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News Bulletins 2012 |
All dialysis facilities are required by the CMS Quality Incentive Program to enroll during 2012, and report infections for three months, prior to March 31, 2013. These
requirements are summarized briefly at
http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/PDFs/commup/NHSN-CMS-Rules-Sept-27-2011.pdf, and in greater detail at
http://www.cms.gov/ESRDQualityImproveInit/Downloads/13-14QIPODF020212.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Infection Control and on
Reimbursement.
There are earlier articles on Patient Safety and on
Communication.
Congratulations and thanks to all of you who have worked so hard to bring the Network up over its 68% AVF-in-use goal!
Many people said it couldn’t be done. The overall Network AVF-in-use rate among prevalent patients at the end of 2011 was 68.2%, and the long-term catheter rate 7.0%. That’s the lowest long-term catheter rate we’ve seen since we began collecting this data nine years ago. The aggregate rate for catheter usage of any duration was 12.2%, also the lowest we’ve ever achieved. The overall Network AVF-in-place rate among incident patients during 2011 was 43.2%, another record. We’ve updated many of our progress graphs at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/fist1st/fist1st.htm#progress, and we’ll be updating the rest soon.
The Blue Ribbon goes to Idaho facilities, which collectively added 5.2 percentage points to their AVF-in-use rate and reduced their long-term catheter rate by 1.8 points among prevalent patients, while adding 9.1 points to their AVF-in-place rate for incident patients! Congratulations, and keep up the good work!
Honorable mention goes to the facilities in Oregon (excluding the Portland Area), Western Washington (excluding the Seattle-Tacoma Area), and the Seattle-Tacoma Area. Oregon facilities added 2.3 AVF-in-use points and subtracted 1.7 long-term-catheter points from their aggregate rates among prevalent patients, to end the year at 73.7% AVF and 5.2% LTC. Western Washington facilities collectively added 3.0 points to their AVF-in-use rate and took 1.0 point off their long-term catheter rate among prevalent patients, culminating at 71.3% AVF and 5.2% LTC. Seattle-Tacoma facilities gained 1.9 points in their total AVF-in-use rate, and shaved 1.1 points off their long-term catheter rate, finishing up at 68.4% AVF and 5.7% LTC.
Portland-Area facilities added 1.9 percentage points to their aggregate prevalent-patient AVF-in-use rate, but increased their long-term catheter rate by 0.3 points. Eastern Washington facilities left their collective long-term catheter rate unchanged, while their AVF-in-use rate sagged by 0.4 points.
Montana facilities peeled 2.5 percentage points off their aggregate prevalent-patient AVF-in-use rate and added 1.5 points to their long-term catheter rate. Alaska facilities lowered their collective AVF-in-use rate by 1.5 points, and added 1.4 points to their long-term catheter rate.
There are earlier articles on Vascular Access.
There are earlier articles on Dialysis Adequacy and on
Quality Improvement.
They will also present the second webinar of their “Professional Responsibility and Palliative Care: Case Studies on Shared
Decision Making for Dialysis Patients” series on March 1, 2012. This session will focus on the clinical practice
guideline recommendation for when it is appropriate to stop dialysis, how to resolve conflict with families over stopping
dialysis, estimating prognosis of dialysis patients in order to facilitate advance care planning, explaining legal issues
when a family is in conflict over stopping dialysis, and present a case study depicting similar conflict. CEUs are
available for physicians, nurses, technicians, and social workers. For details see
http://www.esrdnet5.org/Education/Continuing-Education.aspx. Register before February 23.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings, on
End of Life, on
Advance Directives, and on
Quality Improvement.
