The ESRD NCC will present a free May 7, 2024 webinar for all staff at dialysis facilities and transplant centers on Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (“CLAS”) Action Plan for the Kidney Community. Find details on the poster below and register at https://tinyurl.com/mr272atb (note that the “Click here” link below doesn’t work).
The WA DOH Power of Providers Initiative Group will host a May 10, 2024 webinar for healthcare staff on Effectively Engaging Communities: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy, to explore the factors that fuel vaccine hesitancy among populations in the US and discuss effective strategies, patient-centered approaches, and implementation of Trusted-Messenger Interventions, to address historical amnesia and increase faith in institutions. The webinar will be recorded, and CE credits are available for nurses (RN, ARNP, LPN), and medical assistants. Find details and register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_u8eSZ-Y7QXyjy8yLEniQoA#/registration.
April 16-17, 2024 – Medicare National Training Program (NTP) Webinars on Understanding Medicare. April 16 covers enrollment, eligibility, SSA and CMS roles, Part A Hospital Insurance, Part B Medical Insurance, and Medigap policies. April 17 covers Part D Drug Coverage, Advantage Plans, and other useful information and resources. You may register for either or both days, at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/live-events?keys=understanding+Medicare. Previous webinars are recorded and may be found at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/past-events.
April 24, 2024: Webinar for Dialysis Professionals on Supporting Patients to Improve their Transplant Candidacy. Part of the NKF Navigating Transplant: A Guide to Empowering Your Patients series for FAs, MDs, Nurse Managers, Dietitians, and SWs. For more information and registration, see the poster below or https://cme.kidney.org/spa/courses/resource/r634-supporting-your-patients-to-be-the-best-psychosocial-candidate-for-transplant-/mooc/home/default. Direct questions to celine.koh@kidney.org.
March EQRS Newsletter Available at https://mycrownweb.org/2024/03/march-2024-newsletter-now-available/, with information on the 2744 ESRD Annual Survey, March 14 EOCT Town Hall, Care Compare Update, New EQRS Dashboard Reports, New EQRS Medication Reconciliation Reporting Field, ESRD QIP Information, How to Route Questions, and ESRD Data Submission Deadlines.
March 14, 2024:
March 16, 2024: Comment Deadline for Medicare Part D Guidance Part 2 – Guidance to help Medicare Part D enrollees manage drug costs, PART 2. Find details at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/medicare-prescription-payment-plan-draft-part-two-guidance.pdf.
April 16-17, 2024: CMS NTP Understanding Medicare 2-Day Webinar – Find more information and register at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/live-events.
March 19, 2024: CMS EQRS New User Training – Find details and register at https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/march-2024-new-user-training/.
Final CMS Guidance to help Medicare Part D enrollees manage drug costs – https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-07-mlnc#_Toc160622795.
Current Medicare Status of Blood Tests for Organ Transplant Rejection – https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-07-mlnc#_Toc160622796.
The FDA has warned that “Smart” Rings and Watches that do not pierce the skin do not accurately measure blood sugar (glucose), even if they claim to do so. For people with diabetes, inaccurate blood glucose measurements can lead to errors in diabetes management, including taking the wrong dosage of medications that can quickly lead to mental confusion, coma, or death, within hours of the error.
For details, recommendations, and further instructions, see https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/do-not-use-smartwatches-or-smart-rings-measure-blood-glucose-levels-fda-safety-communication. Some smart watches are capable of reading remote signals from other implanted or skin-piercing devices that do accurately report blood sugar. The Warning does not apply to these.
On February 28, 2024 at noon PST, the National Kidney Foundation will be hosting a Lunch-and-Learn session for dialysis professionals – Facility Administrators, Medical Directors, Nurse Managers, Social Workers – on the topic of The Evaluation: What Transplant Centers Want You to Know. Earn 1 free CE/CME credit for attending. Find full details and register at https://cme.kidney.org/spa/courses/resource/r600-the-evaluation-what-transplant-centers-want-you-to-know/mooc/home/default or the abbreviated link on the poster below. Direct any questions you may have to celine.koh@kidney.org.
KCER has created a postcard-sized checklist for keeping track of how current your Emergency Preparedness supplies are. We’ve reproduced the cards below. You’ll want to perform this check periodically, so put a date on the card when you fill it out, so you’ll know when you last verified that everything’s up to date.
CDC has published a Health Alert Network Advisory (HAN) on a surge of RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus in the Southeastern US. Find the HAN bulletin at https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2023/han00498.asp. RSV is different from Flu and COVID (and the “common cold”). “Syncytial,” pronounced something like “SIN-see-teal,” means that a whole mass of single-nucleus cells have merged into one big multinucleated cell. Like Flu and COVID, RSV can be serious or even fatal for vulnerable populations.
As people begin to make holiday travel plans, it is important to be aware of specific illnesses they may encounter. Some patients have family from the Southeastern US that may be coming here, or they may be planning to travel themselves, in which case they should talk to their healthcare provider about their individual risks. Although the spread of RSV has not increased here yet, the health advisory contains helpful information about new adult RSV vaccines that are available, and guidance for healthcare providers on how to care for at-risk individuals over the age of 60.
See also https://nwrnbulletins.wordpress.com/2023/09/06/9-19-cdc-call-re-flu-covid-rsv-vaccines/.
CMS will present a September 7, 2023 webinar on Medicaid and CHIP Renewals: Reaching Out to American Indian and Alaska Native Populations. RSVP at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_-uRUL8P0QFW2_iRCvfqT8g. For more information and toolkits, including links to English and Spanish resources on Reaching Kids and Families, Disenrolled patients, and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Black American, Aging & Disability, and Rural Populations, see https://www.medicaid.gov/resources-for-states/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/unwinding-and-returning-regular-operations-after-covid-19/medicaid-and-chip-renewals-outreach-and-educational-resources/index.html.
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