Monthly Archives: May 2019

HDC on Kidney Patient Psychosocial Needs

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Home Dialysis Central has published a blog post on Staff Orientation to Psychosocial Needs of People with Kidney Failure.  In it Beth Witten, MSW, ACSW, LSCSW, explains how she responded when an FA asked her, “as the clinic social worker, [how would you] provide an orientation for new staff to help them understand the patients they would be working with, explain [your] role, and let them know how [you] could help them.”  It’s a comprehensive and impressive post.  Find it at https://homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/310-staff-orientation-to-psychosocial-needs-of-people-with-kidney-failure.

ANNA Fact Sheets on PD, AKI

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The ANNA Special Practice Networks have published a series of several-page Fact Sheets on a number of topics:

New CMS Transplant Center Survey Protocol Manual

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CMS has added a new Appendix X to their State Operations Manual, detailing Interpretive Guidance and Survey Protocols for Organ Transplant Program Conditions for Participation, effective May 24, 2019.  Find a copy at https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Transmittals/2019Downloads/R189SOMA.pdf.

NW18 6/13+ UCLA re PD, Alport, BP, Labs

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The UCLA Core Kidney Program has announced three new webinars and a patient-education meeting.  For more information see https://www.uclahealth.org/core-kidney/upcoming-events.

  • July 11, 2019: Alport Syndrome webinar.  Check the uclahealth.org link above in mid-June for registration.
  • July 14, 2019: High Blood Pressure – What You Should Know UKEEP patient-education meeting.  See the uclahealth.org link above for more information and the RSVP phone number.
  • August 8, 2019: Labs – What You Should Know webinar.  Check the uclahealth.org link above in mid-July for registration.

NW16 6/28 WA DOH Webinar re Drugs

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The Washington State Department of Health will hold a 1pm PDT June 28, 2019 meeting and webinar on the legality of the sale, delivery, and possession of specific preparations of heparin, dialysate, and KCL or NaCl for injection (“legend drugs”: see https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=246-905-020), and other drugs, by dialysis clinics.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and clarify the kinds of licensing required by Washington State law.  For details see https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WADOH/2019/05/23/file_attachments/1217215/20190422%20Kidney%20Dialysis%20Center%20Memo%20%28002%29.pdf.

From a meeting announcement memo: “The [Washington State] Pharmacy Commission has been asked by the [Washington] DOH Office of Health System Oversight (OHSO) for guidance on the statutory authority of ESRD or Kidney Dialysis Centers to sell, deliver, or possess legend drugs.  The Pharmacy Commission and OHSO staff would like to hold a stakeholder meeting to present initial findings from the staff research and obtain input from stakeholders.  Following the stakeholder meeting the Pharmacy Commission and OHSO staff will prepare an Interpretive Statement to provide guidance to the provider community and [DOH].”

To attend the meeting in person: Room 158, Town Center 2, Tumwater campus, 111 Israel Rd SE, Tumwater WA 98501.  To attend the meeting by webinar, register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9064752490396634881; further instructions will be sent to you by email.  For questions or comments contact doreen.beebe@doh.wa.gov.