Corporate Systems Administration leads care advocacy

 

Managed care director named president-elect of regional group

 

Just one catastrophic illness in an employee group can bankrupt a self-funded insurance plan. Corporate Systems Administration Inc. offers managed care services that work to improve a patient’s outcome and contain costs under those plans.

 

CSA, an employee benefit management company, is lending that expertise to a regional care advocacy group. Carolyn Bailey, managed care director of CSA, has been chosen president-elect of the Mountain Empire Case Management Association, which advocates the highest quality and most cost effective health care for patients.

 

“I’m very proud to take on this role and responsibility,” Bailey said. “Our association focuses on continuing education for nurses to help us do the very best for the well being of patients. We work with hospitals and doctors as patient liaisons. We keep patients informed and educated and help them assess alternatives to make the best health care decisions.”

 

Case managers also advise patients when insurance benefits are limited and help find alternatives. In addition, they monitor progress and follow up to prevent health complications that can cause a patient to need more procedures and incur additional expense. The intervention also includes efficient management of health care claims for employers.

 

CSA has skilled nurses who work even at industry plant sites to review and assess patients with major illnesses or injuries.

 

“Our managed care program is second to none because we have a fully trained and experienced nursing staff,” Bailey said. “Collaboration with health care providers really sets us apart. It leads to early identification of complications, which often reduces the length of the hospital stay required. We also help to predict expenses and provide early notification of large claims.”

 

The advocacy group of case managers was formed several years ago with the goal of providing continuing education for practice and for licensure of nurses and creating flexible containment of health care costs for employers across the Mountain Empire. Bailey was selected president-elect by the 64 registered members. She is following the lead of Sandy Arthur, CSA’s certified case manager, who is currently serving as the association’s president. In 2003, Bailey is expected to become president.

 

“Carol Bailey is extremely well organized and is very detailed in her work,” Georgia Cusack, past president of the association, said. “She also is a great officer of our organization because she understands the insurance field. She understands it because CSA manages so many insurance plans.”

 

Bailey has been a professional nurse for 18 years since graduating from East Tennessee State University. Prior to becoming a RN, she was a licensed practical nurse for eight years. She came to CSA with a strong background in medical/surgical nursing, labor and delivery, neonatal nursery, rehabilitation, geriatric and mental health nursing.

 

CSA’s services include the design of self-funded insurance plans, cost management and expert local administration from CSA’s locations in Johnson City and Greeneville, Tenn., and Savannah, Ga., serving employers across the Southeast.

-end-

 

For more information, contact Corporate Systems Administration Inc.,

at 423-282-3420.

Visit CSA on the World Wide Web at www.csabenefits.com.