CMSA Successfully Advocates and Educates for Case Management at the 2012 Public Policy Summit

Advocating for the Importance of Case Management to the effective delivery of Health Care" was the theme for this year’s 2012 CMSA public Policy Summit, held April 23-24 in Washington, D.C. The National Board of Directors and Public Policy Committee gathered nearly 100 case management advocates in our nation’s Capitol to educate policymakers on the issues impacting all case managers. The attendees at the Summit brought their knowledge and concerns to Capitol Hill, working to directly impact policymakers.

The two day Summit was opened with a dinner and reception with the Board of Directors and the Public Policy Committee at U.S Capitol Complex – Marriott Courtyard. The opening night was an opportunity for attendees to meet and greet the National Board and Public Policy Committee, as well as other Summit attendees from across the country. This event was a great start to the Summit, setting up all attendees for the next exciting day on Capitol Hill.

Early the next morning, CMSA invited by Congressional Leadership, held the morning session of the 2012 Public Policy Summit in the U.S. House of Representatives. Hosted in a historic Congressional meeting room, the attendees had breakfast and prepared for the educational session.

Dr. Joe Selby, Executive Director for the Patient Centered Outcomes Resource Institute (PCORI), Sarah Dine, Deputy Editor of Health Affairs Publication, and Ellen-Marie Whelan with the CMS Innovation center comprised the first panel of speakers. They provided the attendees with a dynamic view of the future of health care policy – delineating areas of focus for the administration and health care advocates. In addition to providing a view of the current landscape of health policy, the speakers also provided the attendees with information on how they can be politically active, giving them resources to take back to their states.

With many goals to pursue that afternoon, one of the main objectives of the summit was to evaluate current health policy and discuss with policymakers how the Model Act, as a top policy priority for CMSA, can be utilized by legislators in developing care coordination policy. That afternoon more than 120 Congressional offices were visited by the attendees of the Public Policy summit. Meeting with Congressional members and staff, the attendees were able to actively advocate on issues impacting the case management community. These meetings successfully raised the visibility of case management and assisted in achieving the goals and objectives set for the Summit.

The day ended with an energetic debriefing session, held in the Longworth Congressional Office Building. Attendees and CMSA leadership had the opportunity to exchange their experiences with the entire group. The leadership of CMSA had the opportunity to discuss executive meetings with the White House and other agencies at the department of Health and Human Services, including the office of the Surgeon General.

New and returning members to the Summit, with wide ranges of professional practice and experiences on Capitol Hill, all enjoyed and learned something new, providing additional reasons as to why it is important to come to Washington and advocate for case management issues.

The 2012 Public Policy Summit was again a successful event that concluded with a reception with Congressional staff, held in the Rayburn House Office Building. The summit was a great opportunity that not only educated policymakers on healthcare issues impacting their constituents, but most importantly an event that educated the attendees on the legislative process and the importance of advocating for case management issues.