Topic Index
Topic Index
KCER Summit near Washington DC May 9
The Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition (KCER) will hold their 7th Annual KCER Summit in conjunction with the NKF 2012 Spring Clinical Meetings, on May 9, 2012,
near Washington DC. The meeting is free and open to the public, but early registration is requested due to limited space. You may register at
http://www.kcercoalition.com/pdf/kcer_2012_summit_registration_form.pdf, find a
Save-The-Date poster at
http://www.kcercoalition.com/pdf/kcer_2012_summit_save_the_date.pdf, and make
hotel reservations at
http://www.kidney.org/news/meetings/clinical/registration/housing.cfm. For more
information on the NKF Sprint Clinical Meetings, see
http://www.kidney.org/news/meetings/clinical/index.cfm.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings and on
Emergency Preparedness.
CROWNWeb and Modality Reports Extension
CMS has announced it will be extending CROWNWeb Phase III pilot an additional 4 weeks to April 20, 2012 to allow time for dialysis facilities to
complete QIMS registration. As part of this extension, CMS is inviting all dialysis facilities with a QIMS/CROWNWeb account to join
the pilot and log in to the CROWNWeb system. Participation is for the purpose of pilot testing only and to allow facilities to try out
CROWNWeb before your required participation in the National Release. You must continue to submit all forms (2728 and 2746) and the
Network Patient Activity Report as hard copies to the Network, even if you are entering data into CROWNWeb. This extension will allow us
to create Modality Reports (Patient Census) for the January-to-March quarter. In order for these reports to be complete, the Network must
receive all March Network Patient Activity Reports by April 5, 2012.
Contact the Network if you have questions or comments.
There are earlier articles on CROWNWeb and on
Patient Census (Modality Reports).
Argatroban Injection Recall
National Healthcare Decision Day April 16, 2012
April 16 will be National Healthcare Decision Day – NHDD. The objective of NHDD is to improve the ability of healthcare facilities and providers to offer informed and
thoughtful guidance about advance healthcare planning to their patients, reduce the number of occasions when a person’s wishes are unknown, and provide resources to help
with these aims. Learn more about NHDD and get free information at http://www.nhdd.org/. There’s a template for a poster
or flyer at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/NHDDFacilityTemplate.doc, and
http://www.nhdd.org/tools provides a long list of resources and ideas to help inform and motivate patients to complete their advance directives.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Advance Directives.
Depression and Dialysis Poster/Flyer
We’ve added a poster/flyer on “How Depression Affects Dialysis” to our catalog of one-page posters for patients at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/P/M/Monthly.htm.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Coping and Depression.
DPC Patient Education Call on Diet March 27, 2012
Dialysis Patient Citizens will host a free conference call for patients on March 27, 2012. The topic will be “Practical Tips for Living on a Kidney Diet.” For details see
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/DPC0312.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Diet and Nutrition.
NHSN Enrollment Webinar Part II March 28, 2012
The second session of the two-part NRAA Webinar series on enrolling in the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network will be held on March 28, 2012. The first session,
on March 7, covered the enrollment process. The second session will cover infection reporting. Both sessions are summarized at
http://nraa.org/joomla_folder/index.php/news-meetings-top/webinars.
You can also register for the second session at that web page, and review the PowerPoint slides from the first session. Unfortunately, the slides are white on dark blue,
and there are many of them, so try printing one page before you print the whole file. CDC also provides NHSN training sessions, at
http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/training.html. NHSN is described at
http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/.
DFR, DFC and PSR - What Do These Mean?
We’ve added a page with that title to our website, at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/DFR.DFC.PSR.pdf.
It explains each acronym – DFR or Dialysis Facility Reports that inform facilities of their quality performance relative to various benchmarks; DFC or
Dialysis Facility Compare which is CMS’s web page for patients’ use to locate quality facilities; and PSR or Performance Score Reports from the Quality Incentive Program
which facilities are to post conspicuously. We’ve permanently linked to the new page from our Clinical Staff page at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/staff.htm, under Technical Assistance.
There are earlier articles on Quality Improvement and on
Reimbursement.
