Biography:

Toni G. Cesta, Ph.D., RN, FAAN is Partner and Health Care Consultant in Case Management Concepts, LLC, a consulting company which assists institutions in designing, implementing and evaluating acute care and community case management models, providing on-site education to case management staff, and strategies for assisting health care organizations in improving their case management department’s efficiency and effectiveness. The author of nine books, and a frequently sought after speaker, lecturer and consultant, Dr. Cesta is considered one of the primary thought leaders in the field of case management. Dr. Cesta writes a monthly column called “Case Management Insider” in the Hospital Case Management journal in which she shares insights and information on current issues and trends in case management. Prior to her current work as a case management consultant, Dr. Cesta was Senior Vice President – Operational Efficiency and Capacity Management at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. She was responsible for case management, social work, discharge planning, utilization management,denial management, bed management, the patient navigator program, the clinical documentation improvement program and systems process improvement.  Prior to her position as Senior Vice President at Lutheran Medical Center, Dr. Cesta has held positions as Corporate Vice President for Patient Flow Optimization at the North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System and Director of Case Management, Saint Vincents Catholic Medical Centers of New York, in New York City and also designed and implemented a Master’s of Nursing in Case Management  Program and Post-Master’s Certificate Program in Case Management at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York.  Dr. Cesta completed seven years as a Commissioner for the Commission for Case Manager Certification. Dr. Cesta has presented topics on case management at national and international conferences and workshops.  Her books include “Nursing Case Management: From Essentials to Advanced Practice Applications”, “The Case Manager’s Survival Guide: Winning Strategies in the New Healthcare Environment”, “The Case Manager’s Survival Guide: Winning Strategies for Clinical Practice”, “Survival Strategies for Nurses in Managed Care” and “Core Skills for Hospital Case Managers”.