The CMS National Training Program’s March 11, 2021 webinar will include a presentation on Medicare for people with ESRD, March updates on Medicare, and National Kidney Month. Register at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/login/index.php.
Dialysis Patient Citizens is initiating a new patient support group via telephone, on the second Tuesday of every month at noon PT. Each call will be facilitated by a person living with CKD and a healthcare practitioner. To join a call, dial 866-808-5953 and enter meeting code 253 841 3353. Find more information at https://www.dpcedcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/DPC-Support-Group-by-Telephone-Flyer-2.pdf and below:
The National Forum of ESRD Networks has assembled from various sources a library of useful factual information for people with kidney disease about COV-19 and the vaccines. Find it at https://esrdnetworks.org/resources-news/covid-19-information-resources/resources-for-kidney-patients/.
Healio has published an Ocular Surgery News blog post on How to talk to unhappy patients, providing six practical tips for healthcare workers to communicate with patients or staff who are dissatisfied. Whether ocular surgery or CKD, the topic is important. The article begins with “I’ve had many fine mentors and colleagues who taught fantastic lessons in how to manage these tense moments. Applying them properly can make all the difference in saving a patient relationship. Here are my tips for communicating with unhappy patients with a reference to the source where I learned each lesson.” Find the short but powerful article at https://www.healio.com/news/ophthalmology/20210215/blog-how-to-talk-to-unhappy-patients.
The UCLA CORE Kidney Program will present a March 4, 2021 UKEEP webinar on Kidney Disease: What You Should Know. For details and registration, see the poster below, or https://uclahs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hjcPosQgSieUDGL3CIzAqw. They will also present a March 21, 2021 Virtual Kidney Conference on Educating, Empowering, and Inspiring Hope. Find more information about the Conference, and register, at https://uclahs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZgPWycdXR_OXq26FbQZp4A.
The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California will present a 2 March 2021 webinar on Moral Injury & Resilience During COVID: Why Words Matter. The webinar will explain how pandemic Moral Distress differs from Burn-Out and present strategies for mitigating Moral Distress. One CEU will be available for nurses and social workers. Find more information and register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/webinar-moral-injury-resilience-during-covid-why-words-matter-tickets-141383023429?mc_eid=67e1ad4c31&mc_cid=01d0038bbc.
MEI’s Home Dialysis Central has published a blog post on Medicare Advantage Plan Pros & Cons – and a Fix for Buyers’ Remorse. The post includes a comparison of costs between Medicare Advantage (“MA”) and “Original Medicare,” types of MA plans, advantages and disadvantages of MA plans, and a discussion of how Medigap interacts with each. Find the post at https://homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/415-medicare-advantage-plan-pros-&-cons-and-a-fix-for-buyer-remorse.
CMS has also recently added an email bulletin on What Partners Need to Know Now about Health Insurance Coverage during the Pandemic. For basic information the bulletin recommends the CMS COVID-19 Partner Resources page at https://www.cms.gov/outreach-education/partner-resources/coronavirus-covid-19-partner-resources and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page at https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/education-campaign/index.html. It also recommends CDC’s new Community-Based Organizations COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/toolkits/community-organization.html, the February 15 to May 15, 2021 Special Enrollment Period for individuals and families to enroll in the health insurance coverage they need (see https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/2021-special-enrollment-period-response-covid-19-emergency), and the CMS Roadmaps to Better Care in up to nine different languages at https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/equity-initiatives/c2c/consumerresources/roadmap-to-better-care.
PFCCpartners will present a 26 February workshop on Leading in Times of Chaos: The Impact of Traumatic Stress on Individuals and the Culture of an Organization. Find more information and register at https://pfccpartners.com/workshops/.
AAKP and the Alliance for Gout Awareness will present a February 25, 2021 AAKP HealthLine webinar on The Gout, Nutrition and Kidney Health Connection. Find out more about the HealthLine series at https://aakp.org/aakp-healthline/, and register for the current session at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2611087641103857165.
NKF and the Johns Hopkins University Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation are seeking adult volunteers on hemodialysis who plan to get a COVID-19 vaccination, to participate in an observational study on COVID-19 antibodies. Participation will involve giving blood samples before and after vaccination. For details on eligibility, enrollment, and the study, see https://covidesrd.org/.
