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 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 27, 2024: NKF Transplant Financials Webinar on Financial Considerations in Kidney Transplant: The Process, Barriers, Strategies & Resources, in the “Lunch & Learn” Series, for all dialysis professional staff. Find details and register at https://cme.kidney.org/spa/courses/resource/r629-financial-considerations-in-kidney-transplant-the-process-barriers-strategies–resources.
March 29, 2024: Comment Deadline for Feedback on Draft of New CDC Website on CKD. Review the Draft and comment at https://beta.cdc.gov/kidney-disease/.
HDC/Lori Hartwell’s Proposal for Increasing Home Dialysis, with her Invitation to Comment. See https://homedialysis.org/news-and-research/blog/588-do-we-need-a-new-model-to-reward-people-who-do-home-dialysis.
March 27, 2024: Medicaid/CHIPS Renewal Webinar on Recently Released Guidance and Resources for Partners. Note date revised from March 20, 2024. If your organization serves or interfaces with people that have health insurance through Medicaid or CHIP then this call is for YOU. Register at https://cms.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_qma5AvyBQWCTB0vbNF3lTA. Send questions to PARTNERSHIP@cms.hhs.gov.
April 4, 2024: My Employment Options Webinar on Resumes that Get You Hired. Find details and registration at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wGjhcVlxQpaH35d3ODLnaA#/registration.
April is National Donate Life Month, including Living Donor Day April 3, Blue and Green Spirit Week April 6-12, Blue and Green Day April 12, Donor Appreciation Week April 8-12, Volunteer Appreciation Week April 15-19, Pediatric Transplant Week April 21-27, and Transplant Professionals Day April 24. Find more information, daily events, and Celebration/Promotion materials at https://www.donatelifenw.org/national-donate-life-month.
KDIGO has announced the publication of its 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for CKD. Find more information and download from https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(23)00766-4/fulltext.
EQRS has announced modification of the Dialysis Facility Transplant Waitlist Dashboard to include a new column for Inactive Reason for temporarily inactive transplant candidates. For details see https://mycrownweb.org/2024/03/dialysis-facility-transplant-waitlist-dashboard-update-new-inactive-reason-column-added/.
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.
March 6, 2024: Quality Counts, Safety Matters: Prioritizing Patient Safety Through Quality Measurement webinar presented by AHRQ, CDC, CMS, and VHA, 9am PDT. Register at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_VvIWfiWITNuOhxfx5TpuyQ#/registration.
March 9 and 16, 2024: Donate Life Northwest workshop for waitlisted patients and support persons on how to Find a Living Donor (2 sessions, one workshop). Find details and a registration link at https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10050&id=10050.
March 10-16, 2024: Patient Safety Awareness Week, the Center for Patient Safety provides more information and offers a free Tool Kit at https://www.centerforpatientsafety.org/patient-safety-awareness-week-psaw.
March 12, 2024: Donate Life NW New Ambassador Orientation: Online, details and registration at https://www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10079&id=10079.
March 14, 2024: Donate Life Community Partner Webinar with NW Kidney Kids, Online, details and registration at https:www.donatelifenw.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=10102&id=10102.
March 21, 2024: Quality Counts, Safety Matters: Prioritizing Patient Safety Through Quality Measurement webinar presented by AHRQ, CDC, CMS, and VHA, 11am PDT. Repeat of March 6 webinar. Register at https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_R9TrgY9hTg6H91ONvzYxwA#/registration.
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.
February 8, 2024: CMS NTP on Medicare Updates & Education Webinar, https://cmsnationaltrainingprogram.cms.gov/moodle/login/index.php.
February 20, 2024: EQRS New User Training, https://mycrownweb.org/pcw_lems/february-2024-new-user-training/.
New EQRS Facility Vaccination Dashboards: For instructions on use see https://mycrownweb.org/2024/01/new-eqrs-dashboard-facility-influenza-vaccination/ for Influenza Vaccines, and https://mycrownweb.org/2024/02/new-eqrs-dashboard-facility-pneumococcal-pneumonia-vaccination/ for Pneumococcal Pneumonia Vaccines.
