Ever wonder what a day in the life of a case manager may look like? We’re part nurse, therapist, record keeper, educator, advocate, planner, cost-saver, coordinator, and resource wrangler—and that’s all before lunch. On any given day, we’re also detectives, doctor whisperers, motivational speakers, medical interpreters, and, somehow, the glue holding a care plan together.
It’s equal parts heart and hustle; a balancing act between patient care, paperwork, phone calls, and putting out fires that you didn’t start. Here’s what one of my “typical” days might look like… though the truth is, there’s no such thing as “typical” in case management.
6:21 am: Alarm goes off… hit snooze.
6:30 am: Snooze is not long enough. Hit snooze again. Why did I set my alarm for 6:21?
6:35 am: Kids are waking up. Get up. Seriously. Get up.
7:20 am: Check emails and locations for today’s appointments while the kids grab their lunches and water bottles. Drop them off at school.
7:40 am: Hello, sweet, sweet caffeine.
7:50 am: Eat a healthy-ish breakfast. Pet the dog. Start the dishwasher. Head into “the office” a few steps away.
8:00 am: Check emails and to-do list for the day. Let the caffeine kick in. Set up for phone calls and double-check that everything is ready for the day. Look up synonyms for “related,” “discussed,” “noted,” and “opined.” Finish any outstanding documentation from the previous day and tell myself I’ll never let that happen again.
8:15 am: Pet the dog again. Print off the imaging reports and non-certifications for today’s appointments. Yes, you sent them before. No, they did not make it into the chart.
8:30 am: Confirm the next day’s appointments. Feeling good about productivity so far today. Get reassurance from the dog.
9:00 am: Call back the offices that were not open yet. Note the files with the office hours. Never check those notes again before making a call.
9:30 am: Head out for the local appointment. The doctor is always on time, and the injured worker is actively participating in his treatment plan. It should go smoothly.
10:30 am: Check in with the office staff 30 minutes after the appointment time. Be told we are next to go back to see the physician. Note that you are always “next to go back.” Look around at the rest of the waiting room, also trying to will the staff to move faster.
10:35 am: Get called back. Let the second wave of waiting begin. Check in with the injured worker on their recovery. Thank them for getting the imaging done and for bringing the CD in with them. Marvel at their motivation.
11:00 am: Meet with the physician and hand them the imaging report. What do you know? It was not in the chart. Discuss treatment plan options at length and push for remaining on modified duty while awaiting a transfer of care. Plan to follow up with the office over the next week or two regarding the referral, which was definitely put in today. Also, plan to keep the injured worker up to date on receiving and getting approvals on the requests.
11:30 am: Feel pretty good about getting most of the documentation completed in real time and sending the update to all appropriate parties. Check the litany of messages and texts from the postoperative patient on the way out to the parking lot.
11:35 am: Call the postoperative patient, surgery coordinator, surgeon’s office, and everyone else you can think of. Remember to be far more specific the next time when confirming with the coordinator that everything is all set for surgery and all the postoperative needs.
11:50 am: Confirm with the pharmacy that they received the prescription for postoperative medications this time. Call the patient back and let him know the pharmacy has said they are good to go now and to please let you know if there are any other issues.
12:30 pm: Eat unhealthy-ish lunch. Consider more caffeine but should probably go with water.
12:45 pm: Ahh. Sweet, sweet caffeine.
1:30 pm: Arrive on time for confirmed appointment.
1:35 pm: Hand non-certification to office staff after they tell you the injured worker cancelled the confirmed appointment this morning. Try not to say “Seriously?!?” out loud. Also, try not to say it when they inform you that the report from the last office visit six weeks ago is still not ready. Ask them to contact you once the patient reschedules and to forward the report when available. Plan to follow up daily for the rescheduled date and report.
1:45 pm: Receive a frantic call from the postoperative patient that the medications are not approved, and the pharmacy won’t fill them. Start negotiations with the pharmacy.
2:30 pm: Despite multiple conversations with the pharmacy, medications are not being filled. Consider selling a kidney to help pay out-of-pocket for the medications.
2:35 pm: Confirm that the claim number was one digit off with the pharmacy. Keep both kidneys. Inform the postoperative patient that their medications will be ready for pick up in an hour or so.
2:45 pm: Consider hiring a chauffeur. Maybe get a driverless vehicle? Imagine how much you could get done. Put some music on and embrace the rush hour instead.
5:10 pm: Get home. Get another call from the postoperative patient. He says thanks for all that you are doing for him. Leave that documentation for tomorrow. Pet the dog.
And then, we actually do look forward to doing this all over again the next day. Why? Because case management is a mix of chaos and compassion. It’s solving problems no one else sees, advocating when others stop listening, and building bridges across a fragmented system—all while running on caffeine and grit. While it might not be all that easy, it is so, so rewarding.
It’s not a nine-to-five job, but it’s an impactful and meaningful one. And for every “Seriously?!” moment, there’s a patient whose day you just made a little better. And that’s why we keep showing up.
How about you? What is one part of your day that most people don’t see?
Case management is fueled by compassion, caffeine, and a lot of heart — but a good playlist doesn’t hurt either. 🎧
To keep the momentum going this Case Management Week, check out the official CMSA Spotify playlist created just for case managers.
Celebrate your impact, turn up the music, and don’t forget to use code CMWEEK10 for 10% off your first year of a Case Management Subscription.
Coupon code expires Nov. 30 2025!
