[buzzey]

Originally Posted by hoolahan

EXCELLENT idea Las Vegas!!!

Linda, RN BSN, working on CCM exam this October. Started out in case management in Home Health, then did disease management for a managed medicaid co for a short time, now doing worker's comp CM, field-based. I am still figuring out if I like it. I really want to go independent in the future.

Next.....

I am also planning the CCM in October and would like to explore doing independent case management. Has anyone found any helpful information on starting a business as an independent case manager? What type relationships have supplied the most referrals? How is the service priced when working independently? How do you convince a third party to pay for your service? What has been your biggest challenge? Looking for any information that can help me develop a realistic business plan.

[buzzey]

Can anyone supply information on starting out as an independent case manager? How do you get referrals? Although it can be rewarding, is it cost effective? How do you price the service? What are the biggest challenges in doing independent case management? Thanks for sharing.

[ARnurse69]

I work as a case manager in acute care & will be eligible to sit for CCM this fall. I have my ADN, but most job postings I've seen for case management want a BSN, including our sister hospitals. Can anyone tell me if it would be more beneficial to start classes now for my BSN, or to start studying for CCM first? I think it would be too much to do both at the same time, although I do plan to do both eventually. Thanks!!!

[BahaMamamaRN]

I am starting my first job as a RN Case Manger on Monday. I work in a LTAC hospital in the Midwest. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I have been a nurse for 15 years.

[charna]

Congrats BahaMama and so nice to see all of the other Case Managers here.
I'm work in NY and have been in case management for the past 5 years. I've worked in telephonic case management in managed Medicaid, then moved onto disease management, where I assessed my clients face to face as well as telephonically. Now I am working in managed care case management in a certified home health agency and I really enjoy it.
I will be taking the CCM exam later this year. Best of wishes to all of you that will also be taking it.

[DaveMac]

I took the Discharge Planning Utilization Review job last year, March 2007. The job also includes Infection Control and Employee health. I had been assisting the DP/UR nurse for a couple of years so she could attend classes, meetings, and time off for good behavior. So I had a little background in what the job involved. Don't know if CCM is in the future or not. ICP is in the future plans for 2009, that will be 2 yrs in the field. Being in a small hospital (<100 - really <53 - normal census 10 - 22, avg, 12) you would not think it would be a problem with the 4 roles. Doing InterQual takes so much time, then the doc's want placement, DMEs, or whatever right now, usually during lunch or as I leave in the evening. Top it off, when they arrive, they insist on having all the charts and you can't do InterQual, we are not computer charting yet, maybe within 2 - 4 years MediTech will be to that point here. We are just now setting up for order entry.
So between the 4 roles, I am on the average, a few days behind in my jobs. The CNO says that I need better time management. The CEO, CFO, HIM, and Business Manager say I need a second person to assist me. Any advice would be welcomed. BTW for a hospital of <100, what is the FTE, anyone know? I think it is 0.8 FTE.