April Events

April 16, 2024 – EQRS New User Training. Find details and registraton at https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/april-2024-new-user-training/.

April 25, 2024 – Webinar on De-Escalation & Communication in a Behavioral Health Setting presented by the National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Seattle, and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Network (MHTTC Network), online. Designed for direct service providers and staff who work with clients and community members. Learn what contributes to emotionally escalated interactions, ways to assess the situation, and practical strategies to defuse and de-escalate to support the health and safety of everyone involved. Find details and register at https://mhttcnetwork.org/event/de-escalation-communication-in-a-behavioral-health-setting/. Find more NAMI Seattle events at https://namiseattle.org/events/upcoming-events/ (scroll down for the complete calendar), and more MHTTC Network events at https://mhttcnetwork.org/training-and-events-calendar/.

KDIGO has released an extensive list of resources to accompany their new CKD Guideline, including seven “Top Ten Takeaways” resources for nephrologists, pediatricians, and PCPs; an Executive Summary; and a Data Supplement. Find these resources, and a link to the KDIGO 2024 CKD Guideline itself, at https://kdigo.org/guidelines/ckd-evaluation-and-management/.

CMS has released a final rule that will protect and improve access to Medicaid, CHIP, and BHP. The Streamlining the Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Basic Health Program Application, Eligibility Determination, Enrollment, and Renewal Processes rule will remove red tape and barriers to enrollment, update and build on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) coverage protections. Find more information at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-rule-expanding-access-care-and-increasing-protections-people.

Pediatric Transplant Testing Eased

CDC has announced that the US Public Health Service Guidelines for infectious disease testing has been eased for solid organ transplant candidates less than 12 years old. Candidates who have been tested at least once since birth need no longer undergo additional testing for HIV, HCV, and HBV prior to transplant, because the risk of blood loss from testing is now deemed to be larger than the risk of infection. For full details see https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7126a2.htm.

8/22 Comments Due on CY2023 and PY2024-26 QIP

CMS has published a Proposed Rule with changes to the CY2023 ESRD QIP. Your comments are due by August 22, 2022. The Proposed Rule includes:

• Updated payment rates and policies for CY2023 including the outlier threshold, the Bundled market basket, labor-related share, wage index, and facility-level adjustments.
• Updated AKI payment rates for CY2023.
• Updated QIP Requirements, Measures, and Baseline for CY2023 including COVID-related adjustments.
• Requests for Information on QIP Measures including new and oral drugs, health equity, pediatric payment rates, home dialysis, Disparities, Social Drivers of Health.
• Adjustments to PY2024 Measures.
• Adjustments to PY2025-26 Measures.
• Refinements to the ESRD Treatment Choices Model.

Find:

• A Summary of the changes at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-2023-end-stage-renal-disease-esrd-prospective-payment-system-pps-proposed-rule-cms,
• The Federal Reserve Notice of the Proposed Rule at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2022-13449/medicare-program-end-stage-renal-disease-prospective-payment-system-payment-for-renal-dialysis, and
• Instructions for commenting, before August 22, 2022, are included in the Federal Reserve Notice.

Upcoming Events

• April 24-30, 2022: National Pediatric Transplant Week – Find more information at:
  • https://www.donatelife.net/pediatric-transplant-week/,
  • https://www.facebook.com/transplantfamilies/, and
  • https://www.facebook.com/DonateLifeNorthwest .
• April 25-May 2, 2022: Transplant Nurses Week – Details at:
  • https://www.itns.org/transplant-nurses-week and
  • https://www.facebook.com/DonateLifeNorthwest .
• April 28-30, 2022: Pediatric Transplant Conference – Details at:
  • https://www.transplantfamilies.org/ptc2022 and
  • https://www.facebook.com/transplantfamilies/ .
• April 29, 2022: AAKP Webinar Are You O-K+? The Importance of Potassium Management & Kidney Disease – See below, and https://aakp.org/center-for-patient-research-and-education/hyperkalemia/ . Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AAKPAreYouOK .
• April 30, 2022: Donate Life Northwest Threads of Life Quilt Unveiling – Lake Oswego OR, https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=9688&id=9688 .
• May 1, 2022:
  • National High Potassium Awareness Day – Information at https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/national-high-potassium-awareness-day-2022-may/ .
  • NKF Big Ask, Big Give – In English and Spanish. Information at https://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors . Register at https://kidney.secure.force.com/rc_connect__campaign_designform?id=7013a000003D58lAAC&form=00P3a00001fvaPdEAI&.
• May 5, 2022: AAKP HealthLine Webinar on Home Dialysis: Key Learnings from COVID and Beyond – https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/aakp-healthline/ . Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AAKPHealthLine_HomeDialysis .
• June 25, 2022: Donate Life Northwest Mt. Tabor Dash – https://www.dash4dlnw.org/ .

11/10+ RNS Hope Week Online

The Renal Support Network has been offering its free Annual Patient Education Meeting for kidney patients and their families in the Los Angeles area for 27 years. With COVID-19 complicating things this year, RSN did what only Lori Hartwell could have imagined doing – they went global and online, and made it five times as big! So this year, RSN Hope Week will span November 10-14, 2020 with a different theme each day: CKD on day 1, Dialysis on day 2, Transplant on day 3, All Stages of Care on day 4, and Parenting Children with CKD on day 5.

