Capella University Announces Two New Specializations and Certificate in Care Coordination

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Care coordination, the deliberate organization of patient care activites to facilitate the appropriate delivery of health care services, is now being emphasized by hospitals, health systems and insurers as a key tool in improving patient health and controlling healthcare costs, according to the American Nurses Association*. Capella University, recognizing the need for highly trained care coordinators, is now offering care coordination specializations in its RN-to-MSN program and MSN program, along with a graduate certificate in care coordination. Capella University (http://www.capella.edu) is a regionally accredited online university which offers online degree programs designed to help working adults advance in their careers.

"Care coordination as performed by registered nurses with advanced degrees will continue to emerge as a key driver of safe, high quality, and cost effective health care," said Patrick Robinson, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of Capella's School of Nursing & Health Sciences. "Care coordination is essential to our ability as an interprofessional team to deliver patient-centered care. With the advent of value-based payment systems, the survival of organizations across the spectrum of services depends on it."

With Capella's care coordination specializations and certificate, nurses are prepared to be leaders and advocates for patients, focused on providing the quality care they need in a cost-effective and efficient way. According to the MacColl Institute for Healthcare Innovation, when nurses take on care coordination roles, patients experience reductions in emergency room visits, noticeable decreases in medication costs, reduced inpatient charges, significant increases in survival with fewer readmissions, and improved quality of care.

"Care coordination is important because the Affordable Care Act was really structured around a new approach to health care that includes social determinants. They're now part of everyday healthcare, and they include such questions as: What kind of access do patients have to health care? Do they have transportation? Is there a problem with nutrition that prevents them from being healthier than they are now?" said Honor Martin RN, MS, VP of Clinical Services of Aspire of Western New York, and a member of Capella's Nursing Advisory Council, "Care coordinators look at the barriers that lie in the way of patients achieving their health goals."

Delivering a relevant, personalized MSN care coordination program
To deliver the most relevant, personalized program designed for nurses' needs and interests, Capella's MSN Care Coordination program integrates the Case Management Society of America (CMSA) Standards of Practice for Case Management and Patient Centered Medical Home model of care (PCMH). Students prepare to lead collaboration between health care providers and expand their patient advocacy skills to provide the best care possible as well as a comprehensive understanding of their patients' chronic or complicated medical condition. Like all of Capella's MSN programs, the MSN in Care Coordination is CCNE-accredited and incorporates the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN) Essentials of Master's Education in Nursing**.

Capella's MSN and graduate certificate in care coordination are specifically designed for the busy working nurse. Completing Capella's graduate certificate in care coordination will allow nurses to differentiate themselves in as little as nine months and complete a significant portion of their MSN in Care Coordination. Both programs integrate evidence-based practices designed for immediate application.

Live stream event: Care Coordination: Changing the Game of Healthcare Delivery
Capella will host a live stream event about what's involved in the care coordination role and why it's critical to revolutionize quality care. Expert panelists include contributing author of Care Coordination: The Game Changer, CMSA and ANA leaders, and Capella Care Coordination faculty. Register now for Care Coordination: Changing the Game of Healthcare Delivery on August 27, 2015 1:00 pm CDT and earn 1.0 contact hours of CE credit.

Enrollment now open
For more information, please call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552) or email info@capella.edu.

The MSN care coordination specialization and the RN-to-MSN care coordination specialization are not designed to prepare graduates for entry-level or advanced practice as a nurse.

The graduate care coordination certificate is not designed to prepare graduates for entry-level or advances practice licensure as a nurse.

*Source: Care Coordination and the Essential Role of Nurses. American Nurses Association.

About Capella University
Capella University (www.capella.edu) is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1993, the university is dedicated to providing flexible, professionally aligned online degree programs designed to help working adults advance in their careers. As of July 30, 2015, more than 37,000 students were enrolled in Capella's bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and certificate programs, with over 70 percent in its graduate programs. Known for its commitment to learner success, academic quality and innovations in online education, Capella pioneered competency-based direct assessment programs allowing students to learn at their own pace. Capella University is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company CPLA. For more information, call 1.888.CAPELLA (888.227.3552).

** The MSN degree programs at Capella University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036, (202) 887-6791 http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation.

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