Our Patient Advisory Council (PAC) participated in the Network 12 PACtivate 2019 Summit on Oct. 11 and 12. Patients and family members shared ideas and inspiration during the meeting! More to come in next month’s edition.

Patient Engagement in Action!

Pictured from left to right: Shellie Mayne, Facility Administrator, DaVita - Creston, Iowa; Cindy Axne - Congressional Representative District 3; Tonja Downey, Facility Administrator, DaVita - Atlantic, Iowa; Gene Auten, Network Patient Representative, DaVita Creston; Tom Shipley, State Senator, District 11 

NPRs and Clinic Partner to Host Emergency Preparedness Lobby Day

Mark Johnson and Dan Westcott, are both Network Patient Representatives (NPRs) and Patient Advisory Council (PAC) members who represent Network 12 on the National Kidney Community Emergency Response Learning and Action Network. This month, with their clinics, DaVita-Atlantic and FMC-Salina they hosted a lobby day to share information and tools to help their patients be prepared for emergencies. Thank you to Mark, Charlene, Dan and their clinics for the great work spreading the news about the importance of staying prepared.

Gene Auten, one of our newest NPRs reported that on Sept. 16, U.S. Rep. Axne (D) visited a nearby dialysis unit with State Senator Tom Shipley (R). They spent almost an hour touring the facility and conversing with patients and staff. U.S. Representative Cindy Axne: “Glad to speak with patients of DaVita Dialysis Center in Creston this morning and grateful to their team for the critical care they provide in Union County and beyond.” Thanks Gene and the team at Creston Dialysis for sharing the realities for patients living with kidney disease with our representatives!

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 in the   2019 “Be Active in Your Care” Patient Engagement Calendar .

October Topic of the Month: Prevention Saves Lives

November Topic of the Month: Thriving More Than Surviving

ESRD NCC QIA LAN Call Series

Save the Date!

Third Annual Transplant Symposium

Date: Thursday, May 7, 2020

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Empowered Dialysis

In last month’s Heartland Happenings, we shared that the National Coordinating Center Patient Experience of Care LAN hosted a webinar " Empowered Kidney Care .” An article by the New England Journal of Medicine examines this opportunity considering if it improves patient outcomes.

Read the Article: Is "Empowered Dialysis" the Key to Better Outcomes? | NEJM Catalyst

Medicare Open Enrollment Began Oct. 15

It's your chance to review your coverage and see if you can save money next year. 

New This Year

Medicare's Plan Finder was redesigned to make it easier than ever to compare coverage options, shop for plans and feel confident in your choice. Medicare's mobile-friendly Plan Finder now works on your smartphone, tablet, or other mobile device so you can use it wherever it's convenient.

Watch this short video   to see how Plan Finder's new features can help you during Open Enrollment.

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:

 Contact the NHSN Helpdesk ( [email protected] , subject line ‘Dialysis’) with any questions.

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-ESRD12.10.169