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SERVICE SPOTLIGHT
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A Guidry & East mock CMS survey will assess your Transplant Center according to CMS Conditions of Participation, providing you with an accurate picture of current compliance, opportunities for improvement, and a comprehensive findings report following the formal exit conference.
Guidry & East provides transplant centers with a Mock Focused QAPI Survey. Our staff will examine your QAPI program and conduct a GAP Analysis of your transplant program's policies as outlined in the CoPs for organ transplant programs. Any deficiencies will be noted to assist the hospital in the preparation of a Corrective Action Plan.
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| Guidry & East brings you our seventh Transplant Insider, a quarterly publication comprised of resources and news vital to developing your transplant business solutions for growing transplant programs, improving transplant operations, and the transplant financial product line.
We look forward to being your provider of the latest policies and procedures in quality patient care.
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Use Google Chrome or IE11 browsers to access UNet
We are providing this information to all UNet users, IT contacts and to all known database vendors.
Please share this notice with anyone in your organization who would benefit from this information.
At a glance
On September 22, 2016, UNOS updated the Secure Enterprise
SM
system so that you can use Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) or Google Chrome web browsers for Windows-based computers to access UNet and other transplant applications (e.g. Waitlist
SM
, DonorNet
®
, KPD
SM
, TIEDI
®
and TransNet
SM
). Make sure you have one of these browsers available before you access UNet.
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Standardized benchmark reports soon available on UNet
Last November, UNOS research staff began extensive interviews with transplant administrators. We asked those administrators specific questions about their data needs to help us design a useful benchmark report that all transplant centers could access through UNet. We have nearly completed our work and those reports should be available in early October.
Transplant administrators, or anyone from your center with UNet access, will be able to access this information from the Data Services portal in UNet (My Reports section).
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The OPTN evaluation plan provides guidance to OPTN member transplant centers, OPOs and histocompatibility labs on how UNOS, as the OPTN contractor, assesses member compliance with OPTN policies and bylaws. It is updated periodically to reflect the latest changes to policies and bylaws. Reviewing this information will help members stay up-to-date so they can revise their operational compliance procedures as needed.
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The crosswalk guide briefly summarizes what surveyors from CMS and the OPTN will review on their site visits. It allows program administrators to review requirements and see where they overlap.
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NY STATE DEPT OF HEALTH OFFERS SERIES OF ZIKA VIRUS WEBINARS
The New York State Department of Health is offering a series of Zika virus webinars during the month of September. These webinars are open to all interested medical professionals inside or outside of the state at no charge.Those who wish to participate must register for each individual session.
See here for additional details.
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Clinical Trials in Transplantation
The American Society of Transplantation and its Transplantation & Immunology Research Network are pleased to highlight new clinical trials in transplantation that are currently enrolling or will be in the near future. This service is a benefit of participation in AST's Corporate Affiliates Program.
See here for full details.
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The p-value statistic-often misused and misunderstood-has come under considerable criticism, but continues to be used in scientific papers
Did you sleep through your statistics class in medical school? You probably weren't alone. Maybe that's one reason so many excellent medical researchers feel at odds with statistical analysis. Or maybe the natural optimism of scientists leads them to report "statistically significant" results that later can't be duplicated. Whatever the reason, one specific statistic-the p-value-is too often manipulated to become a sole determinant of significance, leading to results that can't be replicated [
1
]. It's become one of the largest problems in biomedical research.
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Donor Intervention Research
As the field of transplantation continues to grapple with organ shortages, donor intervention research offers the potential to increase organ supply and quality. The process of brain death begins an injury to organs that is then exacerbated by procurement, storage and transplantation. Treating the donor provides an opportunity to reduce the severity of any injury.
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Effects of High-Risk Kidneys on Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients Program Quality Reports
There is a perception that transplanting high-risk kidneys causes programs to be identified as underperforming, thereby increasing the frequency of discards and diminishing access to transplant. Thus, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) has considered excluding transplants using kidneys from donors with high Kidney Donor Profile Index (KDPI) scores (≥0.85) when assessing program performance.