Involuntary Discharge Notification Requirements
The Conditions for Coverage (CfC) require all facilities to notify both the Network and your State Survey Agency, within specified time parameters, of all involuntary discharges
and transfers. We would like to remind facilities of the document "Notifying the Network of Involuntary Discharges and Involuntary Transfers," available at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/G/Involuntary.pdf. This document was created to assist dialysis
facilities in complying with the requirements of the CfC and Survey Interpretative Guidelines, and to help facilities understand what the Network will be requesting in order for it
to fulfill Network goals and the terms of its current CMS Contract. If you ever want to find the page again, look under "Social Workers" on our Clinical Staff page, at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/staff.htm.
There are earlier articles on Conditions for Coverage, on
Conflict Resolution, and on
Regulations and Standards.
March is National Kidney Month
Free Patient Education Symposium in Portland March 18, 2012
There's still space available in the free Spring 2012 NKF Patient & Community Education Symposium in Portland on March 18, 2012. Lunch is also free.
The Symposium theme is "Thriving with Kidney Disease: Diet and Wellness." The sponsors tell us that "There will be some really good content on
diet and CKD that we think everyone will find valuable. Not to mention the wonderful panels planned!" The panels are on "The Cheese and Chocolate
Wars," "How I Taught My Kidneys to Pee," the Post-Transplant Process, and Treatment Modalities. Register ahead of time to make sure there's still space
open. You can find details, and the registration form, at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/Keep2012Bro.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education, on
Diet and Nutrition, on
Treatment Options, and on
Transplant.
Educational Resources for Facilities on Patient Safety, Professionalism, and Communication
The Network reviews consumer complaints to identify trends. Our review of complaints received during 2011 revealed that the
majority were safety related, with staff professionalism and communication the second-most-commonly reported concern. A number of
free resources are available to help you address these issues in your facility:
New MEI Mini-Movie on Dialysis Treatment Options
The Medical Education Institute has published a 3-minute online movie called "Let's Talk About...Dialysis Options," available in English and Spanish on the MEI
website at http://www.lifeoptions.org/letstalk. The movie quickly and graphically explains
hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis; the impact of treatment options on lifestyle, symptoms, and quality of life; benefits of PD and longer and/or
more-frequent hemodialysis; and home treatment as a practical choice.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Treatment Options.
Label Changes on Statin Drugs
Cardiac Science Defibrillator Class I Recall
The FDA has issued a Class I recall of automated external defibrillators made by Cardiac Science and sold under the brand names Powerheart, CardioVive, CardioLife;
GE Responder and Responder Pro; and Nihon-Kohden. Find full details, including affected models and serial numbers, at
http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/RecallsCorrectionsRemovals/ListofRecalls/ucm294452.htm.
There are earlier articles on Defibrillator Recalls.
PPS MLN Fact Sheet Updates
CMS has updated two Fact Sheets in the Medicare Learning Network (MLN), the first on the "ESRD Prospective Payment System" (PPS). It isn't yet updated on the
CMS website, so we've added it to the Network website, at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/ESRD.PPS.pdf.
The second is on the "Composite Rate Portion of the ESRD PPS." Find it for now at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/ESRD.Comp.PPS.pdf. The Medicare Learning Network web
pages can be found at https://www.cms.gov/MLNGenInfo/. Look for the Fact Sheets in the "MLN Catalog of
Products."
There are earlier articles on Reimbursement and on
Quality Improvement.
Free NHSN Registration Webinars March 7 and 28, 2012
The NRAA will host two free webinars (online seminars) on how to meet the 2012 CMS Quality Incentive Program requirements for enrolling and reporting
on the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). They will be held March 7 and March 28, 2012. You will want to attend both sessions.
For details see
http://www.nephrologynews.com/renal-policy/article/nraa-to-host-cdc-nhsn-webinars.
There are earlier articles on Infection Control.
CROWNWeb Phase III Pilot Extended
CMS Announces CROWNWeb Phase III Pilot Extension.
On February 29, 2012, CMS announced an extension of the CROWNWeb Phase III Pilot.
Based on findings during the Phase III Pilot as well as feedback from users, CMS has decided to extend the Phase III Pilot for a minimum of three additional weeks.
