​     Let me start by saying how much I appreciate all of the support that all of our sponsors and CMSA members provide to this chapter. We have been blessed with some very good topics and speakers that have hopefully been enriching everyone. The feedback from those that attend has been very positive and appreciative and we humbly thank you. Keep coming as we finish this year and move into next year. If you are a sponsor and desire to get on the calendar to present a topic or to provide lunch please contact Elizabeth McAllister egravesmca@icloud.com, she will be happy to assist you and remember that the purpose of the monthly lunch and learn is to provide education, CMCEUs for certified CMs, RNs, SWs, resources and opportunities to network.
     October 13 thru 19, 2019 is National Case Management Week. Please start thinking about what you can do to appreciate your Case Manager contacts and coworkers. We will of course acknowledge Case Managers at the October 16, 2019 Lunch and Learn. I also want to encourage any Case Managers that may not be a CMSA member to join, it is the most recognized and established society for Case Management and is open to Nurses and Social Workers. CMSA has made it financially friendly to join by having payment plans available and first time discounts. I hope to see more members on our roster. CMSA is also a way to reach out to Case Managers in other areas of the country when you have needs. I have been contacted by family and professionals in other states seeking resources or guidance. So, again a great network with plenty of resources.
     Thank you again for all of your support, see you at the next Lunch and Learn September 18, 2019.

Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter

The Middle TN Chapter of CMSA will hold its next monthly meeting on:

Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2019
from 12:00 - 1:00pm

SPEAKER:
Dr. Scott Craig,
Medical Director of Encompass Rehabilitation Hospital of Franklin

TOPIC:
“Stroke and Neuroplasticity” 
​
LUNCH SPONSOR:
Yancy Cook, RN
Encompass Health 

​SERVINGS: 8 
Recipe prep time: 10 MINS
Cook time:  50 MINS

Keto Stuffed Peppers With Cauliflower Rice Recipe - simple, low-carb meal, made with bell peppers, ground beef and cauliflower rice. Quick and easy to make, nutritious and delicious!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 bell peppers — large
• salt+pepper to taste to season the peppers on the inside
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups cauliflower rice
• 1 tsp salt — divided
• 1/2 tsp black pepper — divided
• 1 tsp oregano — optional
• 2 cloves garlic — pressed
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375-400F. 
2. Wash peppers, cut off the tops, remove the seeds and reserve the tops. Season peppers on the inside with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Cook onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add ground beef, half of the salt and pepper, oregano and cook for 5 minutes, until the meat is browned. Add tomato sauce and cauliflower rice. Add the remaining salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste the mixture. Add more salt if needed. 
4. Divide stuffing between all 4 peppers. Place the tops over each pepper. Cover with foil, bake for 30-40 minutes. Uncover and bake for additional 10-30 minutes, until the peppers are soft and fully cooked. (depends on how soft you prefer them and how fast your oven can reach this doneness).
5. You can remove the tops and add cheese on top of each pepper or serve them as they are.

RECIPE NOTES
one serving is 1/2 pepper
Total carbs per serving 6 grams
Fiber 2 grams
Net Carbs per serving 4 grams

​I want to start with  expressing  my appreciation to all nurses. Nurses are the heartbeat and backbone of healthcare, they work hard, care for their patients and show strength in crisis. I have never regretted becoming a nurse and I am blessed to continue to work with wonderful people who constantly teach me. Last week May 6 thru May 12, 2019 was Nurse’s week and I hope you took opportunities to show your appreciation to the nurses you come in contact with. Along with the theme of appreciation last week was also teacher appreciation week and I hope the same appreciations were expressed. I think we all have the one teacher we remember that had an impact on our lives. This week is national hospital week starting on Florence Nightingale’s Birthday; May 12 -18, 2019.

Last month we had CMSA Middle Tennessee chapter’s  board officer election. I am honored to be voted your President again, Oliva Westbrook is Vice President, Elizabeth McAllister is Secretary , and Stephanie Bowker  is our Treasure. Other members of the board are Randy Bauch, Julie Jenkins Loza, Lynne Vaughn, Tiffany Woodard,  and Jennifer Thompson. I am so thankful to the amazing members of our board and all of the hard work they do.

Remember that  we will NOT have a June meeting because of National CMSA .

Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter

​              April showers hopefully will bring May flowers. Last month  was Social Worker celebration month and we had a record attendance. I want to thank you all so much for your attendance and support and look forward to continual increased attendance. We have been having some wonderful topics and speakers and your board members are continually  working hard to  provide you with worthy education. If you have people that you know desire to speak please let us know and we can reach out to them.
                Just a reminder that the National CMSA is in June and open to anyone who wants to attend. The details and registration information is on CMSA.org. On the same website is information about becoming a CMSA member, I encourage everyone to explore and join this wonderful organization. Recently I have joined a face book group called Case Managers Community and it has been fascinating reading and participating in some of the discussions. I hear a familiar theme thru the discussions and a lot of questions that are available in resources that are on the CMSA website; just an example of the benefits of being a CMSA member. We are also always looking for more sponsors from our vendors to support us. If you are interested please reach out to myself at Kathern.Demicell@hcahealthcare.com.
​
                Thank you again for your support and looking forward to seeing you all again April 17, 2019.

​Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter

Happy rainy February. February calendar has many events throughout the month. CMSA is just one of them. We had a wonderful turnout for the first session of 2019 last month,  and although we did not have education we did have a wonderful lunch and opportunity for everyone to network. We plan to do this again towards the end of the year. In January we provided handouts with information and contacts if any sponsors are interested in providing education and or lunch. We had some good responses and are always open to more folks to assist and support our chapter.

One of the suggestions (a great one) from our board is to feature a sponsor every month and allow them the opportunity to display their product. This month we are excited to feature Drayer Physical Therapy. Thank you Drayer for all of your support. I would also like to encourage more vendors to become sponsors.

Don’t forget that the national CMSA is coming in June, never too early to start planning. It is in Las Vegas this year. Who wouldn’t want to go there? Remember individual membership is available online at CMSA.org.

​Thank you all as always for all you do and the support you provide, and I will see you February 20,2019.  

​​Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter

Ingredients

•  Unsalted butter, for greasing
• 8 ounces macaroni
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, coarsely grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
• 3 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
• 3 strips bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart shallow casserole dish. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain; transfer the pasta to the prepared casserole dish along with 1/4 cup of the cold milk. (This will cool the pasta and prevent it from becoming gummy.)
2. Meanwhile, mix the cheeses together in a small bowl. Beat the eggs with 1/4 cup of the milk in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, bread and half of the cheese to the egg mixture; set aside.
3. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp; transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until just brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour, cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 3/4 cup water to the skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking until thick. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk to cool slightly. Whisk in the remaining cheese. Add the sauce to the macaroni; stir to combine.
4. Crumble up the bacon and add it to the egg/bread mixture. Spread evenly over the pasta. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven; let sit 5 minutes before serving.

                Welcome to a new year. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year holiday. We are back on track now and will be having our regular Lunch and Learn January 16, 2019. The CMSA board has had discussions and we thought it would be nice to just have a couple of meetings a year for just networking. We will be kicking this off in January. We are also hoping to have more participation in corporate sponsors, speakers, and individual members. So please keep this in mind when you join us next week.
                As always thank you for all of your support of this chapter. See you next week.

​Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter

yield: 6 SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINUTES
cook time: 15 MINUTES
total time: 20 MINUTES
Baked brie with sweet pepper jelly makes for the most melty, cheesy, peppery, sweet appetizer. Serve with your favorite crackers for the perfect appetizer!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 brie wheel (8- or 9-oz)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup pepper jelly

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove top rind of cheese; leave rind on sides and bottom. Place brie cut side up in brie baker; top with pepper jelly.
2. Place brie baker in center of hot oven for 15 minutes. DO NOT place lid on baker while in oven.
3. Remove from oven and place brie baker cover on top to keep brie warm and soft until ready to serve.

​                Well, I don’t know whether to say we are in fall or winter but Happy November. I hope everyone is getting ready to share Thanksgiving with love ones. Because our monthly lunch and learn is so close to Thanksgiving we are cancelling November’s meeting and then December is not scheduled due to Christmas. So we will see you in January  2019. If you are interested in presenting and or providing food for our 2019 calendar,  please contact Elizabeth McAllister egravesmca@comcast.net. 
                I want to thank everyone that supports CMSA and our chapter. We have loyal sponsors that assist with our ability to present to you monthly  opportunities for learning and networking. We would love for more companies to join us and more individuals to apply for membership.
                Have a blessed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and we will see you in January 16,2019.

Kathern Demicell, RNCCM
President of CMSA Middle Tennessee Chapter​