Category Archives: Organ Procurement

2/1 CMS Request for ESRD Treatment Feedback

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CMS is soliciting feedback from ESRD stakeholders on anything and everything they would like to see improved about ESRD treatment. Submit your comments by February 1, 2022 at https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/CMS-2021-0184-0001, choosing “End Stage Renal Disease Facilities – HPA20” as your response to the “What is your comment about?” question.

Find the CMS Request for Information at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/12/03/2021-26146/request-for-information-health-and-safety-requirements-for-transplant-programs-organ-procurement. The full title of the Request includes not just transplant programs and OPOs, but “and End-Stage Renal Disease Facilities.” This Request page includes specific questions about transplant programs and their Conditions of Participation (“COPS”), patient rights, organ donations, tissue transplants, general kidney health, home dialysis, alternative types and settings for dialysis, alternative models of care, processes and policies for organs and donors, and nephrology joint ventures, including whether a nephrologist’s partial ownership of a dialysis facility should be disclosed to patients, and whether that ownership has “an impact on resource use, patient care, and/or choice of modality.”

11/23+ OPTN Organ Allocation Changes

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The OPTN Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Committees will host a November 23, 2020 webinar on Information for Transplant Candidates about Upcoming Changes to Kidney and Pancreas Policies. These changes are intended to create more consistent access to kidney, pancreas, and kidney-pancreas transplants. The new policies include updates to the definition of medical urgency, and changes to the allocation of organs and prioritization of candidates, which will be based on distance rather than regions. Organs from Alaska will be allocated based on distance from Seattle.

The new policies will take effect December 15, 2020, and transplant centers can revise their candidate urgency information to take advantage of the new policies starting December 1. Find details about the changes at https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/news/pre-implementation-notice-removal-of-dsa-and-region-from-kidney-and-pancreas-allocation-to-go-into-effect-dec-15/ and register for the webinar at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2542491307617944591.

HRSA Webinars on Minority Organ Donation

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The HHS Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Office of Regional Operations will present a webinar in English and Spanish to recognize Minority Donor Awareness Month (see https://www.hrsa.gov/enews/past-issues/2020/august-6/national-minority-donor-awareness-month and https://www.giftofhope.org/nmdam-2020/).  The focus this year is on the Latinx community.  Both versions are free to attend, but prior registration is required.  All who register will receive a link to a recording of the webinar.

For more information, contact HRSAORORegion7@hrsa.gov.

New Reports: USRDS, OPTN, SRTR, UNOS

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The US Renal Data System (USRDS) 2019 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States has been released on paper.  The online version was released in November 2019.  Find the Report at https://www.ajkd.org/issue/S0272-6386(19)X0003-7, and the USRDS ADR page at https://www.usrds.org/adr.aspx.

The Annual Data Report of the OPTN and SRTR (the US Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients) is now available, documenting data pertaining to the period 2007-2018.  Find it at https://srtr.transplant.hrsa.gov/annual_reports/2018_ADR_Preview.aspx.  Find the OPTN home page at https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/ and SRTR at https://www.srtr.org/.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has published new vision and mission statements.  Find them at https://unos.org/news/introducing-unos-new-mission-and-vision/.

3/4 KQF Kidney Disease Impact Conference

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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:

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

2/21 CMS Proposed Rule on OPO Measures Comment Period

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In December CMS proposed revisions to Organ Procurement Organization Performance Measures for Kidney Donation Rate and Transplant Rate, and to OPO monitoring and benchmarking.  The revised measures aim to increase the number of Kidney Transplants by about 5,000 per year.  The revisions are described in the Fact Sheet at https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/organ-procurement-organization-opo-conditions-coverage-proposed-rule-revisions-outcome-measures-opos.  Public Comment is due by February 21, 2020.  The Proposed Rule is published in the Federal Register at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/12/23/2019-27418/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-organ-procurement-organizations-conditions-for-coverage-revisions-to.