Skip to main content

Patient Advocacy

Stacy Mathis, RN
Because JMS Consulting is the premier provider of case management services in Arkansas, we are approached frequently by out of state companies with a service request to work files under the guise of their namesake. As long as our business philosophy and standards align, we do this for a few companies. We recently parted ways with one such "national" company after they asked us to change wording in our reporting, as "the carrier might think we were advocating for the patient and not the customer" -- REALLY??? Of course, we were!

At JMS, we believe in getting our patients the best treatment, with the best providers. Our professional networking and resourcefulness help fill in gaps of care and move things along to reduce the costs of recovery from a work injury.
Today I read an article in CMSA Today on "Collaboration in Case Management" that deftly explains  the case manager's role in the managed care system; "A case manager's primary obligation is to his or her patients, and with ideal collaborative practice, the positive patient outcomes of quality care will be achieved."  Exactly! JMS Consulting holds high the Case Management Society of America's Standards of Practice in the realm of workers compensation claims.  These standards bind us to put patient needs first.

While we do our best to give our customers excellence in service, we believe that we do that while working with all stakeholders to provide the best of care for the patient.  In the end, positive patient outcomes are what ultimately bring file resolution -- and happy customers!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

VIP Conference Drawing

My blog is late in the week, for we all attended the Arkansas Workers Comp Commission Educational Conference this week.  As always, it was full of great presenters and information which I will be excited to share with you.  I cannot tell you how much we all look forward to this conference where we can visit with all our customers and long time friends in the WC arena.  We also love to have a little fun with competition while we're there.  This year we had a general attendee drawing for a lovely lantern, which went to Laura Hopper with AIG,  In addition, we had a very special VIP drawing for a VISA gift card that went to...well, watch and see! A heart felt thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth and especially our VIP drawing participants!

The Head Bone's Connected to the Neck Bone...

My first test in college anatomy we were given a piece of paper with numbered lines, 1-206.  Instructions were simple:  Name the 206 bones in the body.  I made 100% - thank you. Learning anatomy of all the body systems, and the physiology of how they interact is my love in the medical field.  The science of it all fascinates me. There is a logical physiologic reaction to bodily injury, and a RN Case Manager's critical thinking skills help anticipate symptoms and complaints.   If you hit your thumb hard with a hammer, we know you will have pain, and probably stiffness; and if you smashed it good enough, you could have "sympathetic" stiffness of adjoining fingers in the hand.  That is a known physiologic response. Stacy Mathis, RN has a patient with multiple injuries has begun to relate all aches and pains to his MVA.  The problem is, not all his complaints can be physiologically connected to the injury.  This is quite common in catastrophic injuries, but also ha

Injecting a Dose of Excitement

Fresh out of nursing school I worked in a busy Internal Medicine physician group.  I had thought it would be my dream job, but after several months went by, for me it actually became a daily dull-drum of  scheduling tests, refilling prescriptions, and  tearing table paper.  I remember getting excited when a patient needed a joint injection so I could prep and assist with a procedure!  I know that sounds creepy to some.  It's a nurse thing; some don't understand. Nowadays as a Case Manager, it's still a thrill when an injured worker needs a joint injection, or a trigger point injection in clinic; Because I know this is something that will likely give that patient quick relief from their pain, and at the very least be diagnostic to clarify the pain generator.  These injections typically consist of a lidocaine, an anesthetic to numb the area, and a steroid, which acts to reduce inflammation and promote healing.  This is a wonderful thing.   One of the tools we