CMS Has Published CY2024 QIP NHSN Data Entry Deadlines: In general, quarterly NHSN data on HD BSI, Dialysis Events, and HCP Vaccination is due three months after the end of each quarter. For details for 2024 see https://mycrownweb.org/education/nhsn-submission-deadlines-for-cy-2024-esrd-qip-data/, and for October-December 2023 see https://mycrownweb.org/2023/09/nhsn-submission-deadlines-for-calendar-year-2023/.
CMS Has Published Instructions for Annual Facility Surveys Forms 2744A and B: All Medicare-certified dialysis (2744A) and transplant (2744B) facilities must complete Form CMS-2744, the ESRD Medical Information System ESRD Facility Survey, providing a final count of all patients and treatments provided by the facility during the prior calendar year. Forms 2744 also includes important facility and patient demographic information, such as Medicare status, vocational rehabilitation, and facility staff counts. Note that facilities should first check with their Organization, as many ESRD Providers complete the 2744s at the Organization Level rather than the Facility Level. Note Also that 2744 submission deadlines and coordination are set by the ESRD Networks, here Comagine ESRD Network 16 at https://comagine.org/esrd. Find detailed Instructions for completing Forms 2744 at https://mycrownweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-CMS-2744-Annual-Survey_Training-Aid_For-508ing_vFINAL508.pdf.
CMS Has Created a New Website Introducing Value-Based Care, at https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation-center/value-based-care-spotlight.
CMS Has Published the QIP Measures Manual and Technical Specs for CY2024. Find the ESRD Measures Manual for the 2024 Performance Period at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/esrd-measures-manual-v91.pdf, and the CY 2024 ESRD QIP Technical Measures Specifications at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/cy-2024-technical-measure-specifications.pdf.
CDC has updated their V-Safe Website to include Three New Vaccines, including maternal RSV vaccine, RSV vaccines for older adults, and 2023-2024 updated COVID-19 vaccines. V-Safe allows you to describe your own personal reactions to vaccines, in order to educate CDC and the public about what others might expect from their inoculations. Find V-Safe, in English and Spanish, at https://vsafe.cdc.gov/, and information about how it works at https://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/help-promote-v-safe-to-vaccine-recipients/. Find details about the RSV vaccines at https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/clinical/index.html, and about the current COVID-19 vaccines at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/overview-COVID-19-vaccines.html.
AKF Poster on Barriers to Treatment Adherence: The Infographic at the end of this bulletin summarizes the results of an American Kidney Fund survey of dialysis patients and renal professionals, on the common challenges that patients face in following their treatment recommendations.
CMS Care-Compare website for Comparing Dialysis Facilities has received its January quarterly update, including the latest Facility Performance Scores. Find it at https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?providerType=DialysisFacility.
January 15-February 15, 2024: NWRD 2024 Conference Registration – the Conference is March 7-8 in Portland OR, with the theme Dietitians Bridging the Equality Gap through Advocacy with emphasis on Latin American culture and cuisine. Find full details and register at https://www.nwrdonline.org/conference-overview.
January 31, 2024: CMS/HRSA Organ Transplantation Affinity Group Webinar on Strengthening Transplant Accountability, Equity, and Performance. For details and registration see https://mycrownweb.org/2024/01/organ-transplantation-affinity-group-otag-webinar-on-january-31-2024-at-2pm/.
February 8, 2024: Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation Webinar on Donation and Transportation. Find details and register at https://amat.member365.com/public/event/details/27d76c61afdace71ce3a8cdd49b2d62f6ef0bad2/1.
February 14, 2024: National Donor Day for organ, eye and tissue donation. For Donation-related Valentines to send and/or other donation-related educational materials, in English or Spanish, see https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/national-donor-day/. For Network events and programs, see https://www.donatelifenw.org/.
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