Ownership/Location Changes

CMS has reminded healthcare providers that in order to maintain their eligibility to bill Medicare, changes to ownership, location, or final adverse legal actions must be reported to CMS within 30 days, and other changes to one’s Provider Enrollment Information dossier must be reported online within 90 days.  To assist, they’ve collected in one place links to a relevant MLN-Matters article, the relevant section of federal law, an OIG report on compliance, and two how-to Provider Enrollment (PECOS) change tutorials.  Find these at https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/FFSProvPartProg/Provider-Partnership-Email-Archive-Items/2017-02-23-eNews.html#_Toc475532422 .

CW Deadline Extended

We’ve just been notified that the February 28, 2017 CROWNWeb submission deadline for all December 2016 clinical data has been extended to March 6, 2017.

5/24+ NRAA Spring Meeting

NRAA will hold their Spring Meeting in Washington DC May 24-25, 2017.  For details see http://www.nraa.org/# .

5/17+ Patient Safety Conference

The National Patient Safety Foundation will hold their Annual Patient Safety Conference in Orlando FL May 17-19, 2017.  For details see http://www.npsf.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=528658&group= .

IHD Infection Courses

The California Department of Public Health Center for Health Care Quality HAI Program will present eight one-day courses on Basics of Infection Prevention in Outpatient HD Centers in Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Milpitas, Santa Ana, Pomona, Richmond, San Diego, and Orange CA between March 15 and May 24, 2017.  The course is designed for facility administrators and facility staff, and will cover hand hygiene, standard precautions, environmental cleaning and disinfection, BSI prevention, safe injection, and NHSN, providing six CE contact hours.  For details and registration see https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/N/CDPH.HDInf.pdf .

5/24+ Living Donation Conference

The American Foundation for Donation and Transplantation will hold their 9th Annual Living Donation Conference in Clearwater FL May 24-26, 2017, on the topic Essential Donor Team Concepts for Entry Level & Experienced Practitioners.  Invitees include:

• Independent Living Donor Advocates for all clinical disciplines 
• Living Donor Coordinators 
• Social Workers 
• Psychologists 
• Physicians 
• Physician leaders, Administrators and Managers  for programs with living donor teams 
• Quality and Compliance Staff 

For details see http://www.amfdt.org/pdf/Florida_May2017%20Flyer.pdf .

 

Grievance Toolkit in Spanish

The National Forum of ESRD Networks has created a Spanish version of its new Dialysis Patient Grievance Toolkit.  Find it at http://esrdnetworks.org/resources/toolkits/patient-toolkits/dialysis-patient-grievance-toolkit-1 .  It joins the catalog of Forum Medical Advisory Council (MAC) and Patient Toolkits, which now include:

• Home Dialysis
• Transitions of Care
• Medical Director
• QAPI
• Medication Reconciliation
• Catheter Reduction
• Assurance of Diabetes Care Coordination
• Vaccination

Find them all, along with the MAC Speaker’s Bureau Brochure, at http://esrdnetworks.org/resources/toolkits/mac-toolkits-1 .

3/30 NCC Antibiotic Webex

The ESRD NCC HAI LAN will present a WebEx on Antibiotic Stewardship in Dialysis Units March 30, 2017.  Dialysis facility staff, Medical Directors, and all infectious disease healthcare staff are invited.  CEUs are available for nurses and dialysis PCTs.  For details and registration see https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/N/NCC.AR.0317.pdf and http://www.esrdncc.org/en/events/2017/march-2017/hai-lan-discovery-event/ .

 

Patients: ESRD QIP

The Northwest Renal Network’s February 2017 Patient Bulletin is on What Is the ESRD QIP?  It briefly describes the ESRD Quality Incentive Program that adjusts the reimbursement your facility receives from Medicare depending on how well it meets performance standards.  Your facility is required to post a Performance Score Certificate showing their results, and you can also find the information on the Medicare Dialysis Facility Compare website at https://www.medicare.gov/dialysisfacilitycompare/ .  Find the Bulletin at https://www.nwrn.org/patients-a-family/ptedres/mon.html .

3/12 SC UCI Transplant Education

The Saddleback Kidney Support Group will present an Educational Seminar on Revitalization of the UCI Kidney/Pancreas Transplant Program March 12, 2017 in Mission Viejo CA.  Medical Director Uttam Reddy, MD and key transplant team members will describe how they have revamped the UC Irvine program.  Patients, dialysis facility staff, and nephrologists are invited.  RSVP requested.  For details see http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/docs-events/UCI_Transplant_Revitilization.pdf .