9/21+ September Education Opportunities

by
  • September 30, 2021 for Staff re Medicare Enrollment: CMS National Training Program webinar on Getting Ready for the Medicare Open Enrollment Period for Navigators who will help patients make informed decisions about their 2022 health coverage. Find information and register at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/login/index.php.

9/17 COVID and Vaccinations

by

September 17 is 2021’s World Patient Safety Day. Find more information at https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/09/17/default-calendar/world-patient-safety-day-2021.

CMS reminds that they plan to require Coronavirus vaccinations for all staff at Medicare-certified facilities, including dialysis facilities, and in the process include a short list of useful COVID vaccination resources. Find the reminder and list at https://www.cms.gov/outreach-and-educationoutreachffsprovpartprogprovider-partnership-email-archive/2021-09-16-mlnc#_Toc82678907.

Meanwhile, CDC offers an 11:15 am PDT September 17, 2021 webinar on the recent updates to their infection prevention and control guidelines. See graphic below and register at https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_9YVQwF9RThSbxC4-JHdABw.

9/19+ NKF Living Well Webinars

by

NKF will present a free two-part “Virtual Patient Education Series” on Living Well with Kidney Disease, beginning September 19, 2021 with three presentations on the Coronavirus Pandemic, and continuing October 24. Find a poster and agenda below. Register for one or both of the webinars at https://kidney.secure.force.com/rc_connect__campaign_designform?id=7013a000002h3wFAAQ&form=00P3a00001cD248EAC&.

New Vaccine Requirements for Facility Staff

by

CMS announced on September 9, 2021 that “The Biden-Harris Administration will require COVID-19 vaccination of staff within all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to protect both them and patients from the virus and its more contagious Delta variant.  Facilities across the country should make efforts now to get health care staff vaccinated to make sure they are in compliance when the rule takes effect.

“CMS, in collaboration with the CDC, announced today that emergency regulations requiring vaccinations for nursing home workers will be expanded to include hospitals, dialysis facilities, ambulatory surgical settings, and home health agencies, among others, as a condition for participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The decision was based on the continued and growing spread of the virus in health care settings…

“CMS is developing an Interim Final Rule with Comment Period that will be issued in October.  CMS expects certified Medicare and Medicaid facilities to act in the best interest of patients and staff by complying with new COVID-19 vaccination requirements.  Health care workers employed in these facilities who are not currently vaccinated are urged to begin the process immediately. Facilities are urged to use all available resources to support employee vaccinations, including employee education and clinics, as they work to meet new federal requirements.”

Find the CMS press release that’s quoted above at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-expand-vaccination-requirements-health-care-settings.

The most recent CDC guidelines can be found in the following places:

There’s no assurance that these Recommendations will be the same, in form or content, as what CMS plans to propose in October. CDC Project Firstline is also hosting a 45-minute September 17, 2021 virtual town hall for healthcare workers, where CDC experts will discuss the updated IPC guidance and answer questions, starting at 11:15 am PST. Register at https://cdc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_9YVQwF9RThSbxC4-JHdABw .

9/22 SSA Ticket to Work Webinar

by

The Social Security Administration will present a free September 22, 2021 “WISE” Work Incentive Seminar Event on Ticket to Work: Support on Your Journey to Employment. Find more information and register at https://choosework.ssa.gov/wise.

My Employment Opportunities also offers a free 15 September 2021 Job Fair – see https://mailchi.mp/facbf1c075a4/clients-on-line-job-fair-oct-11th-register-today-1475987?e=bdda8ac578.

1/1/22 ICH-CAHPS Attestations for 2021

by

CMS has amended their recent announcement (see previous post) to clarify that ICH-CAHPS Attestations for CY2021 may be entered into EQRS on January 1, 2022 and thereafter. To receive proper QIP credit, all 2021 ESRD data must be entered by February 28, 2022, including ICH-CAPS Attestations. See https://mycrownweb.org/2021/09/clarified-eqrs-2020-data-submission-deadline-extension-2021-clinical-data-submission-deadline/ for the official bulletin.

9/15+ New EQRS Data Entry Timelines

by

EQRS has announced new timelines for all EQRS data entry:

  • The Clinical Closure Date for all September-December 2020 has been extended till September 15, 2021.
  • On September 20, 2021, providers may begin entering all data for January-September 2021.
    • On October 1, 2021, providers may also begin entering all data for October 2021.
    • On November 1, 2021, providers may also begin entering all data for November 2021.
    • On December, 2021, providers may also begin entering all data for December 2021.
  • The Clinical Closure Date for all January-December 2021 data will be February 28, 2022.

For full details see https://mycrownweb.org/2021/08/eqrs-2020-data-submission-deadline-extension-2021-clinical-data-submission-schedule/. See also next post.

9/1+ Monthly UCLA Kidney Health Chat

by

The UCLA CORE Kidney Health Program will present a FREE Virtual Monthly Chat with Nephrologist Dr. Rastogi and the UCLA CORE Kidney Health Team of Experts at 5pm PT on the first day of every month through January. Topics related to kidney disease and high blood pressure will be discussed, including prevention, diagnosis, management, dialysis, transplantation, and kidney healthy life choices. The usual experts will be joined by the UCLA Circle of CORE kidney patient advocates and support group. These interactive sessions will include opportunities to ask questions. You can also send your questions to COREKidney@mednet.ucla.edu prior to the event. Register at https://uclahs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GxLIlyDwSmmDssQCvBL0Xw, and find more information at http://www.uclahealth.org/CORE-Kidney/ or 310-954-2692.

8/24 AAKP HealthLine on Delta COVID

by

AAKP will present an August 24, 2021 HealthLine webinar on Delta Virus, Vaccines, & Kidney Patients: Ongoing Threats to Weak Immune Systems and Kidney Transplants. The COVID-19 Delta variant poses a serious threat to immunocompromised individuals, especially immunosuppressed kidney transplant patients. The webinar will put into context the significance of the recent FDA approval of a third vaccine dose for kidney transplant patients, and suggest key questions to ask your doctor before getting your third dose. Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/9141783192800822028.