NKF’s Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) has provided evidence-based guidelines for all stages of CKD and related complications since 1997. The 2015 update of the KDOQI Clinical Practice Guideline for Hemodialysis Adequacy is intended to assist practitioners caring for patients in preparation for and during hemodialysis. Find the full text at:
The Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition has summarized guidance for preventing pandemic influenza on a poster/flyer, in English and Spanish, at:
KCER has also recently released guidance on “Communication during an emergency: What the dialysis community needs to know,” which is reproduced in full by Nephrology News & Issues at:
We’ve also summarized KCER’s guidance for preventing pandemic influenza in our October issue of Network 16 News, at:
This edition of the News also includes advice on when to update vascular access information in CROWNWeb, a short introduction to the Network’s new Quality Improvement and Community Outreach Coordinator Tammy Hamper, BSN,RN,CNN, and reminders of a November CNSW meeting and next year’s Annual Dialysis Conference and NKF Spring Clinical Meetings. For more information on these meetings, see:
The Northwest Renal Network Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for the 2016 Northwest Renal Network Board of Directors. The nominating process will be open until November 18, 2015. We are looking to diversify the board not only geographically and ethnically but also to include other professions such as statisticians, epidemiologists, medical records managers, financial analysts from additional health care settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and home health, as well as traditional health professions in dialysis and transplant. If you are interested or know someone who might be interested in serving on the board, please contact Network Executive Director Stephanie Hutchinson at shutchinson@nw16.esrd.net .
The OR SW-WA Chapter of CNSW and the Legacy Transplant Team are presenting a Conference in Portland on November 11, 2015. Topics include self-care, conflict management, home dialysis, living transplant donation, and CKD, plus a tour of the Legacy Transplant Team offices. Up to six CEUs are available, and if you mail your check in time for it to get to Portland by November 10th, you’ll save 20% on the cost of admission and still get breakfast and lunch included. For full details see:
CMS is soliciting suggestions for improvement of Dialysis Facility Compare and the Star Ratings, including comments on measures that should be included. Submit your comments by December 4, 2015 to DialysisData@umich.edu . For background information, see the materials from the recent National Provider Call, at:
CMS also recently contracted a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) encompassing a wide variety of stakeholders to review the DFC Star Ratings. Their final report can be found at:
We’ve posted the October Monthly Patient Flyer/Poster on the Network website. This one has details about “Medicare Open Enrollment is October 16 – December 7,” including phone numbers for State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and for Social Security, which may be able to provide extra help paying for medications, in addition to your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. If you have questions or suggestions for future Patient Flyers, please contact Patient Services Director Lisa Hall at lhall@nw16.esrd.net . Find this and all of our Monthly Patient Posters at:
The FDA has approved a new Potassium Binder, Veltassa (patiromer for oral suspension) to treat non-life-threatening hyperkalemia. For details see:
The FDA has warned that Veltassa will also bind many other orally administered drugs, and consequently Veltassa comes with a boxed warning that it should not be taken within six hours of other orally administered drugs.
The FDA has also warned that Kayexalate (sodium polystyrene sulfonate, generics Kionex, SPS) may have the same issue, has called for studies of its drug interactions, and advises that for now, out of caution, it too should not be taken within six hours of other orally administered drugs. For details see:
Registration is now open for the NKF 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings in Boston April 27-May 1, 2016. Discounts for early registration are available until February 19, 2016. The abstract submission deadline is December 2, 2015. For complete information, including a preliminary agenda, see:
AAKP will present two free HealthLine conference calls for patients on holiday eating:
Find more information about these two calls, and register for one or both, at:
For recordings of previous HealthLine calls see:
The HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE) group will present a webinar on “Strategic Development for Building Operational Healthcare Coalitions” on November 17, 2015. The webinar will offer “lessons learned” by healthcare coalitions in the transition from planning to action. Speakers will include Onora Lien, Executive Director of the Northwest Healthcare Response Network (NWHRN), a healthcare coalition in the Network area. Find more information about the webinar, ASPR TRACIE, and NWHRN, at:
