- Email: [email protected]
Finding our niche
FIll ~i:i i
Managiag Editor Nathania Sawyer
hose of you who have been in case m a n a g e m e n t more than a few years and have worked for more than one organization before deciding to become "ind e p e n d e n t " are p r o b a b l y a lot like me. Trying to stand on solid ground, rather than shifting sand, is getting harder to do. Multiple acquisitions and mergers continue to reshape the lay of the land in health care and raise the bar in terms of the services we provide. We as case managers are no longer considered individuals or businesses that provide only management for high-dollar/high-risk illnesses and cost control. Today our role can be exp a n d e d , b u t with that g r o w t h comes the responsibility to help the industry maintain an ethical balance. Doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason is the cornerstone of successful business planning. The good news is the playing field is larger than ever before; the key to success is to create opportunities that fit. For example, a conference I attended last January discussed geriatric care and management. Maddie D y k w a l d from Age Wave stated that one of four persons ever turning 65 years old is alive today. That one statement, along with m y passion for geriatric care, began to shape the path I w a n t to take. M y p o i n t is that you are the only one who knows in your heart w h a t you are good at and w h a t defines a successful business for you. Begin by listening and being open to n e w ideas and incorporating them into your practice. Don't be afraid to say no if an opportunity isn't a fit for you and pass it along to a colleague. That referral will come back to you in ways you m a y never expect. Be available to network and
TCM4
January/Febr~ary1998
assist at industry conferences--not just case management functions but also parent groups, support groups, educational workshops, local activities. Network with other businesses, not just health care, in your community. Making these relationships takes time and energy but will establish you as a leader and a resource, someone your connections can rely on. Nothing builds a solid base better. Today m y customers range from large m a n a g e d care organizations and preferred provider organizations to nonprofit organizations, in a d d i t i o n to m y caseload of geriatric consumers. I find that I use the same skill set of coordinating, collaborating, facilitating, educating, and listening whether I am working with a large organization or an individual. Today e v e r y o n e wants to be on the leading edge and p r o v i d e disease, demand, and case m a n a g e m e n t or a combination of these programs. I believe the challenge is to look at the big picture and ask these questions: 9 What am I good at? 9 H o w does it fit in the market? 9 W h a t value does it bring to the clients I serve? 9 Would I be comfortable using these services I helped create or provide? Keeping these questions in mind and looking forward will bring only positive results for ourselves, our clients, and consumers. And, really, isn't that what w e all are looking to do?
Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, is a principal of Phoenix Consulting Group, a health care management firm specializing in disease management services in Wheaton, II1.
Advertising Opporttmltles Donna Ricko 11830 Westline Industrial Drive St. Louis MO 63146
Managiag Editor Nathania Sawyer
hose of you who have been in case m a n a g e m e n t more than a few years and have worked for more than one organization before deciding to become "ind e p e n d e n t " are p r o b a b l y a lot like me. Trying to stand on solid ground, rather than shifting sand, is getting harder to do. Multiple acquisitions and mergers continue to reshape the lay of the land in health care and raise the bar in terms of the services we provide. We as case managers are no longer considered individuals or businesses that provide only management for high-dollar/high-risk illnesses and cost control. Today our role can be exp a n d e d , b u t with that g r o w t h comes the responsibility to help the industry maintain an ethical balance. Doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason is the cornerstone of successful business planning. The good news is the playing field is larger than ever before; the key to success is to create opportunities that fit. For example, a conference I attended last January discussed geriatric care and management. Maddie D y k w a l d from Age Wave stated that one of four persons ever turning 65 years old is alive today. That one statement, along with m y passion for geriatric care, began to shape the path I w a n t to take. M y p o i n t is that you are the only one who knows in your heart w h a t you are good at and w h a t defines a successful business for you. Begin by listening and being open to n e w ideas and incorporating them into your practice. Don't be afraid to say no if an opportunity isn't a fit for you and pass it along to a colleague. That referral will come back to you in ways you m a y never expect. Be available to network and
TCM4
January/Febr~ary1998
assist at industry conferences--not just case management functions but also parent groups, support groups, educational workshops, local activities. Network with other businesses, not just health care, in your community. Making these relationships takes time and energy but will establish you as a leader and a resource, someone your connections can rely on. Nothing builds a solid base better. Today m y customers range from large m a n a g e d care organizations and preferred provider organizations to nonprofit organizations, in a d d i t i o n to m y caseload of geriatric consumers. I find that I use the same skill set of coordinating, collaborating, facilitating, educating, and listening whether I am working with a large organization or an individual. Today e v e r y o n e wants to be on the leading edge and p r o v i d e disease, demand, and case m a n a g e m e n t or a combination of these programs. I believe the challenge is to look at the big picture and ask these questions: 9 What am I good at? 9 H o w does it fit in the market? 9 W h a t value does it bring to the clients I serve? 9 Would I be comfortable using these services I helped create or provide? Keeping these questions in mind and looking forward will bring only positive results for ourselves, our clients, and consumers. And, really, isn't that what w e all are looking to do?
Mindy Owen, RN, CRRN, CCM, is a principal of Phoenix Consulting Group, a health care management firm specializing in disease management services in Wheaton, II1.
Advertising Opporttmltles Donna Ricko 11830 Westline Industrial Drive St. Louis MO 63146