From Ideological to Competency-Based: The Rebranding and Maintaining of Medical Social Work's Identity (Commentary) (Report)

Despite a history rich in patient care, case management, and knowledge-building, medical social work has limped through the past decade. Although there are still the occasional success stories about true heroes who have managed to not only persevere, but also thrive, their efforts have not been easily replicated by the masses. The medical social work community might benefit from taking an honest look at itself and the challenges the future holds. Presently we remain employees of host agencies that have been besieged by increasing expenses, nursing shortages, and third-party payers who continue to strangle reimbursements. Berger et al. (2003) reported that an increasing number of social work professionals are managed and supervised by nursing and other health care practitioners. To further exacerbate this challenge, social work's surface-level values are often perceived to be in juxtaposition with that of hospitals struggling to correct declining financial status.