a band and attendee voting on the exhibitor contest for the best Cocktail &/or Mocktail recipe submitted. Two winners will receive a free 10 x 10 booth for the 2021 Conference.
• Expo Hall (6 hrs. over 3 days) with 3D Interactive Exhibit Hall that will amaze you. It offers the availability of interactions between the exhibitors and the attendees with lead retrievals built into the platform. Unmanned booths for non-expo hours are still available 24/7 for materials until July 11.
• The Expo Hall also includes all EXPO prize drawings and Passport to Prizes that would normally be available at the on-site conference.  

On-Demand Sessions (available anytime for 2 weeks from June 29-July 11, as noted above)

• 40 Concurrent Sessions
• 27 Poster Presentations
• 3 Yoga Sessions

Military, VA, and DOD Day, a pre-session day, offered on June 28 with specifically designed topics, includes 7 hours of sessions. (additional fee required)

So, are you convinced? A virtual conference offers all the key concepts of an on-site conference, plus providing more available CEs due to the On-Demand option. It also provides a more relaxed way to “attend” the conference on your time frame and in the comfort of your own home, while also allowing you more time to complete all the sessions. Granted, you may miss the in-person networking, but CMSA has provided some innovative networking options, such as networking tables with webcams, etc.  And I am sure you may miss the “live fun activities”, but there are still “interactive fun activities”, like the Opening Night Party with a band and the Expo Hall. The trade-off for the lack of in-person networking and “live fun activities” is that the conference will be less costly for you overall, due to the lack of costs for travel, lodging and meals for the week.   

I would like to commend CMSA for taking quick action to make the Virtual Conference a reality. Having been responsible for arranging a number of conferences, I know how difficult it is to get everything in order, much less have to undo everything and go in a different direction at the last minute. CMSA has never done a national conference in a virtual format, so this made the “new direction” much more difficult to accomplish, especially in the limited time frame. I can only imagine the number of extra hours everyone in the organization has put in over the past weeks. I am confident this new format will live up to the same standard as past conferences — “One of the Best” and definitely “One to Remember!"

I congratulate all of you at CMSA and thank you for your commitment to your members.