News You Need
April is Donate Life Month!
NCC Quickinars
To show your support, please do the following:
  • Wear blue and green for Blue and Green Day, Friday April 17!
  • Take a selfie or have someone take a picture of you in your blue and green
  • Send your candid photos to ESRDNetwork12@qsource.org
  • Think of a short statement for why everyone should support organ donation (especially kidneys!).
  • Upload your picture and short statement to social media using #bluegreenday and tag @ESRDNetwork12
  • Have fun with your posts
The End-Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC) is offering 30-m inute events, known as "quickinars", that fea tu re professional and patient subject matter experts from around the country. They share how they or their organizations are coping with and combating COVID-19 in their areas of practice. To view upcoming quickinars or catch up on any that you missed, please visit the ESRD NCC website .
Staying Up to Date with COVID-19

Information about COVID-19 virus is changing quickly! To stay up to date, please take direction from your corporate office on changing procedures and precautions. NEW CDC guidance for dialysis facilities is now available. Please visit ESRD Network 12's COVID-19 resource page . Also, frequently visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website as well as the American Society of Nephrology .
We’re Hiring!
Quality Improvement Manager
(RN required, ESRD experience preferred)
 
The Quality Improvement Manager directs, coordinates, develops, implements, and evaluates Network quality improvement activity (QIA) projects for dialysis facilities in the Network 12 region. Apply here .
Upcoming Network Events
NPR Connection Calls

Upcoming Dates:
May 14 and 15
Topic: My Life: Prevention Saves Lives

June 11 and 12
Topic: My Life: Coping and Depression

July 9 and 19
Topic: My Choices: Home Options

August 13 and 14
My Life: Work and Play

Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
The goal of the Network Patient Representative (NPR) Connection Call is to provide an opportunity for NPRs to connect to the Network and each other, share ideas and learn what they can do at their clinic to improve the patient experience.

We focus on upcoming topic according to the 2020 Patient Engagement Calendar so NPRs can work with their clinic staff to create a patient engagement activity educating patients on the topic. 
For audio, you will need to also call-in using the following information:

Phone:   1-866-899-4679
Access Code:   554-197-389#
Webinar ID: 554197389
Third Annual Transplant Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska
*Postponed - Date to be Announced
Other Events
ESRD NCC LAN Call Series
The End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center Quality Improvement Activity Learning and Action Networks (ESRD NCC QIA LANs) hosts a series of calls based on topics of the CMS Quality Improvement Activities (QIAs).

ALL ESRD facilities are invited to these meetings because improving the lives of dialysis patients in these areas is a global goal. Please also share these calls with your patients.  

Upcoming Calls:
May 5 | Bloodstream Infection (BSI)
May 12 | Home
May 19 | Transplant

Registration information for these calls will be available at a later date.

To view recordings for past calls, visit the NCC website .
CKD Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO)

When: 1st and 3rd Thursdays 12-1 p.m.

ECHO uses videoconferencing to connect an interdisciplinary team of experts with primary care providers. They collaborate in interactive case-based learning sessions to help primary care providers develop advanced skills and best practices .
Patient Engagement
Topic of the Month
As part of the Network’s efforts to support facility level patient engagement, each month we provide a “Topic of the Month” sheet for the upcoming monthly topic.

2020 Patient Engagement Calendar - Modified April 1!
In recognition of Donate Life month, April’s “Be Active in your Care” patient engagement topic is “My Choices: Talk Transplant” and the Patient Engagement Action for staff to encourage is: Learn about the benefits of kidney transplant.
The Topic of the Month for May is “My Life: Prevention Saves Lives” We encourage you to review the resources and activities on the “ My Life: Prevention Saves Lives ” topic of the month sheet to identify resources to share with your patients about infection prevention strategies including dealing with COVID-19.
Patient Engagement in Action
Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
During our NPR call in March, Doug Carrell shared about the activities he is involved in at his clinic in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Doug does rounds with patients, checking in with them and sharing with staff when any concerns come up that need to be addressed. Recently, his clinic started a quarterly newsletter to share information with patients. The newsletter includes articles that spotlight a patient and a staff member, provides a renal friendly recipe and resources that may helpful. Thank you to DaVita Scottsbluff for sharing their first edition with us and to Doug for all their hard work!!! Check out their first edition .
With the COVID-19 guidelines Doug has not been doing rounds but he continues to talk with the team about the needs of patients. The newsletter is a great way to continue their patient engagement activities and limit social interactions.
If you have something you’d like to share about what’s happening at your dialysis clinic, please reach out by email or your clinic can send in a report .
Resource Highlights
On Demand Webinar
Understanding the ESRD CfCs Related to Involuntary Discharge
The Network posted an on-demand version of the webinar planned for March 26, in recognition of the immediate needs of staff to address COVID-19. The webinar provides an overview of the ESRD Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) related to involuntary discharge and transfers (IVD/IVT), the sanctioned reasons for an IVD/IVT; the steps to take to address patients who are at-risk for an involuntary discharge/transfer and the actions required if/when an involuntary discharge/transfer occurs. We encourage you to reach out to the Network for guidance if/when you have a patient that may be at-risk for an involuntary discharge at 816-880-9990 .


Visit our website for additional resources related to Access to Care issues. 
The Kidney Hub-Mobile Patient Tool
The ESRD NCC is pleased to announce the availability of TheKidneyHub.org , a new mobile-friendly tool that features important information and alerts, as well as links to patient-developed resources that can help kidney patients live their best lives. This new Web Tool can be accessed by visiting www.TheKidneyHub.org in your smart phone browser.
Quality Improvement Corner
New Quality Improvement Activity (QIA) Resource Hub
New this year is a central Quality Improvement Activity Hub . This page contains information, resources, and reporting links on activities that facilities are engaged in during the 2020 calendar year. In addition to including general education topics (like the Network Council / QIA Project Launch webinar), we included a way for facilities to manage their monthly feedback reports by accessing summary data in real time out of Survey Monkey. We hope that you find this 'one stop shop' easy to use and helpful.
Bulletin Board Ideas for Your BSI and Transplant QIA! 
In partnership with our Patient Advisory Council, we have created a "bulletin board kit" centered around specific Quality Improvement Activities. The "kit" provides graphics and information that can be printed out and posted to a patient education board. You and your Network Patient Representatives can add additional creative touches to really help make the message "come alive" for your unit.
Data News You Can Use
Update Your Personnel in CROWNWeb

Help us to stay in touch with your key staff members by ensuring that they are listed in the Personnel Section of CROWNWeb along with their email address.
We distribute a report every month listing “Active” CROWNWeb Personnel to make it easy for you to take a quick glance to see if all contacts are current. It is your responsibility to keep all data current in CROWNWeb.
REMEMBER: NHSN Data Deadlines
NHSN is the nation’s most widely used healthcare-associated infection tracking system. NHSN provides facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data needed to identify problem areas, measure the progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections. Contact the NHSN Helpdesk   with any questions.

2020 NHSN Data Deadlines
  • Q1 (Jan.-March 2020): June 30
  • Q2 (April-June 2020): Sept. 30
  • Q3 (Jul.-Sept. 2020): Dec. 31
  • Q4 (Oct.-Dec. 2020): March 31, 2021
Facilities should:

 Contact the NHSN Helpdesk ( nhsn@cdc.gov , subject line ‘Dialysis’) with any questions.

Recalls and Safety Alerts
This resource was developed while under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Contract #HHSM-500-2016-00012C. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 20.Q-ESRD12.03.020