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A Bi-Weekly Newsletter for Quality Insights Renal Network 4
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In This Issue
Network 4 Annual Council Meeting Presentation and Recording Now Available


alerts & recalls


Quick links


Welcome to the June 14 issue of the Quality Insights Renal Network 4 e-newsletter. In this issue, we bring you information about the Network 4 Council Meeting, patient education features, our quality improvement activities, upcoming events, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) updates, CROWNWeb updates, continuing education opportunities,  resources and much more. We encourage you to  contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions.  
FeedbackPlease provide us with your feedback on last month's Facility-LED PATIENT EDUCATION
Please take this short survey to let us know what you thought about last month's facility-led patient education topics
FeaturedEducation2FACILITY-LED PATIENT EDUCATION TOPIC OF THE MONTH: 
Access to Care
We will be providing a Network 4 Patient Education Sheet each month in 2018. These documents are also located on  our website. Please provide all of your patients with this education sheet this month.   Also, we ask that you please encourage your facility's Patient  Representatives to pass out this educational information as well. 
HepACDC Issues health advisory for hepatitis A Virus  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Advisory on Hepatitis A Virus infections, especially among drug users and homeless persons.  The HAN includes recommendations for testing, vaccination, reporting, and other healthcare facility procedures.  Learn more
 
CouncilMeetingPresnetwork council meeting presentation and recording now available  
In case you missed our Network 4 Council Meeting on June 6, the presentation slides and recording are now available on our website.  
 
SAVE"SAVE" program update  
Starting June 1, if you use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' (USCIS) SAVE (Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements) Program, you can no longer submit paper requests. You must make all requests in electronic format. 
SAVE provides a fast, secure and efficient service for federal, state and local benefit-granting agencies to verify a benefit applicant's immigration status.  Learn more
NewResource NEW RESOURCE: WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE HOME dialysis?  
Quality Insights Renal Network 4 recently completed a new educational outreach piece called Why Should I Choose Home Dialysis? This resource explores the benefits of peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis. Check out the new tri-fold brochure.  
 
QIAsQuality Improvement Activities (QIAs)

Increasing Patient Participation in network 4's quality improvement activities through Subject Matter Experts 
Many patients with kidney disease face barriers in completing the necessary steps required to be on the transplant waitlist. Studies show that peer support is effective. As a result, Network 4 - in consultation with its patient subject matter experts (SMEs) - is in the process of developing guidelines for a Patient Advocacy Initiative focused on improving the patient transplant waitlist status and home dialysis training initiations. Our goal is to build a pipeline of patients helping patients. Patient Advocates will be available for patient-to-patient sharing of experiences. The goal is to encourage/guide patients as they move through the processes of transplant evaluation and home therapy initiation. We currently have three SMEs partnering with four facilities.

"stitches of hope" campaign encourages getting on transplant waitlist 
One of Network 4's four Quality Improvement Activities (QIA) is focused on increasing the number of patients on the Transplant Waitlist and there are currently 100 Network 4 facilities participating. As a creative way to keep track of patients who are waitlisted during the project period, Network 4, in consultation with our patient/caregiver subject matter experts, is creating a "Stitches of Hope" quilt. Imagine if 100 facilities are able to assist at least 10 patients each to get on the transplant waitlist. We could exceed CMS' goal! One of our caregivers has drafted a design and will make the quilt. 

Featured Patient Testimonial: 
Houa's Story

Check out an inspirational story from Houa Yang, a caregiver for several family members who suffered from kidney disease. Houa knows the benefit of kidney transplant first hand through experience with her mother and siblings. Read Houa's story

Learn more about the "Stitches of Hope" quilt campaign.
EmergencyPreparednessEmergency Preparedness
Upcoming webinars from the american academy of pediatrics' children's hospitals and preparedness webinar series
At the end of June, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will be hosting the next two webinars in the Children's Hospitals and Preparedness Webinar Series. They are free and open to the public. Registration is required to receive the unique log-in and call-in details. AAP archives all webinars in the Children's Hospitals and Preparedness Webinar Series here for later viewing. More information on the webinars is available below.

