In 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the quality oversight contracts for ESRD Networks that would last a period of five years ending 11/30/20. In the past, when contracts are set to be re-evaluated, a process begins 4 months before the contract ends to coordinate contractors for the next period of contract work. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS was unable to undertake that process this past June and in November opted to extend the ESRD Network contracts until 2/28/21. In January, CMS notified the ESRD Networks that an additional extension was needed until 4/30/2021 to finalize contract awards. 

This two-month extension has added some new work, as well as applied additional changes to the work with a focus on keeping ESRD facility burden low while still targeting important health and quality of life outcomes for ESRD patients. This two-month extension will also mean that the current Facility Agreement of Participation previously signed with the ESRD Network will remain valid until 4/30/21. Please save the Letter to Dialysis Facility Leadership with your current executed copy of the Network/Facility Agreement of Participation to document the revised end date. 

Each month the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program hosts the Work Incentives Seminar Event (WISE), which are free webinars on vocational rehabilitation services for eligible populations. They are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Past WISE webinars can be accessed On Demand. The next webinar is:

Title: Expanding Your Job Search with Ticket to Work

Date: 02/24/2021

Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Registration: https://choosework.ssa.gov/wise

Patients may be eligible for additional benefits even if they receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The Home Dialysis Central article, Working on Home Dialysis: What Dialysis Staff Should Know, outlines potential opportunities for patients of all modalities. Additional information and resources about vocational rehabilitation can be found on the IPRO ESRD Network Program website at https://esrd.ipro.org/patients-family/patient-education/vocational-rehab/.

Mental Health America (MHA) released a new report “Creating Better Care for Adults with Comorbid Chronic Conditions,” which explores the experiences of adults with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions and provides recommendations for providers to address barriers to initiating treatment, improve patient engagement, and create better care. As a result of these findings, they have created a five page worksheet to assist patients when discussing their mental health concerns.

The Network has created resources to educate the ESRD community on an anonymous grievance process. In the month of January 2021, the Network released a resource “A Guide for Dialysis Facilities, Grievance Process Questions & Answers”. The Network created a grievance resource that is to be shared with patients, “Grievance Process Guide: A guide for Patients and Families”. You can access these materials by visiting our website at https://esrd.ipro.org/patients-family/grievances-concerns/. Additionally, the grievance posters (in both English and Spanish) that have been provided in the past must be displayed in your facility in an area that is accessible to all patients and visitors. If your facility does not have the Speak Up! posters, please contact the Network to request copies. The resources are to help support dialysis providers with understanding the anonymous grievance process, and ensure that all patients, family members, and care partners are aware of how to file a grievance internally at the facility, with the Network, and/or with the State Department of Health Services (DHS).

The ESRD National Coordinating Center (NCC) just released new resources to help facility staff engage and include patients in their care. As a reminder, facilities should be inviting patient representatives to participate in QAPI meetings and actively including them in continuing planning of their dialysis care. These resources can help!

Please reach out to the Patient and Family Engagement Team at the IPRO ESRD Network should you need any assistance with ideas or strategies for engaging patients in care planning and QAPI. Learn more about our patient and family engagement program at our website here: https://esrd.ipro.org/patients-family/pfe/

Download and print the Trailblazing Towards Transplant: A Transplant Patient Peer Program Guide for more information on the Peer Mentoring process.

The IPRO ESRD Network Program hosted a webinar COVID-19 Vaccine: Facts Over Fiction, on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 to provide education, credible resources, and tips to to have transparent fact based discussions regarding the COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. Please review and share the webinar slides and recording with facility staff. The facts presented in this program will help dispel many of the myths associated with the vaccine and provide resources to bolster understanding and acceptance.

The Universal Staff Education is a 3-module educational resource for in-center dialysis staff to increase their knowledge and confidence in educating patients for home dialysis. Each module takes about 30 minutes to complete, and it offers 1.5 CEU for CCHT, RN, RD and SW. Facility staff must log-in by submitting their name, job title, facility name and email address to gain access to the modules. At the end of module 3, a link to a quiz will be available in order to gain access to the CEU certificate. 

NOTE: When submitting a request to the Network, you should NEVER include any patient-specific information such as Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number, Medicare Claim Number, etc. The only patient identifier that can safely be communicated is the Unique Patient Identifier (UPI) from CROWNWeb.

For more information, please visit the Network website.