I always look forward to my Adopt a CEO Day, or as some have called it “Bring Your CEO to Work” Day. This week I spent an entire day working with our Case Managers, Phil Sullivan, Kitty Bruning and Ann Marie Cesario. I soon learned that Case Managers hold the keys to helping our hospital patients (and their families and loved ones) make it through the , sometimes difficult, maze of services offered by our hospital. They are also invaluable members of the team in assisting our doctors and nurses to accomplish their jobs. It is not unusual for a patient to receive services in our Emergency Department, ICU, Medical/Surgical Unit and even our Swing beds. All in one stay! So it takes careful coordination and an incredible repertoire of skills to assist in all of these areas. I observed Phil negotiating with a patient like a Psychologist, as well as filling in with an extra pair of helping hands as a nurse. I also saw Kitty consoling a family through a crisis event and smoothing the way for a transfer to a larger facility.As I watched and observed, I realized that everyone needs a helping hand once in awhile. And when a hospital is involved, those hands can mean the difference between a very bad day and a manageable day. Our case managers are the helping hands that help our patients, our clinical staff, and our financial staff (and more) and they are often the first line of defense when a patient or visitor is having a problem with our system. Thank goodness for all of our Case Managers. Our staff and our patients and visitors are all very fortunate that they are here.
