In honor of National Kidney Month, AAKP Healthline will present a March 24, 2020 webinar on AAKP Ambassadors: Thriving with Kidney Disease and Inspiring Others. The program will feature current AAKP Ambassadors discussing “What I know now that I wish I knew when first diagnosed,” “Why it is important to be your own best advocate, and “How I am making a difference through AAKP.” For details and registration see https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/aakp-healthline/.
AAKP will celebrate their 50th Anniversary on December 7, 2019 by initiating their first AAKP Annual Fun Walk. The formal celebration will take place in Tampa Bay FL with a one-mile walk, music, exhibitors, and family fun activities, but you can celebrate by yourself or as a team wherever you are, nationally, globally, or virtually, by staging your own Fun Walk. For details see https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/fun-walk/.
AAKP’s Center for Patient Research & Education (https://aakp.org/center-for-patient-research-and-education/research/) is collaborating with the FDA to foster engagement with patients, caregivers, and patient advocates throughout the development, evaluation and surveillance of medical devices in order to gain insight from patients and caregivers about their experiences living with their diseases as well as experiences with medical devices intended to diagnose and treat their medical conditions. To further this effort, AAKP asks members to take a brief anonymous survey about the devices you have used. Find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GGTZNKX.
ESRD Network 16 is recruiting for new volunteers to serve on our Patient Advisory Committee (PAC). PAC members:
Most PAC activities are conducted by phone call and email, though there are occasional opportunities for in person meetings. Any travel to in-person meetings will be funded by the Network.
Please share the Informational Flyer at https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/PAC/Nw16PACFlyer1118.pdf, and the Application form at https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/nwrn.org/files/PAC/Nw16PACForm1118.pdf, with patients and care partners in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington that might be interested. Application forms are due to the Network by November 26, 2018.
Donate Life Northwest is dedicated to helping transplant candidates maintain hope while waiting for an available matching kidney. They offer training to volunteers for various situations. Their upcoming training, volunteering, and celebration schedule includes:
For more details, see https://mailchi.mp/donatelifenw.org/sharing-hope-this-summer. This web page also introduces their new Latino Outreach Coordinator, Donor stories in English and Spanish, winners of their recent raffle, and information on including Donate Life Northwest in your estate, insurance, or financial plans.
Recordings of the 43rd AAKP National Patient Meeting, held June 8-10, 2018 in St. Petersburg FL, are now available online, at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwT_eU7vwGtHSapN8PKc-Hw. Sessions include:
HealthInsight ESRD Network 18 will hold their 2018 Quality Conference July 16, 2018 in Los Angeles. Topics will include preserving renal function, emergency preparedness, cultural awareness and sensitivity, patient engagement and advocacy, the impact of dialysis, and CROWNWeb. Five CEs will be provided. Find details and register at http://www.esrdnetwork18.org/ or http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efdferr9f760399d&llr=gfuz7mxab.
CMS has contracted with UM-KECC to develop one or more measures related to the quality of care provided to ESRD dialysis patients by physicians, and is recruiting transplant and dialysis patients to serve on the Technical Expert Panel that will propose such measures. Nominations are due by January 5, 2018. For details see https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/MMS/TEP-Currently-Accepting-Nominations.html#001.
Network 16 is seeking volunteers – patients or care partners – to represent the Network on two national committees:
ESRD National Coordinating Center’s Patient and Family Engagement Learning & Action Network:
Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition (KCER): This is a national group devoted to improving emergency preparedness and response for kidney patients and ESRD facilities. This involves quarterly conference calls. Learn more about the Coalition at http://www.kcercoalition.com/. We need two patients from any Network state – Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington.
Anyone interested should email Lisa Hall at LHall@nw16.esrd.net or call 206-923-0714.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement will host a free 7 December, 2017 audio “WIHI” program on The (Careful and Kind) Patient Revolution., featuring the Mayo Clinic’s Victor Montori, MD. This Patient Revolution is “a movement based on stories. [It’s] mission is to arm people to tell stories; stories about their lives, stories about their capabilities and limitations, and stories about what risks, benefits and trade-offs look like from their point of view. We want people to tell these stories in exam rooms and hospital rooms, in their communities and in the rooms where decisions get made.” For more information and to register, see http://forms.ihi.org/next-wihi-on-december-7-at-2-pm-et-the-careful-and-kind-patient-revolution. For The (Careful and Kind) Patient Revolution website, see https://patientrevolution.org/whywerevolt/.
