In This December 2020 Issue Share the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Flu Communication Toolkit National Influenza Vaccination Week—It’s Not Too Late for a Flu Vaccine Overcoming COVID-19 Screening Fatigue Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands Share the New ESRD Patient Orientation Packet Resource Share These Posters—Your Patients May Feel Better ESRD National Coordinating Center (NCC) Patient Grant Library Rated a Thumbs Up Coming Soon—ESRD NCC Resources Under Development Mark Your Calendar Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER): Preparing for a Winter Storm

Patient and Family Engagement

Share the ESRD Flu Communication Toolkit With the flu season coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging Americans to get a flu shot to help protect themselves and their communities. In support of the CDC, the ESRD NCC has developed a communications toolkit for Networks, providers, and anyone else communicating to the ESRD community. Visit www.esrdncc.org/flu. Dialysis patients, transplant recipients, people with chronic health conditions, and healthcare workers are all high-risk populations for flu complications, including hospitalization and death. The ESRD Flu Communications Toolkit contains social media messages, images, flu facts, and available resources to encourage patients, families, and healthcare professionals to get a flu shot this flu season.

National Influenza Vaccination Week It’s Not Too Late for a Flu Vaccine December 6–12, 2020 December 6–12 is a good time to use the resources in the ESRD NCC Flu Communications Toolkit to educate your community about the importance of the flu vaccine. After all, the second week in December is recognized as National Influenza Vaccination Week. In addition to washing your hands, social distancing, wearing a mask, and staying home from work or school when sick, getting your annual flu shot is the best thing you ​can do to protect yourself and others.  Maintaining routine vaccinations can help prevent illnesses, reduce stress on the healthcare system, and protect at-risk and vulnerable populations during the pandemic. While a seasonal flu shot will not prevent COVID-19, it may reduce the risk to you and your loved ones from becoming seriously ill with the flu.

Source: CDC

Overcoming COVID-19 Screening Fatigue We now have tools to help patients stay engaged in their care during the COVID-19 screening process. For healthcare professionals, the Tips to Overcoming COVID-19 Screening Fatigue was created to help you engage patients through the COVID-19 screening process. The patient resource, What is COVID-19 Screening Fatigue? explains what screening fatigue is in simple terms. Both resources are geared to help patients overcome COVID-19 screening fatigue, help identify patients' potential exposure to COVID-19, and improve responses with COVID-19 screenings. The ESRD NCC thanks the ESRD Networks involved in the creation of these resources: Comagine Health ESRD Networks 16 and 18, and HSAG ESRD Networks 7, 15, and 17.

Keep Calm and Wash Your Hands Dialysis providers are encouraged to use the ESRD NCC Clean Hands Count resources to bring awareness to the importance of clean hands during National Handwashing Awareness Week. National Handwashing Awareness Week is observed December 6–12 and is dedicated to helping people remain healthy one handwashing at a time. The Clean Hands Count campaign materials includes one-page handouts, posters, brochures, and an interactive video tutorial. The resources are available in English and Spanish.

Share the New ESRD Patient Orientation Packet (NEPOP) Resource The ESRD NCC has made it easy for you to share resources with new dialysis patients. Simply download the NEPOP informational mailing resource. The handout was created to give recent dialysis patients quick access to kidney care information that could impact their quality of health. Existing patients may also find it useful.  Covering important information on the patient mobile tool, home dialysis, and transplant in an easy-to-understand way, we urge you to use and share this new handout in your service area.

Share These Posters—Your Patients May Feel Better Inspirational Quotes Check out the ESRD NCC inspirational quote posters. These evidence-inspired quotes are 12” x 18” printable posters in PDF format. These posters share brief messages focused on psychological and physical health, emergency preparedness, and COVID-19 guidance intended to motivate and inspire dialysis patients and professionals. Download a set of posters here: https://esrdncc.org/en/professionals/inspirational-posters/

ESRD Patient Grant Library "This is a definite must for the kidney community,” said Lonnie Green (shown at right), in-center hemodialysis user and Patient Subject Matter Expert for IPRO ESRD Network of the South Atlantic Network 6. “I have already found several resources on this site that I can use for projects I have in mind. It's a complete thumbs up.” The ESRD NCC Patient Grant Library offers information on funding sources to support ideas for education, advocacy, and/or helping others living with kidney disease. Share the www.esrdncc.org/patientgrantlibrary with the patients in your Network service area today.

Coming Soon―ESRD NCC Resources Under Development Here are a few items we are creating for you: Exploring the Immediate and Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Living in a COVID-19 Environment: Mental Health Support for Kidney Disease Patients & Caregivers What You Should Know About COVID-19 Vaccine Planning

Mark Your Calendar

December 1, World AIDS Day World AIDS Day takes place on December 1. People around the world unite to show support for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to remember those who have died from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related illnesses. There are loads of ways to get involved: in your workplace, online, or in any other setting. Visit the World AIDS Day website to learn more.   December 6–12, National Influenza Vaccination Week National Influenza Vaccination Week provides an opportunity for public health professionals, healthcare professionals, communities, and families from across the country to work together to promote flu vaccination. Flu seasons are unpredictable and can begin early in the fall and last late into the spring. By focusing on one week in early December, partners can bring together resources and reach people before flu season swings into full gear. Visit the CDC website to learn more. December 6–12, National Handwashing Awareness Week Making a habit of good hand hygiene is an easy, effective way to prevent infections and sicknesses. During this health observance, download and share the ESRD NCC Clean Hands resources. They are available in English and Spanish.

Preparing for a Winter Storm During extremely cold weather or winter storms, staying warm and safe can be a challenge. Winter storms can bring cold temperatures, power failures, loss of communication services, and icy roads. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, you should know how to prepare your home and your car before a winter storm hits. Visit https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/index.html to learn how to prepare for winter storms, prevent cold temperature-related health problems, and protect yourself during all stages of a winter storm.

Source: CDC. Infographic: Be Ready! Winter Weather. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/infographics/br-winter.htm. Accessed on November 30, 2020.

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This material was prepared the End Stage Renal Disease National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC) contractor, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy nor imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. FL-ESRD NCC-7N51TB-11302020-01