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Prolonged Ischemic Time, Delayed Graft Function, and Graft and Patient Outcomes in Live Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients
The association between prolonged cold ischemic time (CIT) and graft and patient outcomes in live donor kidney transplant recipients remains unclear. The aims of this study were to examine the association of CIT with delayed graft function and graft loss in live donor kidney transplant recipients and those who participated in the Australian Paired Kidney Exchange program using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) registry.
Read full article
here
.
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UNOS invests in technology to improve organ transplant system
Tucked into the corner of North Fourth and Jackson streets in the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park is a long wall with various names etched into its stone, representing thousands of donors, all of whom gave lifesaving organs to patients in need.
The wall is part of the National Donor Memorial.
But what it does not list are the names of the thousands of recipients who have benefited from those organs and have been able to return to their lives and their families.
United Network for Organ Sharing, or commonly known as UNOS, wants to make the list of recipients even longer.
The Richmond-based nonprofit organization recently announced multimillion-dollar plans to advance the technology in its system, increasing data collection, eliminating human errors and streamlining the entire organ transplant process to make sure people who need organs get them as quickly as possible.
Read full article
here
.
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18-month analysis shows progress in kidney allocation system
An analysis of data 18 to 20 months after implementation of the kidney allocation system (KAS) shows a number of longer-term patterns, with success in a number of key system goals. The detailed report can be found here.
Read full article
here
.
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Heckenkemper Transplant
Leadership Award
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Heckenkemper Transplant Leadership Award Nominations
In memory and honor of Deedle Heckenkemper and the contributions he made in the foundation and development of the UNOS Transplant Administrators Committee and the donation and transplantation community, we are seeking nominations for the Leader in Transplant Administration Award.
Overall Criteria
* Leadership role in Transplant with a minimum of 5 years' experience
* Manager level or above at a single or multi-organ program/center
* Must have spent a majority of professional time dedicated to transplant administration
Individual Achievement Criteria
Consistent with the aims of the UNOS Transplant Administrators Committee, nominees must demonstrate through their body of work contributions to one or more of the following:
- Optimize transplant services through administrative practices for the benefit of patients and the
- broader community.
- Promote patient-centered models and practices.
- Improve safety in care delivery systems.
- Enhance communication and collaboration among transplant professionals.
- Encourage research and "best-practice" initiatives.
- Facilitate the standardization of program information that is collected and commonly shared in
- the transplant community and public venue.
- Provide leadership and input in public policy development impacting transplant programs.
- Provide education for the transplant community regarding administrative issues (e.g., management, compliance, and financial issues).
- Foster new leaders in transplant.
Submission Requirements
- Nominee submissions will be completed via "Survey Monkey."
- Deadline for nominee submissions is November 30, 2016.
- Current members of the UNOS Transplant Administrators Committee are ineligible for nomination.
Award Process
- An online form will be available in September to submit nominations. We will accept nominations through November 30, 2016.
- Nominees will be notified of the nomination.
- Nominations will be reviewed by the UNOS Transplant Administrators Committee. The winner
- will be determined based on the above criteria.
- The winner will be notified in advance of the award presentation at the Annual Transplant Management Forum.
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Employment Opportunities
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Heart Failure Program Manager
The Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania is seeking a Clinical Manager who is responsible for the day to day management of services of their expanding Advanced Heart Failure Program to include: Heart Failure, Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), and Heart Transplant. The position will oversee the daily operations to provide high quality patient care services which meet and conform to all regulatory requirements.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelors Degree in a health related field plus 5 years of experience in an appropriate allied health or hospital leadership position required.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Masters degree in a healthcare related field or Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing preferred.
Strong candidate will have 1 or more years of experience with transplant and or cardiovascular services.
The Hershey Medical Center, licensed for 551 beds, is located in a seven-story building contiguous with the College of Medicine. It is a full-service, tertiary and quaternary care institution with all major services represented in both adult and pediatric medicine. In FY 2014, there were 29,140 admissions, 960,831 outpatient visits, 66,983 emergency room visits, and 29,375 surgical procedures.
Hershey is part of a suburban community in a metropolitan area of 400,000 in one of the fastest growing regions of the state. It is approximately twelve miles from Harrisburg, the state capital. The state government is the largest employer in the Commonwealth. Central Pennsylvania's second largest industry, Hershey Foods Corporation, is headquartered in Hershey. The largest employer in Central PA is Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, which provides jobs for more than 9,000 area residents.