Find RSN’s press release introducing the week at https://www.rsnhope.org/press-releases/renal-support-networks-27th-annual-patient-education-meeting-goes-virtual/. Find a short version of the agenda below. It’s page 1 of their flyer, which includes a full page describing each day – find the full 6-page flyer HERE. Find brief vitae and snapshots of the full faculty at https://www.rsnhope.org/hope-week-faculty/. And register at https://www.rsnhope.org/hope-week-rsns-national-online-patient-meeting/ – there’s also a short version of the agenda on that page.

3/4 KQF Kidney Disease Impact Conference

Kidneys Quest Foundation will present a free in-person one-day 2020 Kidney Disease Impact Conference in Los Angeles on March 4, 2020.  Conference topics will include improving renal health, preventing kidney failure, expanding options for kidney patients, dialysis, home dialysis, research, clinical trials, increasing available organs for transplant, transplant support, becoming a living donor, CKD and CVD, and pediatric CKD.

Invitation is extended to renal patients, social workers, registered nurses, dietitians, dialysis technicians, medical directors, administrators and organization managers, healthcare workers, friends and family of patients, and anyone interested in kidney disease and dialysis.  Attendance and onsite parking is free, and continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.  Continuing education credits for nurses, social workers, dietitians, and dialysis technicians are available for a $50 fee.  Pre-registration is required, and space is limited.  Register at:

• https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07egu68tk72e9b31a2&oseq=&c=&ch= for those who want CE credit.
• https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07egu6bqw6f4f810f0&oseq=&c=&ch= for all others.

Find complete details, including the Conference agenda and sponsor registration information, at http://kidneysquestfoundation.org/2020-kidney-disease-impact-conference.html.

2/5+ CCCC Annual Summit

The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California and the Children’s Hospice & Palliative Care Coalition will host their 2020 Annual Summit 5-6 May, 2020 in Sacramento, under the theme of Sharpening our Vision for Compassionate Care in the Face of Serious Illness.  Continuing education credits are available for nurses, social workers, physicians, pharmacists, chaplains, and nursing home administrators.  Summit timelines include:

• February 5, 2020 – Last day for sponsors to appear in Summit brochure (see https://ccccsummit.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Sponsor-Brochure-final.pdf?mc_cid=5e4eceb32b&mc_eid=%5bUNIQID%5d)
• February 7, 2020 –
  • Last day to submit nominations for CCCC and CHPCC Leadership Awards (see https://ccccsummit.org/compassionate-care-leadership-awards/)
  • Last day to respond to Call for Posters (see https://ccccsummit.org/2020/01/call-for-posters/)
• February 15, 2020 – Early registration discounts expire
• April 1, 2020 – Discounted cancellation fee expires
• April 15, 2020 –
  • Advance registration discounts expire
  • Last day for cancellation refund
• April 30, 2020 – Online registration closes (on-site registration is allowed)
• May 5-6, 2020 – 2020 Annual Summit

For registration see https://ccccsummit.org/registration/.  For full details on the Annual Summit, see https://mailchi.mp/coalitionccc.org/2020summitsponsorship-745671?e=67e1ad4c31.

CCCC and CHPCC are merging; for details see https://coalitionccc.org/2015/11/childrens-hospice-and-palliative-care-coalition-becomes-program-of-cccc/.

ANNA Fact Sheets on PD, AKI

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

• Peritoneal Dialysis Fact Sheet at https://www.annanurse.org/download/reference/practice/pdFactSheet.pdf.
• Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Fact Sheet at https://www.annanurse.org/download/reference/practice/pedPDFactSheet.pdf.
• AKI Fact Sheet on Clinical Issues at https://www.annanurse.org/download/reference/practice/akiClinicalFactSheet.pdf.
• AKI Fact Sheet on Financial/Payment/Billing Issues at https://www.annanurse.org/download/reference/practice/akiFinancialFactSheet.pdf.

4/4+ AAKP HealthLine on Pediatric Dialysis

AAKP’s HealthLine is hosting a series of three webinars on Pediatric Kidney Patients:

• The first in the series, What to Expect When Your Child Starts Dialysis, has been recorded, and can be found at https://www.gotostage.com/channel/6927452477730326277/recording/6a7d78ef17dc44a2afb9be805033b205/watch?source=CHANNEL.

• The second webinar, Tips for Parents and Other Care Partners on How to Support your Pediatric Kidney Transplant Patient, will be held April 4, 2019.  Register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8501074658969210381.

• The third and final webinar will be held April 17, 2019 on Growing Up as a Kidney Patient: Transitioning from Pediatric Care to Adult Care.  Register for this one at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/8540017161802055693.

You can find a catalog of recordings of all past HealthLine webinars at https://www.gotostage.com/channel/6927452477730326277, and a general introduction to the HealthLine program at https://aakp.org/aakp-healthline/.

11/13+ CCCC Pediatric Webinars

The Coalition for Compassionate Care of California will host two more presentations this year in their Pediatric Webinar Series.  The first will be 13 November on Getting a Better Handle on Parents’ Bereavement: Supporting Parents Anticipating Their Child’s Death and Afterwards, and the second 6 December on Deep in the Weeds: Medical Marijuana and Pediatric Palliative Care.  Find out more and register at https://mailchi.mp/coalitionccc.org/2018-spring-education-schedule-744635?e=67e1ad4c31.

Along with the Children’s Hospice Palliative Care Coalition, CCCC will also co-sponsor the 2019 Palliative Care Summit April 8-9, 2019 in San Francisco.  For more information see http://ccccsummit.org/.  Registration gets progressively more expensive after January 31, March 7, and April 1, 2019.