Beyond The Call: The Impact of Case Management On Quality Patient Care

Starting as a CNA before becoming an LPN in 2011, Lena has dedicated over 38 years to the medical field. Driven by a deep passion for helping and caring for others, she views her work as a gift from God. Originally from Louisiana, Lena enjoys exploring Georgia and visits her family and friends back home once a year. As she puts it, “I’m a mom of two and a grandma of three with a host of “Momma Lena” children and a pet mom to my dog Faith. I enjoy going to church, my faith is very important to me.” In her free time, Lena loves to cook, often experimenting with and personalizing recipes.

I work for Faith Medical Services. Since I have been with Faith I have been a case manager for the Skilled Department, overseeing scheduling nurses to go and treat wounds, disease management, education for new moms, and many more services. I now manage the waiver programs intake department, where I ensure that anyone needing help to access a waiver program receives the assistance they require.

In being a case manager I have run across a lot of different scenarios where the patients were just at a loss of what to do and to whom they had to ask their questions. I had to stop and realize that we are providing care to these patients at some of the scariest times in their lives. They were not expecting to have surgery or that when their baby was born it might have certain unexpected health needs. But that is what a case manager does; you listen to the concerns and then you help guide them to the quality care that they need.

If you need to listen then that is the role you play for that day. I have had to also “go to bat” for my patients. The insurance company wanted more “proof” that they needed the services and for weeks I would send them all the documentation they were requesting but kept being denied; so I got on the phone and stayed there until I got the answers I needed and my patient got he services he deserved. Not every patient is the same and needs the same amount of case management as another. So, I would have to take each case as it came to me. As a case manager, you are the go-between person for the patient, the doctor, and the insurance company. The patient has to deal with so much already and if I can take one thing off their plate then that is one less thing they have to focus on and can devote their time and energy to getting better.

I have been very fortunate that I have been able to use my people skills in my case manager role. Being able to have compassion and empathy for others is a great asset to have as a case manager; especially in the times that we live in. Since working for Faith Medical Services I have been able to grow in my career and in my ability to help others.

To anyone who is looking for a case manager or a case management always ask questions and make certain that they will take the time to answer all the questions that you may have and be willing to “fight” for you if the need arises. Case management is not just scheduling caregivers to go to a patient’s home it is also listening, strategizing, formulating plans, and carrying out those plans to the best of their ability. All these factors work together to ensure that the patient receives the high-quality care they deserve.