Being a case manager is more than what most people think. It is a very complex position that includes the feelings of empathy, sadness, heartbreak, excitement, love, friendship, accomplishment and passion. WOW! What a job! I will tell you when I first started in case management years ago I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” Sad stories, problems, the families, not to mention the doctors and providers who did not understand what role I played in the patient’s care. Things changed, including awareness and education. (We still have a ways to go.) It has always been amazing to me how one person can make a difference.
One day I received a referral for a patient who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She was in her early 40s. I called her and found out that she was a single mother of four children with stage III breast cancer. Her lymph nodes were so swollen she could not lower her arm. Her health literacy was low and she had not started the chemotherapy due to the fact that the insurance company was stating that it was pre-existing. She did not understand the importance of the treatment or what stage III cancer meant. I worked diligently with providers to obtain documentation that showed she was newly diagnosed. I sent this information to the insurance company and made a few calls. Within 24 hours “pre-existing” was lifted and she began treatment. The education started. She now understands her diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. I helped her apply for Medicaid for women with breast cancer. She was so thankful. Hopefully, I have made a difference in the time this mother has with her family.
I also had a 50-year-old male patient with end-stage metastatic lung cancer. He was receiving hospice services. He lived in New Jersey with an alcoholic sister and was the single father of an 11-year-old son. While on the phone with him he told me about moving his son to Idaho to live with family, as he could no longer care for him. I then heard the phone hit the ground and he was no longer on the other end. I turned to a co-worker and she called the hospice agency. He was having a seizure. He came back to the phone crying about missing his son and how he would not see him for the holidays. It was at that time I decided to help get this father to his son. I found a hospice agency in Idaho that would accept him. We transitioned his care to them in mid-November. He was able to spend the holidays with his son. They were grateful. To hear their excitement and laughter was all the thanks I needed. He passed away in February. But I know I played a key role in making his last days happy, even if I was in South Carolina.
Our job is very important and rewarding. I will stand up and let it be known: I do make a difference in the lives of others!
