5/7 Cultural/Linguistic Appropriateness Free Webinar

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).

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.

8/23+ Late August Events

  • August 23-September 1, 2022: CMS National Training Program Webinars. Details and Registration at https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/login/index.php:
    • August 23 – Medicare Scenarios (Casework Session)
    • August 24 – CMS and SAMHSA: Federal Partners addressing Behavioral Health
    • August 25 – Medicare Plan Finder
    • August 30 – Medicare Current Topics
    • August 31 – The Public Health Emergency (PHE) and CMS Programs
    • September 1 – Marketplace to Medicare: What You Can Expect

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:

Mental Health Bulletin Board

Social workers have shared with the Network that some dialysis patients are reluctant to disclose or discuss their depression or other mental health concerns. One way to address this is to provide psychological education via a mental health-themed bulletin board. The following downloadable patient-focused materials have been reviewed and recommended by ESRD Network 16 advisors as good candidates for a facility Mental Health Bulletin Board:

11/4 KDIGO Webinar on Psychological Issues in Dialysis

KDIGO will present a November 4, 2021 webinar on Optimizing Management of Psychological Symptoms in Dialysis, the third in their series on Symptom-Based Complications in Dialysis, to consider the psychosocial experience of dialysis patients, focusing on identification, assessment, and treatment strategies for their most common psychological issues. Find more information and register at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4606655071579436816. The webinar includes a live poll of attendees, at https://app.sli.do/event/9gpa15gp/live/polls, which you can use to add your own comments and questions in advance.