Monthly Archives: February 2018

<3/4 NW18 Flood/Mud Danger SB to LA

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The National Weather Service and local authorities have warned that heavy rain in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties through Saturday, March 4, 2018 could produce flash floods and mudflows.  Locations that are downhill or downstream from areas that burned in 2017 are particularly vulnerable, including the Santa Barbara-Ventura-Fillmore and Santa Clarita-Burbank-Glendale corridors, and Bel Air.  For more information:

Networks are required by CMS to track the status of facility operations and patient access to treatment during emergency events.  If the operations of your facility, or ability for patients to have access to dialysis are impacted by emergency events, please let your Network know as soon as possible.  Contact Eileen Rhodes at 888-268-1539 or ERhodes@nw18.esrd.net, and fill out the form at http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/machform/embed.php?id=16298.

New Medicare Cards News

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CMS has updated and expanded their NMC website for providers, at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/Providers/Providers.html to include information on how remittance advices with HICNs or MBIs will be handled.  They’ve also published an NMC Mailing Strategy document, at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/NMC-Mailing-Strategy.pdf.  New cards will be mailed to Alaska, California, and Oregon between April and June 2018, and to Idaho, Montana, and Washington in July 2018 and beyond.

They’ve also published Guidance on how to talk to patients about their new cards, with suggested language to use to keep everyone on the same page and avoid confusion, at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/New-Medicare-Card-Messaging-Guidelines-July-2017.pdf.  The NMC Overview web page at https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/index.html has also been updated.

3/7+ NW16 Legacy Transplant Class

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Legacy Transplant Services will present four classes on Is Kidney Transplant Right for You? in Portland during 2018, on March 7, May 3, September 12, and November 8.  For details see https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/N/Legacy/LegacyTrx0318.pdf, and register at http://www.legacyhealthevents.org.

2/28 New Hope for Kidneys Livestream

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MIT’s Broad Institute and Harvard will livestream a February 28, 2018 presentation on Focus on Rare Disease: New Hope for Kidney Diseases 2018 by a long-time transplant recipient, survivor of Mucien-1 Kidney Disease, patient advocate, and activist.  For details and registration see https://www.eventbrite.com/e/focus-on-rare-disease-new-hope-for-kidney-diseases-2018-tickets-42799285816.

PATH-D Home Care Partner Guide

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MEI has released a Spanish edition of their Partner Agreement on Tasks for Home Dialysis (PATH-D), or Acuerdo del Compañero sobre tareas para la Diálisis en el hogar.  Find it, for either PD or HHD, along with other useful home care resources, at https://www.homedialysis.org/life-at-home/care-partners.

3/8 Mindfulness & Patient Safety WIHI

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IHI will present a March 8, 2018 “WIHI” on Mindfulness and Patient Safety.  When we’re “mindful” we’re paying attention to what’s happening in the Present Moment instead of reviewing the past or planning the future.  Mindfulness is also a powerful stress reduction and self-care technique.  Find more information, sample exercises, and relevant links, and register, at http://www.ihi.org/education/AudioVideo/WIHI/mindfulness-and-patient-safety/Pages/default.aspx.  Find ten introductory exercises at http://www.ihi.org/communities/blogs/10-mindfulness-exercises-for-the-health-care-workplace.

3/22 AAKP Healthline Kidney Day

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AAKP on March 22, 2018 will present part 2 of their 2-part Healthline broadcast on World Kidney Day: Kidneys & Women’s Health.  Find details and register at https://aakp.org/event/aakp-healthline-webinar/, along with a recording of part 1.  World Kidney Day is March 8, 2018; see http://www.worldkidneyday.org/2018-campaign/2018-wkd-theme/ for more information.