News Archive, 1999 - 2020
University of Maryland School of Nursing Launches Care Coordination Certificate Program
July 12, 2018
Program includes mix of on-campus and online format.
Baltimore, Md. – The University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) will launch a 12-credit, post-baccalaureate Care Coordination Certificate program, which will prepare students for the Commission for Case Manager Certification Exam, this fall.
Through the new certificate program, students will be trained to meet the growing demand for highly skilled nurse case managers and care coordinators to improve patient care and health outcomes through the design and implementation of care coordination systems.
“Hospitals, insurers, and health systems recognize care coordination as a key strategy in improving patient care outcomes and satisfaction and containing health care costs. It is important for nurses, in concert with other professionals, to adopt reconceptualized roles as care coordinators, health coaches, and system innovators,” said Patricia Zimberg, JD, MS, RN, assistant professor, UMSON. “Achieving this requires that nurses receive greater education in care management, quality improvement, and care coordination processes.”
Students will have access to public health experts and industry leaders who will educate them on how to implement case management processes to coordinate care for clients with complex needs; use state-of-the-art technologies, information systems, and communications to support safe nursing practice; and evaluate the effects of care coordination on patient health outcomes. A growing demand for registered nurses with advanced training and skill in care coordination exists in acute and long-term care facilities, human services agencies, managed care organizations, and community-based settings.
“Registered nurses with advanced didactic and clinical skills in care coordination can play a substantial role in developing, implementing, and leading interprofessional care coordination teams,” Zimberg said. “UMSON’s Certificate in Care Coordination will prepare the registered nurse to coordinate and evaluate care for clients with complex needs across the entire continuum of care, using state-of-the-art technologies, care coordination models, and information systems.”
To complete the program, which will be offered through a mix of on-campus and online formats, students will be required to complete a 45-hour practicum experience in a community-based case management setting. Students can apply up to two of the four certificate classes toward an UMSON master’s degree in Community/Public Health Nursing.
Applicants must be a registered nurse and have a bachelor's degree or be enrolled in a graduate program at UMSON. Graduate students can complete the certificate concurrently with their other graduate studies. Applications are currently being accepted. For more information, call the Office of Admissions at 410-706-0501 (option 2).
# # #
The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the United States and is in the top 10 nationally for all of its ranked master’s and DNP specialties. Enrolling nearly 1,900 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.