In This Issue
  • Network Board and Committees: Call for Nominations
  • Diabetes Self - Management
  • Welcome to Medicare Physical: A Chance to Coordinate Care
  • Emergency Drills: Table Top Exercise
  • KCER Alerts and Recall
  • ESRD QIP: NHSN Deadline and Data Quality Checks
  • CROWNWeb Missing Data: How to Check Your Facility's Status
Network Boards and Committees: Call for Nominations
Network staff members rely on the end stage renal disease community for guidance on initiatives and goals. To ensure adequate representation of community members in Network activities, the Network is seeking individuals to serve on boards and committees. 
 
For more information on the roles, responsibilities, and time commitments involved, please visit http://network6.esrd.ipro.org/home/about/who-we-are/ or contact the Network at info@nw6.esrd.net

If you are interested in participating on a board or committee, please complete the nomination form by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NW6Nominations .

Network Boards/Committees:
  • The ESRD Divisional Board (DB) and Medical Review Board (MRB) are staffed by renal professionals and patients qualified to evaluate the quality and appropriateness of care delivered to ESRD patients. The DB is responsible for the oversight and management of the Network and serves as an expert panel that analyzes and advises the IPRO Board of Directors on quality improvement activities (QIAs) and policies and procedures for the ESRD Network Program. The MRB advises the DB on QIAs and guides the development, implementation, and evaluation of Network projects.
  • The Patient Advisory Committee (PAC) ·    comprises ESRD patients and caregivers who meet bi-monthly and assist in identifying and addressing barriers to obtaining quality healthcare from the perspective of ESRD patients. The PAC supports Network activities by assisting with the development of educational materials for patients and providing feedback on the effectiveness of beneficiary-related activities. 
  • The Network Grievance Committee is an advisory panel to the DB, composed of nephrology physicians, nurses, social workers and patient representatives. The committee meets quarterly to review trends and advise on strategies to support facilities and patients in preventing and resolving grievances in accordance with CMS procedures and Network policies. 
Quality Improvement
Assisting the Dialysis Patient with Diabetes Self-Management
According to the United States Renal Disease (ESRD) Incident and Prevalent Quarterly Update, 37% of patients with ESRD have diabetes. The common measurement to assess prediabetes and type 2 diabetes is the A1C test or the hemoglobin A1C test. The higher the glucose level in the bloodstream, the more glucose will attach to the hemoglobin. The A1C test reflects the average blood glucose levels over the past three months. (1)
 
Diet plays a very big role in controlling both diabetes and kidney disease; however, it can be a challenge for individuals who have these chronic conditions to follow the recommended diet.
 
The goal of diabetes self-management is to provide patients with knowledge and strategies to better manage their diets, with a clinical goal of maintaining an A1C of 5.7% or lower.  The Dialysis Patient Citizens Education Center is a resource that can provide your patients with suggestions for ways to successfully manage their diets to control their blood sugar and renal disease. This site provides diets and grocery lists to assist patients in controlling intake of restricted foods including those foods high in carbohydrate and sugar content-an essential part of diabetes self-management. (2)
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Patient Services
"Welcome to Medicare" a Chance to Coordinate Care
CMS color logo
If you have patients who are new to Medicare, encourage them to schedule their “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. This is a FREE comprehensive screening that will ensure

  • A record and evaluation of their medical and family history, current health conditions, and prescriptions.
  • Baseline measures of blood pressure, vision, weight, and height.
  • Review of preventive screenings and services, like cancer screenings and immunizations.
  • Ordering of additional tests, if needed, depending on their general health and medical history.

After the visit, the doctor will give them a plan or checklist outlining free screenings and preventive services that they need.

By collaborating with the physician/practice that performs the comprehensive review of the patient’s health status, the medical team at the dialysis clinic can be assured that the patient has an established resource for healthcare issues that are not specifically related to ESRD. This is a great opportunity to coordinate care for essential services like immunizations, diabetes management and cardiac related issues, just to name a few.

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Tabletop Exercises Help Dialysis Facilities Complete CMS Emergency Preparedness Final Rule Requirement
The Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) website has resources to help dialysis facilities complete a facility-based tabletop exercise to satisfy part of the exercise requirement of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Emergency Preparedness Final Rule. A tabletop exercise is a group discussion led by a facilitator, during which the participants discuss the actions they would take in a simulated emergency. The exercise provides an opportunity to test an emergency plan in an informal, low stress environment. Click here to review the documents. 
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KCER Alerts and Recalls
  • Click here for up-to-date KCER Alerts and Recalls.
  • For professional and patient KCER resources, please click here
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Data Management
The CMS ESRD QIP NHSN Reporting Measure Deadline and Data Quality Checks
Reporting to NHSN for the CMS ESRD QIP rule:
Facilities must follow NHSN Dialysis Event Surveillance Protocol and Reporting for calendar year 2018 (payment year 2020) for compliance with the ESRD QIP. The quarterly reporting deadline for April – June 2018 data is on or before September 30, 2018.

Data Quality Checks: 
NHSN should be completely and accurately reported according to the Dialysis Event Protocol. Determining whether or not the data are correct is your facility’s responsibility. Data quality checks should be performed before the data submission deadline for the quarter. For example, for April to June data, quality checks should be performed by September 30. For more information on how to perform data quality checks, please go to  https://iproesrdnetwork.freshdesk.com/solution/articles/9000153404-how-to-perform-data-quality-checks-
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Monitor Missing Data in CROWNWeb for your Facility
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published “ Data Management Guidelines ” for data submission in CROWNWeb. They have also set up data quality goals for 2017-2018. Please click here to see the goals set by the CMS. 
The CROWNWeb facility dashboard provides easy identification of missing data.  

Once a user logs in to CROWNWeb, the facility dashboard can be seen by entering facility CCN in the search box.  The facility dashboard provides direct access to a comprehensive list of items requiring submission in CROWNWeb. It is important that facility administrators, medical directors and nurse managers look at the dashboard on monthly basis to ensure data are submitted according to CMS requirements. This is an easy way to monitor data submission.   
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I IPRO ESRD Network of the South Atlantic
909 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300, Morrisville, NC 27560
PH 919-463-4500 · FAX 919-388-9637
TOLL FREE 800-524-7139

IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease Network of the South Atlantic, the ESRD Organization for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, prepared this material 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. CMS Contract Number: HHSM-500-2016-00006C.