Planning for Hospital Pediatric Surge: Solutions Within Reach 

Date/Time: Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 2:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. CT

Description: This free webinar will provide approaches for children's hospitals to consider when planning to manage a surge of pediatric patients, including the development of a written plan and steps that can be taken to exercise the plan, which will lead to improved preparedness for future events. The webinar will also touch on how emergency departments and hospitals could develop a pediatric surge plan and drill it to address CMS emergency preparedness rule requirements.
UpcomingEventsUpcoming Events
rsn announces 16th annual essay contest
The Renal Support Network's (RSN) Annual Patient Essay Contest provides an outstanding opportunity for people who have chronic kidney disease (CKD), including people on dialysis and kidney transplant recipients, to make a valuable contribution to society by expressing their ideas, views, and most importantly, hope. This year, the theme asks the writers to "Tell us about someone (Doctor, Nurse, Family member, Friend, Patient, Pet) who has inspired, encourage or educated you on how to live well with kidney disease."  All submissions must be written by someone who has been diagnosed with CKD.

Contest winners will receive cash prizes: 
  • First Place, $500
  • Second Place, $300
  • Third Place, $100

The submission deadline is August 10, 2018. Winners will be announced on September 20, 2018, and winning essays will be featured in RSN's new magazine Live & Give and on RSNHope.org. Learn more

NHSNUpdatesNHSN Updates

nhsn version 8.9 released
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) version 8.9 was released on April 28. Highlights of the changes to the Dialysis Event Component are included below. There were no changes made to the Healthcare Personnel Safety Modules.
  • Working Days Calculator for Denominators for Dialysis Event Surveillance Form - A new calculator has been created to help users determine the first two working days of the month when reporting Denominators for Dialysis Event Surveillance. Check it out

  • Dialysis rate tables and run charts have been updated with 2016 aggregate data. 
  • 'TAP Report - Bloodstream Infection (BSI) Data' has been renamed to 'Excess Infections - Bloodstream (BSI) Data' and updated to allow group users to view the number of excess infections grouped by summary year (summaryYr), summary quarter (summaryYQ), and summary half year (summaryYH).
  • Clinical Document Architecture (CDA): Dialysis summary for AKI location that contains all zeroes may be a valid entry or import. Note - CDA DE-summary is required to contain value for "# of patients for whom dialyzers are reused."
Required Dialysis Event Surveillance Training
CMS requires that at least one person from each outpatient dialysis facility that is eligible to report positive blood cultures (PBC), IV antibiotic starts, and pus, redness and swelling (PRS) to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) in 2018, complete the Annual NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Training. Eligible facilities include:
  • Facilities that provide in-center hemodialysis to at least 11 in-center hemodialysis patients
  • Facilities that have a CMS Certification date prior to January 1, 2018 

Learn more about eligibility.

Starting in 2018, Network 4 must verify, track, and report to CMS on a monthly basis the number of facilities completing this training for 2018. Please complete the following steps as soon as possible. 

  1. Complete the training and attestation no later than September 28.
  2. Print the certificate of completion. 
  3. Attest to completion of the training.

Dialysis Event Training/Re-training is available:  

Deadline extended for re-Consent Process
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces a deadline extension for completing the online National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Agreement to Participate and Consent form, referred to as the Consent in this announcement. The new deadline for completing the Consent, July 9, 2018 , applies to ALL facilities currently enrolled in NHSN regardless of their CMS participation. 

The reconsent is accessible to only the NHSN Facility Administrator or Primary Contact user. The new deadline provides additional time for each facility's NHSN Facility Administrator or Primary Contact to complete the online Consent and avoid any interruptions in access to the NHSN application, including access for purposes of submitting data to meet local, state, or federal reporting requirements. Please be informed that if the Consent is not completed by the new deadline, access to NHSN will be temporarily suspended. Additionally, users will receive an error message when they attempt to log into NHSN redirecting them to the Facility Administrator or Primary Contact.

NHSN is pleased to assist with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the Consent process. Learn more on how to complete the NHSN Agreement to Participate and Consent process. You may also direct questions to NHSN@cdc.gov.
CMSUpdatesCMS Updates
Patient experience of care lan materials now available
On May 2, 2018, CMS held a Patient Experience of Care (PEOC) LAN event.  This event discussed how to use Learning and Action Network s (LANs) and the use of the Patient Grievance Toolkit.  View the recording for this event. Presentation slides are also now available.  
May 2018 CROWNWEb Newsletter now available
The May 2018 edition of the CROWNWeb Newsletter is now available online. The CROWNWeb Newsletter focuses on user-specific topics, such as training, account management, use of the CROWNWeb system, and tips and tricks, as well as key technical aspects of CROWNWeb.