This extended Pilot period will allow participants to continue to utilize the CROWNWeb system and provide critical feedback to CMS, as well as provide CMS with an
extended opportunity to optimize CROWNWeb’s readiness for the National Release. At the conclusion of this three-week period, CMS will provide an update to the
community on the status and/or scheduled termination date of the Phase III Pilot. In response to the Phase III Pilot extension period, CMS will provide further
information on the timeline of the CROWNWeb National Release as it becomes available. QIMS registration for all Dialysis facilities remains open during
this time. Any facilities without a QIMS Security Official and/or QIMS End User Manager need to continue to actively work to have a user signed up for
each role. Our Information Management page,
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/IM/IM.htm, reports ongoing news.
There are earlier articles on CROWNWeb.
New Patient Education Poster on Dialysis Treatment Options
We’ve added a poster/flyer for patients on “Dialysis – You Have Options” to our catalog of one-page patient education letters at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/P/M/Monthly.htm. The Dialysis Treatment Options
poster is at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/P/M/TxOpts0212.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Treatment Options.
Quality Conference in Baltimore September 11-12, 2012
The second annual Creating a Culture of Quality Conference, hosted by the Forum of ESRD Networks, dialysis organizations, and the RPA, will be held in Baltimore
MD on September 11-12, 2012. The Conference theme will be “Pursuing Excellence in Care Transitions: Enhancing Safety in Kidney Patient Care.”
We’ve placed a statement of Conference objectives at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/Quality2012Object.pdf, and a Save-the-Date poster at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/Quality2012Save.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings and on
Quality Improvement.
CNSW Spring Symposium April 26-27, 2012 near Seattle
The Spring 2012 CNSW Northwest Chapter Educational Symposium on “Keeping Your Clinical Practice Skills Current in the Changing Dialysis World” will be held in
Issaquah WA on April 26-27, 2012. Topics include Symptom Targeted Intervention, the CAHPS Survey, Health Literacy, Health Care Reform, and Licensure
Requirements. For full details see http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/CNSW2012Spring.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings.
Network Reaches 68% AVF-in-Use Goal - Congratulations!
Billings and Portland Kidney Walks June 9 and 16, 2012
The National Kidney Foundation will hold Kidney Walks in Billings on June 9, 2012, and in Portland on June 16. Details for the
Billings Walk can be found at
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/COMTampWY?pg=entry&fr_id=4440, and there’s a poster at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/2012BillingsKWalk.pdf. Portland details are at
http://donate.kidney.org/site/TR/Walk/NorthernCaliforniaNorthernNevadaOregonWashingtonandAlaska?pg=entry&fr_id=4650,
and you can print a brochure from
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/2012WalkerWelcome.pdf. For general information on NKF Kidney Walks, see
http://www.kidneywalk.org/.
There are earlier articles on Patient Meetings.
Provider Newsletter "16 Network News"
We’ve dedicated a web page to collecting all of the issues of 16 Network News that we’ve published so far. You can find it, including the latest issue on
“Communication Critical Component in Disaster Response,” at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/16NN/16NN.htm. The February issue also includes
notes on using the Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit, and on resources from the Explore Transplant seminars. We’ve put the new page’s main menu entry
onto the Resources for Clinical Staff page at http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/staff.htm#nb.
There are earlier articles on Network News and on
Emergency Preparedness.
New NKDEP Web Page on CKD Education
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)’s National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) has created a new website
section called “Get Involved” to provide CKD educational tools for providers, patients, families, and interest groups. Their introductory press release can
be found at http://www.nih.gov/news/health/jan2012/niddk-25.htm. The Get
Involved section is at http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/about/getinvolved/. The overall NKDEP
program is based at http://www.nkdep.nih.gov/.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
CKD.