Transplant Leadership Institute LLC
System Director, Renal Transplant
Transplant Leadership Institute LLC has been retained by Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers, Florida to identify and recruit a System Director, Renal Transplant. The Director serves as the principal non-physician director responsible for all of the Center's clinical, financial and administrative services. Key responsibilities include strategic/operational planning; business/program development; financial management; revenue analysis; administrative management of clinical operations; human resources and environmental safety.
Requirements are a Masters Degree in health policy, healthcare administration, public health, finance, nursing or related field strongly preferred; minimum requirement of bachelor's degree with sufficient demonstrated experience.
Preferred Qualifications: 5 Years Management Required; Documented successful clinical management experience (both operational and fiscal); Demonstrated leadership in strategic planning, health policy and managing resource allocation process; Demonstrated evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills; collegial teamwork in accomplishing organization's clinical, fiscal and operation goals; Working knowledge of transplant programs strongly desired.
Gulf Coast Medical Center is a 349-bed acute care facility that is part of Lee Memorial Health System which consists of four acute care hospitals with a total of 1423 beds, and over 1 million patient contacts each year. The hospital is located in beautiful Fort Myers, Florida, known for deep-sea fishing, golf courses and the famous white sand beaches and islands that line the Gulf Coast.
These are excellent opportunities to join thriving programs. Interested candidates can respond in confidence with a full CV to:
lisa@transplantleaders.com.
Transplant Leadership Institute LLC
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CMS Updates
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from the
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:
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CMS finalizes Rule to Bolster Emergency Preparedness of Certain Facilities Participating in Medicare and Medicaid
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule to establish consistent emergency preparedness requirements for health care providers participating in Medicare and Medicaid, increase patient safety during emergencies, and establish a more coordinated response to natural and man-made disasters.
Over the past several years, and most recently in Louisiana, a number of natural and man-made disasters have put the health and safety of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries - and the public at large - at risk. These new requirements will require certain participating providers and suppliers to plan for disasters and coordinate with federal, state tribal, regional, and local emergency preparedness systems to ensure that facilities are adequately prepared to meet the needs of their patients during disasters and emergency situations.
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Q & A
brought to you by UNOS
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Answers to Common Questions About
Data Submission
UNOS routinely receives questions from member institutions about data that is required. UNOS collected common questions received and provided answers below.
Thoracic TCR and TRR forms, Inotropes/Vasodilators required field
Question: A transplant center reported that patients took inotropes or vasodilators at times either by IV or orally. Do we need to differentiate between the two methods?
You only need to report IV inotropes or vasodilators in this field.
TRF Forms (Pediatric vs. Adult)
Question: When do Transplant Recipient Follow-up (TRF) forms change from pediatric to adult?
UNet will continue to generate pediatric follow-up forms through a recipient's 25th birthday. When the recipient turns 26, UNet will automatically generate an adult TRF form.
Recipient Histocompatibility Form
Question: The question, "Which historical crossmatch tests were performed?" is asked on the Recipient Histocompatibility form. Does historical crossmatch refer to the Auto crossmatch or the Peak Serum crossmatch?
Historical crossmatch is a crossmatch performed with any sera other than the most recent.
Question: How do we report the historical crossmatch when one of the results (T-cells) was positive and one (B-cells) was negative for the same technique?
In case of both positive and negative crossmatch result, please report a positive crossmatch result.
Common data submission questions and answers can be found here.
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Career Moves
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The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has hired
Marna Bunger
as an operations committee coordinator in the member quality department. She had been a global marketing program manager at Sonos headquarters in Santa Barbara, Calif
. She earned a master's degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond and a bachelor's degree in English from Longwood College in Farmville, Va.
UNOS also has hired
Megan R. Oley as an operations coordinator in its Organ Center. She had been associate childcare/camping director at the Midlothian Family YMCA. She earned a bachelor's degree in studio art with a concentration of photography from Radford University in Radford, Va. The Organ Center also has added
Brittany Cheatham as an organ placement specialist trainee. She earned a bachelor's degree in biology from VCU.
UNOS' information technology department has added four employees.