This month's featured stories include:
  • CROWNWeb: 5 Years Strong
  • EQRS 1.2 - CROWNWeb Enhancements
  • CROWNWeb New User Training
  • Clinical Closures
CEUOppsEducation and CEU Opportunities
Advanced Renal Education
This educational site provides CEU credits for anyone who completes a course. Register to gain access and complete a course.
American Kidney Fund
The American Kidney Fund offers several online courses that provide free CEs for health care professionals. Learn more
Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
The Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality is now offering short, interactive samples of courses to get a feel for how it creates engaging learning experiences that are relevant and applicable to your work improving patient safety. Samples are now available for the following cours es:
  • Patient Safety Certificate Program
  • Human Factors for Patient Safety
  • Becoming a Patient Safety Hero
  • Foundations of CUSP
These samples will work on mobile devices; however, for the best experience use on a laptop or desktop computer. Browse the course catalog for details on all courses, including continuing education credits, learning objectives and costs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Program
CDC's Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) program will present on July 11, 2018 a free continuing-education webinar on Messages and Audiences that will provide guidance on how to understand your audience(s) in an emergency, adapt messaging to reach and promote action in different audience segments, and how to use facts to build credibility and trust.  Learn more

Tune In for Safe Healthcare Webinar Series
The CDC has new free continuing education opportunities available through its Tune In for Safe Healthcare webinar series. Webinars include: 
  • Empowering Nurses to Protect Themselves and Their Patients: The Importance of Collaboration between Nurses and Environmental Services
  • Infections in Dialysis Centers: Understanding what Matters to Patients
  • Empowering Nurses for Early Sepsis Recognition
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and Medscape
CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) presents a FREE continuing education activity on the following topic:
  • Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults

In support of improving patient care, Medscape, LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. If you are not a registered user on Medscape, please register for free or login without a password and get unlimited access to all continuing education activities and other Medscape features.

renal physicians association e-Learning portal offers new course
The Renal Physicians Association (RPA) has an eLearning portal that offers a wide variety of courses. The newest course, 2018 Fundamentals of Nephrology Coding and Billing, is now available online. This course will provide a better understanding of the federal and regulatory requirements for proper nephrology coding, billing and documentation. 
ESRDResourcesESRD Resources
Latest edition of KCER Watch is Now Available  
The  May 2018 issue of KCER Watch , the monthly environmental scan that provides timely and pertinent information related to emergency preparedness, is now available. The goal of KCER Watch is to facilitate the exchange of information, sharing of resources, and advancement of knowledge and expertise among ESRD and emergency management stakeholders.
cdc "Get ahead of Sepsis" resources now available in spanish  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that its free Get Ahead of Sepsis fact sheets and brochures for patients and families are now available for download in Spanish. 

Sepsis is a medical emergency. Do you know how to protect yourself, your family, and your patients from sepsis? Our new Spanish-language materials help patients and their loved ones learn the risks, spot the signs and symptoms, and ACT FAST if they suspect sepsis. Start a conversation about how to Get Ahead of Sepsis today. To learn more about sepsis and how to prevent infections, review the new Spanish resources. English versions are available here
dialysis patient depression toolkit now available  
The Forum's Kidney Patient Advisory Council (KPAC) is pleased to announce  the release of the Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit.  Like the Grievance Toolkit, the Depression Toolkit was written BY PATIENTS and FOR PATIENTS. However, with the increasing focus on depression screening and follow-up, we feel this will be an invaluable tool for facilities and care-providers as well.  Daniel Cukor, Ph.D., generously donated his time, energy, and expertise to assist the KPAC in the development of this toolkit.  ESRD Networks and the Forum's Medical Advisory Council (MAC) also provided help and support. View and/or download the toolkit .
rsn podcast on resilience now available  
The Renal Support Network (RSN) has published a podcast on A Prescription for Resilience, including insights on getting past feelings of despair and hopelessness.  Listen to the podcast
Check out the ESRD NCC Information Exchange
The ESRD Network Coordinating Center (NCC) provides centralized coordination and support for the Medicare ESRD Network program. Each month, the ESRD NCC distributes an e-newsletter, known as the Information Exchange, that compiles the most important information from numerous ListServs and publications related to renal health. To sign up to receive this informative newsletter, please contact the ESRD NCC at ncc@ncc.esrd.net or visit the ESRD NCC website

 
Executive Director
Quality Improvement Director
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Patient Services Coordinator
Data Manager
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610 Freedom Business Center,  
Suite 102 
King of Prussia, PA 19406 
(610) 265-2418 
(800) 548-9205 (patients only) 
(610) 783-0374 (fax) 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This bi-weekly e-newsletter will serve as our primary method of communicating important news and updates. We encourage you to visit our Web site for the most up-to-date information or to contact us with questions, comments or suggestions.
 
This material was prepared by Quality Insights Renal Network 4 under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

Publication No. ESRD4-061418