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URAC and CMSA Celebrate a 15 year Shared History - Organizations Release Converging Pathways - a Journey Toward Quality Case Management" at Case Management Society of Americas Conference and Expo - Orlando, Florida

URAC and CMSA Release Issue Brief on the History of Case Management- Converging Pathways to Quality

Orlando, FL (HRmarketer/PRWEB ) June 22, 2005 -- URAC and the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) celebrate 15 years shared history at CMSAs annual Conference and Expo. Some 2500 case management practitioners are expected to attend the conference which begins today through June 25 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando.

To commemorate their 15 year history URAC and CMSA have jointly published an issue brief entitled Converging Pathways- a Journey Toward Quality Case Management," that will premier at the conference. The brief outlines the history of case management and its role in ensuring health care quality and efficiency.

While CMSA has focused its efforts on the standards of practice for the individual case manager, URAC focused its efforts on standards of practice for organizations providing case management services," Annette Watson, RN, CCM, MBA, a vice president at URAC said. Because of those two tandem activities developed in an atmosphere of collaborative communication and with a common goal, together we have achieved the transformation of case management into an integral part of the total health care delivery system."

Individual professional case managers can be expertly prepared, but if theyre working in an organization that is not committed to case management quality, they will not be able to achieve the outcomes they are capable of," said Jeanne Boling, MSN, CRRN, CDMS, CCM, executive director of CMSA and member of URACs Board of Directors. URAC accreditation serves the critical function of establishing the organizations policies, procedures and structure needed for optimal case management performance."

During the meeting in Orlando, URACs Watson and Garry Carneal will present An Overview of Trends and Challenges Impacting CM Practice." The presentation will include a discussion of the paths that URAC and CMSA have taken to assure quality in case management since both organizations were established in 1990, and harmonizes with the conference theme, Past Success - Future Significance: A Strategic Forecast for Quality Healthcare." As part of the session URAC will also present preliminary findings from its Trends and Practices in Medical Management: 2005 Industry Profile" survey. As the nations leading accrediting body for medical management services, URAC tracks and trends medical management issues through research, focus groups and its relationships with the hundreds of health plans and medical management organizations that hold one or more of the seventeen different accreditations that URAC offers.

CMSA was established as a professional organization to support and develop the profession of case management through educational forums, networking opportunities and legislative involvement. Over the years, as CMSA developed educational tools and Standards of Practice for individual case managers, URAC set quality standards for organizations using case management," said Watson.

To learn more about the CMSA 15 Annual Conference and Expo visit: http://www.cmsa.org/Conference/2005ORLANDO/

To read Converging Pathways, A Journey Toward Quality Case Management" go to: www.urac.org/documents/URACIssueBrief3FINALWEB.pdf

For a list of URAC Case Management Accredited Companies go to: http://www.urac.org/prog_accred_CM_orgs.asp

About URACs CMSA Annual Conference & Expo presentation:
An Overview of Trends and Challenges Impacting CM Practice"

URACs Garry Carneal and Annette Watson will speak at the CMSA meeting on Friday, June 24, 2005 from 10:45 to11:45 am. They will present preliminary findings from URACs Medical Management 2005 Industry Profile Survey of nearly 300 respondent companies (full study to be released in October, 2005) and discuss recent trends in case management such as integration of utilization management, disease management and case management service. Some of the other findings that will be discussed include trends in technology, further integration of staffing and operations for medical management services, and a strong interest in demonstrating return on investment for all medical management services. Visit URAC during the CMSA meting at exhibit booth #928.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org

About CMSA
Established in 1990, the Case Management Society of America has over 9,000 members and is the only international non-profit 501 (c) (6), multi-disciplinary, professional organization dedicated to the support and advancement of the case management profession. Since its inception, CMSA has been at the forefront of setting professional standards for the industry, which allows for the highest level of efficiency and integrity, as well as developing national and local leaders who are recognized for their practice and professional excellence. For more information, visit www.cmsa.org

Contact: Karla Hurter      
(703)319-0957 URAC
khurter@health2resources.com

Contact: Tena Bolin      
(501)225-2229 ext 43 CMSA
tbolin@acminet.com

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