Improving Dialysis Adequacy
Several Network facilities received a reduction in reimbursement based on dialysis adequacy under the Quality Incentive Program. It’s been a while since
we’ve worked on adequacy in this Network, because the overall adequacy rate in the Northwest is pretty good. For facilities that are working to improve
their adequacy rates, we’ve scouted out some very helpful-looking materials from other Networks…
Quality Incentive Program Open Door Forum Transcript and Audio
CMS has published the transcript and audio file of the February 2 Special Open Door Forum on the Quality Incentive Program, at
http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/Downloads/020212SODFTranscript.pdf. The background-material downloads at
http://www.cms.gov/ESRDQualityImproveInit/Downloads/13-14QIPODF020212.pdf are particularly useful. They describe how facility performance
during the calendar year 2012 will impact facility reimbursement in 2014. In addition to being scored on hemoglobin, adequacy, AVF rate, and catheter rate,
to get a full score each facility will need to attest (on CROWNWeb) that all Medicare patients have had their serum calcium and serum phosphorus measured at
least once a month during 2012, administer the ICH CAHPS survey (see
https://www.cahps.ahrq.gov/default.asp) to their patients, register for the National Healthcare Safety
Network (“NHSN”; see http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/), and use NHSN to report at least three consecutive months of dialysis
event data. It’s not too early to get started on these efforts.
There are earlier articles on Reimbursement and on
Quality Improvement.
FDA Warning on Stomach Acid Drugs and Clostridium
Fresenius Optiflux F250NRe Hemodialyzer Recall
December 2011 Modality Reports Now Available
You can find the December 2011 Modality Reports at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/modality/mode1211/modality.htm.
Total Network patient census has increased by 4.0% over the last year. Growth was 5.2% in Washington, 5.0% in Alaska, 3.7% in Oregon, 1.2% in Montana,
and nil in Idaho. Home hemodialysis grew by 12.5%, home peritoneal dialysis by 6.2%, and in-center hemodialysis by 3.3%. 14.8% of Network
patients now dialyze at home – 2.6% home hemo, and 12.2% home PD. You can find historical Modality Reports at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/statsmode.htm.
There are earlier articles on Patient Census (Modality Reports).
Convenience Kits with Triad Povidone Iodine Prep Pads
Public Comment on Organ Procurement until April 6, 2012
UNOS has rewritten the procedures for dealing with violations of organ procurement rules, and invites public comment until
April 6, 2012. To review the changes, and comment, see
http://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/policiesAndBylaws/publicComment/proposals.asp.
There are earlier articles on Transplantation.
New Fistula First Newsletter
The new issue of the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative (FFBI) newsletter, The Gold Standard, can be found at
http://www.fistulafirst.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=f9YAxC41kUg%3d&tabid=39. It introduces three new tools:
The entire Change Concept series is located at
http://fistula.memberpath.com/Professionals/FFBIChangeConcepts.aspx.
There are earlier articles on Vascular Access.
Depression and Shared Decision Making CEU Webinars February 23 and March 1, 2012
The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition will present a one-hour online workshop (“Webinar”) on “Depression in CKD: The Time to
Act Is Now” on February 23, 2012. CEUs are available. For details see
http://www.esrdnet5.org/Education/Continuing-Education.aspx. Register before February 16.
Free Kidney Health Screening in Portland March 17, 2012
The NKF Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) will sponsor a free kidney health screening on March 17, 2012 in Portland,
Oregon. For details see
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/Keep2012Eng.pdf (English) or
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/Keep2012esp.pdf (Spanish).
For more details on the KEEP program, see
http://www.kidney.org/news/keep/index.cfm.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education.
Home Hemo Seminar for Patients Online
AAKP has added a "Webinar" (online seminar) on "Home Hemodialysis: Helping Patients Lead a Healthier Life" to it's
HealthLine series, at
http://notiondevsite.com/aakp/audio/012512aakp/012512aakp.html. The Webinar will cover the convenience
and lifestyle benefits of home hemodialysis, and the medical benefits of more frequent dialysis. The HealthLine Series
is introduced at http://www.aakp.org/events/HealthLine/.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education, on
Treatment Options, and on
Home Dialysis.
