Canadian Forces Seek Out Civilian Nurses For Case Managers

This article describes a novel case management program implemented by the Canadian Forces Health Services to care for its ill and injured members. A brief overview of the military environment is followed by the reasons why the military looked to the civilian sector and selected case management as a strategy for its continuity of care issues. Principles guiding the design and operations of the program are highlighted along with a description of the core case management activities. Staff roles are outlined including the reasoning behind hiring baccalaureate prepared civilian nurses as Case Managers. The article ends with a description of its current status and notes that preliminary member satisfaction findings demonstrate that nurses are making a positive difference in lives of soldiers that are ill or injured.