December 2019 View as Webpage

News You Need

Register TODAY for the 2020 Network Council Meeting: #DrivingChangeTogether Join Network 12 as we Drive Change Together and Focus on 2020! We will be talking about the 2020 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiatives and Quality Improvement Activities that will affect your facility and patients.

Register Today

Annual Grievance Definition Notification As Qsource ESRD Network 12 begins our next contract year, we would like to provide facilities with a review of the Network’s and Dialysis Facilities’ roles regarding grievances, the definition of grievance provided by CMS, as well as several action steps that can be taken to assist facilities in meeting the requirements of CMS as per the Network Scope of Work. View the memo by clicking on the link below for further information and action steps to be taken. Read the Memo The Qsource ESRD Network 12 2020 Board Elections are now open for voting! Click here to vote! Read the content and submit no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 18. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Ulm . Don’t Forget…Email Address Change! Please note that our email addresses will be changing soon. We will no longer have our @nw12.esrd.net email extensions. See a list of the new addresses .

The 2020 Patient Engagement Calendar now available! As part of the Network’s efforts to support facility level patient engagement, we will continue to provide the “Be Active in Your Care” Patient Engagement Calendar. The calendar was developed to help facilities with meeting the educational requirements and encouraging patients to take an active role in their care. Read more and download the calendar.

New Resources For Patients, By Patients

Financial Help Resources Written by members of the Forum's Kidney Patient Advisory Council (KPAC), this new booklet was designed specifically for kidney patients. KPAC members share their perspectives about some of the financial challenges they have faced and how they managed them. The booklet also contains a list of helpful resources and links, plus guidance on where to go for help and support.

Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit This brochure provides a brief overview of the contents of the Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit and information about how to access the full Toolkit from the Forum website.   Attention Dialysis Facilities: Print and share this brochure with your patients! KPAC members strongly urge the brochure be printed in color.

Upcoming Network Events

Network Council Meeting: #DrivingChangeTogether Date: Wednesday, Jan. 8 Time: 1-2 p.m. CT  Register Today 2020 Grievance Update Webinar This webinar will include a patient perspective and data overview of the Grievances processed by the Network last year, the CMS Grievance Definition, Network process, and how to file a Grievance. All facilities will be expected to join the call or watch the recording.  Date: Thursday, Jan. 30 Time: 1- 2 p.m. CT Register After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. NPR Connection Call Date: Jan. 9 or Jan. 10 Time: 1:00 CT We encourage all NPRs to join the call to connect with the Network and other patients to learn and share about ways to improve the patient experience of care. For audio, you will need to also call-in using the following information: Phone:   1-877-309-2071 Access Code:   305-463-275# Webinar ID: 851-734-019 Register to Join Online *This registration information is subject to change for future calls. We will send out notification if that occurs.  Third Annual Transplant Symposium in Omaha, Nebraska Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020 Final agenda to be announced. Get More Information

Other Events

ESRD NCC QIA 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 Call: Blood Stream Infection (BSI) QIA LAN Date: Jan. 7 Time: 2-3 p.m. CT Register Now 40th Annual Dialysis Conference Kansas City Feb. 8-11, 2020  Visit the Annual Dialysis Conference website for more information. CKD ECHO 1st and 3rd Thursdays 12-1 p.m.  University of Missouri’s Kidney Disease ECHO CMS Quality Conference 2020 Date: Feb. 25 - Feb. 27 Location: Baltimore Hilton 401 West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Find Out More & Register

Holiday Hints: The 3 Biggest Kidney Disease Diet Mistakes People Make Dialysis Patient Citizens is offering a webinar to help kidney patients stay on track with their diet during the holidays. For more information and to register for the call  visit their website .  Date:  Tuesday Dec. 17 |  Time:  1 p.m. CT Register

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.

December Topic of the Month: My Lifeline

January Topic of the Month: Active and Healthy Living

Patient Engagement in Action

Our NPR in Action highlight for December is Fred Barnhouse from Mercy Medical Center Dialysis - Mercy Plaza in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. During our November Connection Call Fred shared that he has written a letter for new hemodialysis patients that has been included in the clinic’s welcome packet. Read more about Fred's letter and how he partners with his clinic to help new patients. Pictured: Fred Barnhouse and a bulletin board his clinic posted for Thanksgiving.

Quality Improvement Corner

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

Data News You Can Use

PY 2020 Performance and New Reporting Requirements Read the Data Newsletter to get information on Payment Year 2020 Final Performance Score Reports and new CROWNWeb reporting requirements.

NHSN News! Slides from the Dec. 4 and Dec. 5 NHSN Dialysis Surveillance Call are available here .

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.

Facilities should: Review the NHSN Dialysis Event Protocol to ensure all data were correctly reported to NHSN. 3 Steps to Review Dialysis Event Surveillance Data Use the How to Create and Read an NHSN Report for CMS ESRD QIP guide to verify your facility has met the minimum CMS reporting requirements. Refer to the How to Create and Read an NHSN Report for Bloodstream Infections guide to review your facility’s bloodstream infection rates.  Contact the NHSN Helpdesk ( [email protected] , subject line ‘Dialysis’) with any questions. 

Recalls and Safety Alerts

This month's KCER Watch Newsletter 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. 19.Q-ESRD12.12.182