Aetna Better Health of Florida Relies on CADER for Person-Centered Case Management Training

As the older adult population in the United States continues to grow, a national movement for person-centered case management and care is gaining prominence. Studies have shown that person-centered care improves health outcomes, overall quality of life, and offers a culturally-responsive solution to address the needs of diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic communities. In response, many states are now requiring that insurance agencies follow a person-centered model.

Aetna Better Health of Florida is one such agency required by the state to offer person-centered case management training to all of their field case managers. It’s not uncommon for healthcare providers to hire an internal trainer to ensure they meet the state mandate, however Aetna Better Health of Florida selected CADER’s Person-Centered Case Management (PCCM) certificate program for their training needs due to CADER’s personalized progress tracking and learner support.

“We elected to go with CADER because they took all of the work out of it for us,” says Franceska Corentin, senior manager of health services at Aetna Better Health of Florida. “CADER tracks employees’ progress through the program, sends reminders, and the billing process is very simple.” Corentin appreciates having a single point of contact at CADER for support with the certificate and the direct level of communication with the CADER team.

The PCCM certificate has been part of Aetna Better Health of Florida’s onboarding process since 2019, with nearly 150 new employees having completed the certificate. New hires are contractually required to complete the PCCM certificate within the first 90-days of employment, and receive 3 full working days to help them complete it within that time-frame. The certificate is made up of six courses that cover a breadth of topics, including how to navigate government health programs and resources, care management practice with an emphasis on the social determinants of health, and putting person-centered care and planning into practice.

Corentin notes that the PCCM certificate helped case managers build their motivational interviewing skills and better assist clients. “Oftentimes, case managers tend to tell a client what they should be doing. Person-centered training gives autonomy back to the client so that they are an active participant in their care,” she says. “We find that when you involve the member in their care, they’re more willing to follow a care plan as opposed to when a case manager tells them to simply take their medication on time or take more walks. I think that the person-centered training is a great reminder of how to get the members involved in decisions about their care.”

The PCCM certificate is also a valuable asset to case managers’ professional development. With more states requiring proficiency in person-centered care, state and private agencies are seeking out candidates that hold certificates. Corentin, who plays an active role in Aetna Better Health of Florida’s hiring, is well aware of this trend. “One of the great things to look for in a candidate are those who have person-centered training certifications. It empowers case managers to assist older clients more effectively, but it’s also an important credential for them to build their career in social services,” she says.

Overall, staff feedback to the PCCM at Aetna Better Health of Florida has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants felt that the training around culturally-responsive practice for diverse communities and motivational interviewing skills were particularly impactful. “Everyone who has taken the training always says that it’s great content and relevant to what they do,” Corentin says. “The CADER team is a valuable partner.”