In This Issue
- Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Kidney Community Resources
- COVID-19 "Quickinar" Educational Events
- COVID-19 Peer Mentor Support
- Clean Hands Count―Helping Patients Prevent the Spread of Infection
- Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Program Assists Patients During the COVID-19 Outbreak
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COVID-19 Kidney Community Resources
COVID-19 pandemic is bringing individuals, communities, and national health organizations together to slow the spread of the virus and take care of those affected. Through collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the KCER Program, ESRD Networks, and kidney patient and professional advocacy groups, the ESRD NCC is sharing critical information and resources about the virus and its potential transmission to kidney patients, their families, and renal healthcare professionals. The ESRD NCC thanks the ESRD Networks and kidney health organizations for sharing and allowing the adaptation of their resources. Patients and providers are encouraged to visit the ESRD NCC website,
www.kidneyCOVIDinfocenter.com
, for helpful information. Below are a few essential COVID-19-related resources you may find helpful:
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COVID-19 "Quickinar" Educational Events
The ESRD NCC is hosting a series of Quickinar events (short webinars) to support ongoing education and dissemination of information on COVID-19. Quickinars are 30-minute virtual discussions that feature professional and patient subject matter experts from around the country sharing how they or their organizations are coping with and combating COVID-19.
Professional Quickinars
Patient Quickinars
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Patient and Family Engagement
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COVID-19 Peer Mentor Support
The COVID-19 outbreak can be anxiety-provoking for kidney patients and family members. One way to help patients alleviate some of the stress is to connect them to a peer mentor group or kidney patient support group. The ESRD NCC has compiled a list of peer mentoring and support programs currently available in the renal community. Visit
https://esrdncc.org/en/patients/peer-mentoring-resources/
t
o find peer mentor resources. The NCC is developing a peer mentoring educational program available nationwide
―
more information will be shared soon!
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Clean Hands Count
―
Helping Patients Prevent the Spread of Infections
ESRD patients are at an especially high risk for
infection. To help patients reduce their risk of developing an infection, the ESRD National Patient and family Engagement-Learning and Action Network (NPFE-LAN) has adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Clean Hands Count campaign
.
These resources, available in English and Spanish, can be downloaded from the ESRD NCC website. The NPFE-LAN also revised the
Test Your Knowledge Tutorial
, an interactive learning module designed to increase knowledge of proper hand hygiene and demonstrate proper hand washing techniques in a dialysis
facility setting. The tutorial is mobile-friendly and can be shared through text messaging. It will soon be available in Spanish—stay tuned!
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May 5, World Hand Hygiene Day
World Hand Hygiene Day takes place on May 5, 2020. The day is declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) and encourages patients and their family members to join health workers in their efforts to practice good hand hygiene. This year’s World Hand Hygiene Day is more significant as people from around the world work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The WHO says regularly and thoroughly cleaning hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/campaign/
May 3
–
9, National Hurricane Preparedness Week
The threats from hurricanes to you and your family can vary widely depending on where you live. It is not just those along the coast who can experience significant, life-threatening impacts. Take some time this week
—
Hurricane Preparedness Week
—
to evaluate what you need to do to protect your home and family now, before the first storm of the season even forms.
hurricanes.gov/prepare
May 6
–
12, National Nurses Week
National Nurses Week
begins each year on May 6 and ends on May 12, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. It features a host of events across the U.S. to honor nurses for the work they do and educates the public about nurses’ roles in healthcare. Each week is dedicated to specific topics affecting nurses' lives, detailed at the American Nurses Credentialing Center
You Make A Difference
webpage.
May 10
–
16, National Women’s Health Week
May 19, Hepatitis Testing Day
Millions of Americans have chronic viral hepatitis and most do not know that they are infected. Hepatitis Testing Day is an opportunity to remind healthcare providers and the public who should be tested for viral hepatitis. Visit the CDC
Learn the ABCs of Viral Hepatitis
webpage
to learn more.
May 31, World No Tobacco Day
May 31 is World No Tobacco Day. The event is intended to highlight the health risks associated with tobacco use. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the harmful and deadly effects of second-hand smoke exposure and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. Visit the
WHO
website to learn more.
June 1–30,
C
ataract Awareness Month
June is Cataract Awareness month. According to
Prevent Blindness
, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness among older adults in the United States. Learn about the risks, symptoms, and treatments for cataracts at the
Prevent Blindness
website.
June 1–30, National Safety Month
National Safety Month uses weekly themes to raise awareness about different safety topics and focuses on saving lives and preventing injuries, from the workplace to anyplace. Visit the
National Safety Council
website to learn more and to find resources that support the sharing of safety messages.
June 1
–
30, Men’s Health Month
The purpose of
Men’s Health Month
is to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Visit
Mens Health Network
to learn more.
June 14, World Blood Donor Day
This day is held to celebrate voluntary, unpaid blood donors and to raise awareness of the need for regular blood donations. The goal is to encourage more people all over the world to become donors and to donate regularly. Visit the
WHO
website to learn more about blood donation and obtain materials for promoting the day. There is an urgent need for blood donations due to COVID-19. If you would like to give blood, make an appointment today by visiting
www.redcrossblood.org
.
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KCER Program Assists Patients During the COVID-19 Outbreak
The KCER Program, under contract with CMS, provides assistance to patients, ESRD Networks, dialysis and transplant providers, and other groups to ensure timely and efficient disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for the kidney community.
Of course, dialysis patients should
not
stop their treatments during the COVID-19 outbreak. To help ensure dialysis and transplant patients stay safe and continue their life-saving treatments, the KCER Program works with CMS, the CDC, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS ASPR), and other federal and national partners to address concerns and mitigate unmet needs in the renal community.
KCER created a COVID-19 resource page, which includes a toll-free patient line, provider contact numbers, and a link to the ESRD NCC COVID-19 patient-specific resources. Find the KCER COVID-19 resource page here:
https://www.kcercoalition.com/en/covid-19/
and provide feedback and additional resources for consideration!
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Don’t forget to ‘
Like’
the ESRD NCC on Facebook.
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‘
Follow
’ us @ESRDNCC on Twitter.
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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-7N56TD-04272020-01
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