Blue & You - Spring 2012

The rotator cuff is a system of
four muscles that work together
to allow the arm a wide range of
motion. Not only had one of the
muscles in Nancy’s left shoulder
been torn, another had completely
detached and slipped up into the
bony structure of her shoulder.
Most rotator cuff injuries can
be fixed through arthroscopic
surgery, but Nancy’s surgery had
to be performed with a traditional
incision, adding to her recovery
time. “It is the most painful thing
I’ve ever been through,” Nancy said.
While she had to
wait a few weeks to
start physical therapy,
her doctor told her
she needed to flex
her fingers. That was
easy — she simply
picked up her crochet
work. Nancy has made
numerous projects,
but is most proud of
the stick horses she
has made for various
Nurse case management can help you:
• Get the most out of your health plan.
• Empower you and your family with information
through health education, so you can work with
your physician to manage your care.
• Experience improved dialogue between
you and your physician.
• Navigate the system effectively to see
the right health care providers at the right
times in the right places.
• Provide you the tools to actively participate
in your medical decision making.
Nancy shows her crocheted stick horse to
Brenda Hardage, her nurse case manager.
– Understand your condition.
– Understand evidencebased
alternatives to
treat your condition.
– Understand how
your benefits support
these alternatives.
• Stay well-informed, follow
your treatment plans, and
know what to do when it is
not working.
children in her life. Each one is a work of art,
exhibiting a personality and detail to capture
a young imagination.
Nancy was scheduled for 26 visits of physical
therapy, which sounds like a lot at first, but as
she progressed, she realized other people with
similar injuries were regaining their strength and
movement much faster. After Nancy discussed her
concern with her doctor and therapist, Brenda was
contacted to see if she could help.
“I took the information from the physician and
therapist, called and talked with Nancy, and put
together a synopsis of what was happening with
her,” Brenda said. What she learned was that, not
only was the damage to Nancy’s shoulder severe, but
she also has multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune
disease that affects the brain and central nervous
system, which was slowing her recovery.
With a clearer understanding of Nancy’s
condition, Brenda was able to get her approved
for 12 additional visits of physical therapy. That
gave Nancy the time she needed to reach her goal
for the therapy, which she showed off by reaching
high above her head with her left arm.
“The last time I went to the doctor he said I had
done much better than he expected,” she said of
the therapy.
Nancy said that when she first talked with
Brenda, “I wasn’t sure what case management
was,” but she now thinks of Brenda as a friend.
“I’m always there to help her any time she
needs it, even if it isn’t related to her shoulder,”
Brenda said.
Blue & You SPRING 2012
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