We help you stay healthy by managing ongoing conditions

Living with health problems can be hard.

It can be even more challenging as you get older or if your health conditions interfere with your daily activities.

If you need extra support, we’re here for you. Our Complex Case Management Program offers personalized support to fit your needs.

“People can sometimes struggle with managing multiple health conditions,” said Tracy Lippard, MD. “Complex Case Management reduces those challenges for members. We want members to live their healthiest lives.”

What is the Complex Case Management Program?

Our Complex Case Management Program is for people with ongoing health issues who need additional support. The program can help you:

• • Understand your conditions better
• • Coordinate care
• • Manage medication or diet changes
• • Achieve your health goals

“Complex case managers empower members,” said Vickie Livingston, a nurse and complex case manager for Kaiser Permanente. “We are an extra security blanket.”

Livingston checks the medical charts of patients enrolled in the program to ensure they’re not missing appointments or lab visits. Her goal is to catch any potential health problems before they get worse.

The goal is prevention

Our Complex Case Management Program aims to keep you healthy. We do this by having our care managers get to know you and what matters most to you. Together, you'll create a personalized care plan. You’ll also have regular check-ins to see how things are going and make adjustments to your care plan as needed.

“It helps keep members from going from crisis to crisis,” said Dr. Lippard.

Yolanda Coleman, the manager for complex case management, explained, “We identify rising risks and provide education.”

Personalized care is better care

When you’re in the program, you have a team of people looking out for your ongoing health and well-being.

Kent Nicholson, 74, joined the program after he developed kidney issues.

“My case manager called and asked how I was doing,” he said. “She wanted to make sure I could get to my appointments. She also asked if I had financial concerns regarding my medicines.”

This was helpful, Nicholson said, as his kidney disease got worse.

“I knew I had an advocate I could contact that would take my needs seriously,” Nicholson said. “It’s nice knowing that if I need something, I can reach out to my case manager to get some direction.”

How do you get into the Complex Case Management Program?

Your doctor or someone on your care team might notice that you could use extra help managing your health. You can also ask for help if you feel overwhelmed or need more support.

Your care team will check to see if you qualify for the program.

Case managers are here to help

Once you’re in the program, your case manager will work with you to make a care plan. If you need something — like help with a referral or a medicine refill — you can give your case manager a call.

Your complex case manager works with other teams to ensure all of your needs are met. If you need help with your mental health, a separate case manager will work with you. We also have community navigators who can help you find things like rides to appointments, food banks, housing, and help with utility bills.

Your case manager also will check in with you regularly to see how you’re doing. These check-ins might happen every week or just a few times per year. It all depends on the kind of support you need.

“We want to do things that are beneficial to the member,” Livingston said. “We don’t want any delays in care.”

Nicholson, who’s been a Kaiser Permanente member for more than 20 years, is happy to be in the program.

“It’s nice to know someone is there to help me navigate,” he said. “I’ve stayed with Kaiser Permanente for so many years for good reason.”