NKF Patient Educational Symposium Update
We've updated the flyer on our website announcing the NKF Spring Patient & Community Education Symposium, to correct a typo
in the email address; see
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/nkfSpring2012.pdf. It's
still March 18, 2012 in Portland, Oregon. We've also added the conference brochure, which includes a registration
form, agenda, speaker biographies, and of course location information. Breakfast, lunch, and the symposium are all
free, but pre-registration is recommended to reserve a space. The brochure can be found at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/nkfSpring2012Bro.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Patient Meetings.
Renastart Recall in 400g Cans, Batch #12832 Only
NKF Patient Education Symposium March 18, 2012 in Portland OR
The Spring 2012 National Kidney Foundation Patient & Community Educational Symposium will be held in Portland on March 18, 2012, on “Thriving with Kidney
Disease: Diet and Wellness.” It’s free, as is lunch, but since space is limited, pre-registration is recommended. For details see
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/NKFSpring2012.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Patient Meetings.
Vocation Rehabilitation Toolkit Updated
We’ve updated our Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit and its associated resources, at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/SW/VR/VocToolkit.pdf. You can also locate it through our Social Worker or Clinical Staff pages, at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/SW/SW.htm or
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/staff.htm#SW.
There are earlier articles on Vocational Rehabilitation.
CROWNWeb - All Facilities Begin Enrollment February 1, 2012
CMS Schedules CROWNWeb National Release for March 2012
CMS has announced it has targeted March 2012 for the national release of CROWNWeb. CROWNWeb is a CMS-mandated data collection system
that all facilities will be required to use upon national implementation. In order to have access to CROWNWeb, all Network 16 facilities must
register a Security Official and an End User Manager prior to the national release using QIMS (QualityNet Identity Management System).
QIMS is linked to, but is a separate system from CROWNWeb and is used to create and manage user IDs and passwords for CROWNWeb access.
QIMS Registration for all Network 16 facilities begins February 1, 2012. Prior to registration, all users need to complete online Security Awareness
Training (SAT). You may begin the Online Security Awareness Training immediately, at
http://iase.disa.mil/eta/iss_icv5/launchpage.htm. Print a copy of your Security
Awareness Training Certificate and keep it on file. You will need this later in the QIMS application process. More information about QIMS
Registration is located on http://www.projectcrownweb.org and on the Network website at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/IM/CW3enrol.htm.
There are earlier articles on CROWNWeb.
Quality Incentive Program 2013-14 Open Door Forum February 2, 2012
CMS will hold a Special Open Door Forum on February 2, 2012 about the ESRD Quality Incentive Program: Payment Years 2013/2014 Final Rule and Benchmark
Data Overview. For details see
http://www.cms.gov/OpenDoorForums/15_ODF_ESRD.asp.
There are earlier articles on Reimbursement and on
Quality Improvement.
Patient Poster/Flyer on Protecting Your Access
We’ve added our January monthly patient poster to our catalog of poster/flyers at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/P/M/Monthly.htm. This month’s flyer is on
“Protect Your Access – It’s Your Lifeline!”
There are earlier articles on Patient Education and on
Vascular Access.
AAKP Annual Patient Meeting August 9-11, 2012 in Atlanta
The American Association of Kidney Patients will hold their 39th Annual Patient Meeting on August 9-11, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. The convention theme
will be “Kidney Care – Innovations in a Changing Environment.” You can find details at
http://www.aakp.org/events/convention/2012-convention/.
There are earlier articles on Patient Meetings.
Facility Closures
Northwest Renal Network will continue to monitor the impact of nasty weather conditions and other disruptions on
facility operations throughout the winter. Facility closures are posted at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/facilities.htm and
http://www.dialysisunits.com/. Please contact the Network with
information about facility closures, or if you need Network assistance in addressing barriers to patient care.
Phone: 206-923-0716, ext. 109, Fax: 206-923-0714, Email:
LHall@nw16.esrd.net. Please remember never to email
patient-identifying information, as email is not secure.
There are earlier articles on Emergency Preparedness.
NWRD Annual Meeting March 1-2, 2012 in Seattle
The Northwest Renal Dietitians will hold their 2012 Annual Meeting in Seattle on March 1 and 2, 2012. Among others, topics include treatment modalities, CKD, ileostomy, adherence, ethics, and research. For the full agenda, registration form, location, CE information, and other details, see
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/NWRD2012.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings.
Polymyxin B Recall
Excedrin, Bufferin, Gas-X Recall
Endo/Novartis Opiates Recall
For details and recommendations, see
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm286280.htm.
Sub-optimal Hemoglobin
The percentage of patients with sub-optimal hemoglobin (<10g/dL) is one of the measures used by the CMS Quality Incentive Program to help determine how dialysis facilities are reimbursed. We have successfully completed several Quality Improvement Projects on raising sub-optimal hemoglobin over the last several years. Our primary tool has been to identify subsets of patients who are at greater risk for anemia, and provide them with more proactive and assertive treatment. We have identified new patients, recently hospitalized patients, patients using catheters, and patients with co-morbidities as subsets appropriate for this. Our PowerPoint presentation from these Quality Improvement Projects, Improving Sub-Optimal Hemoglobins, can be found at
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/QI/QI.htm#qip10.
There are earlier articles on Hemoglobin, on
Quality Improvement, and on
Reimbursement.
ANNA National Symposium in Orlando April 29-May 2, 2012
The American National Nurses Association’s National Symposium will be held April 29-May 2, 2012 in Orlando FL. For details see
http://www.annanurse.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ANNANurse.woa/wa/viewSection?s_id=1073744233.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings.
ANNA Winter Webinar February 21 and 28, 2012
ANNA’s Winter Webinar will be on Prevention and Management of Diabetes Complications, on February 21, and repeated on February 28. For details see
http://www.annanurse.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ANNANurse.woa/wa/viewSection?s_id=1073744055&ss_id=1&tName=currentAudioConference.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings and on
Diabetes.
Renal Update 2012 near Seattle March 1-2, 2012
ANNA Chapter 503’s 2012 Renal Update conference will be held March 1-2, 2012 in Lynnwood WA. Topics include, among others, treatment options, public health, reimbursement, surveys, patient education, hypertension, phosphorus management, PD, pregnancy, adequacy, and transplant. CEUs are anticipated. For details, including schedule, registration form, and directions, see http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/RenalUpdate2012.pdf.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings.
Dialysis Conference February 26-28, 2012 in San Antonio
The University of Missouri School of Medicine will present the 32nd Annual Dialysis Conference in San Antonio February 26-28, 2012. The Conference includes the 18th International Symposium on Hemodialysis and the 23rd Annual Symposium on Pediatric Dialysis. See
http://som.missouri.edu/Dialysis/ for details.
There are earlier articles on Professional Meetings.
Mid-Columbia Nephrology Seminar in Spokane March 18, 2012
The Mid-Columbia Nephrology Seminar will be held in Spokane this year, on March 18. Topics include continuous dialysis, nocturnal dialysis, short daily HD, access
planning and care complications, intradialytic parenteral nutrition, PD, and CKD. CEUs are available for nurses and PCTs. See
http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/N/MidCol.2012.pdf for details
Managing Conflict Online Seminar with CEUs January 31, 2012
The Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition will present a one-hour online workshop (“Webinar”) on Managing Conflict in Your Dialysis Center on January 31. CEUs are available.
For details see http://www.esrdnet5.org/Education/Continuing-Education.aspx.
There are earlier articles on Conflict Resolution and on
Professional Meetings.
Dialysis Facility Compare Updated with Quality Incentive Program Information
CMS has updated its Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) webpage to include information from the Quality Incentive Program (QIP). DFC allows you to compare facility performance on anemia, dialysis adequacy, and survival measures. You can find DFC at
http://www.medicare.gov/Dialysis/Include/DataSection/Questions/SearchCriteria.asp?,
and more information about the QIP at
http://www.cms.gov/esrdqualityimproveinit/01_overview.asp.
There are earlier articles on Quality Improvement, on
DFC, and on
Reimbursement.
Topic Index Page updated February 4, 2013