Marty Wilson has joined as director of software engineering. She comes to UNOS from Capital One in Richmond, Va., where she most recently was vice president of workforce transformation. She earned a bachelor's degree in information systems from VCU's School of Business.
Steve Mulligan has been hired as a resource manager III in service portfolio management. He most recently was a senior manager in software engineering at Capital One in Richmond, Va. A certified scrum master, he earned a master's degree in information technology from American University in Washington, D.C.
Adam Hobbs has joined UNOS as an information security architect. He had been a platform engineer at Capital One in Richmond. Hobbs earned a master's degree in IT from Capella University in Minneapolis and is certified as an information systems security professional and a cloud security professional from ISC2 and an information security manager from ISACA.
William Wesly "Wes" Thornhill Jr. has been hired as a SharePoint developer. He comes to UNOS from MetroStar Systems in Reston, Va., where he had been a SharePoint engineer. He is a Microsoft-certified professional and also holds certifications in Security+ and Net+. He earned a bachelor's degree in geology from Radford University in Radford, Va.
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has hired
Michael G. Ferguson as a resource manager of its scrum master team in the IT department. He had been manager of IT capability development at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. Ferguson earned a master of business administration degree from the College of Williams and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. He is a certified scrum master.
UNOS also has hired
Mike Crowley as an IT operations manager; he had been an internal system and tools manager at Peak 10 data-center solutions company in Richmond, Va. He holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Longwood College in Farmville, Va., and is ITIL v3 certified.
Stephen Wilton has joined as a salesforce administrator in IT. He comes to UNOS from Genworth Financial in Richmond, Va., where he was a group LTC salesforce manager. He earned a bachelor's degree in multi-media communications from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and is
Salesforce-certified.
Jacob C. Kelly has joined UNOS' member quality department as manager of safety and compliance investigations. He had been a production supervisor at Wyeth/Pfizer in Richmond, Va. He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond.
Abigail C. Fox has joined UNOS'
policy department as a policy coordinator. She had been communications director for Virginia state Sen. Barbara Favola. Fox earned a master's degree in public administration from VCU.
Alice Toll has been hired as a data analyst in UNOS' research department. She comes to UNOS from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., where she was pursuing a master's degree in biostatistics, which she expects to complete next year. She earned a bachelor's degree in statistics and biology from the University of Minnesota Morris.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has hired
Bakhodir Vakhidov as an associate staff accountant in its finance department. He had been working on a master of business administration degree at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, which he put on hold to join UNOS. He has a master's degree in accounting from Strayer University in Richmond.
Raymond Patrick Maddox has joined UNOS' department of information technology as a senior software engineer in service operations. He comes to UNOS from Allscripts, a health-care information-technology company in Glen Allen, Va., where he was an expert software engineer. Maddox earned a bachelor's degree in information systems from VCU.
Octavia Goodman has joined UNOS as an organ placement specialist trainee in the Organ Center. She is a recent graduate of The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., where she worked as an assistant in the chemistry laboratory while earning two bachelor's degrees, one in kinesiology (public health) and the other in gender, sexuality and women's studies.
Amanda Robinson has joined UNOS' research department as a research analyst. She joined UNOS after completing her master's degree in statistics at The College of William and Mary, where she also earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has hired
Emily Womble as a safety analyst in its member quality department. She comes to UNOS from the office of the chief medical examiner in Richmond, Va., where she was a child facility review coordinator. She earned a master of public administration degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond and a graduate certificate in homeland security and emergency preparedness.
The department of research has hired
Subhash Jaini as a data analyst. He had most recently been at Southern States in Richmond, where he was a data scientist. In addition to numerous DataCamp certifications, he has a master's degree in decision analytics from VCU.
The department of information technology has hired
Daniel Evans as an associate data services developer. Before joining UNOS, he was an airborne cryptologic linguist with the U.S. Air Force. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science from VCU.
UNOS IT has hired two support engineers in its support services department.
Isha Elaine Parker had been a technical support II at SAIC in Richmond. She has a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Virginia State University in Petersburg and is a Microsoft certified professional.
Bryan Hable, a new support engineer III, had been an associate systems engineer at EMC Corp. in Richmond. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer information systems from Strayer University in Richmond and is CompTIA A+ certified and an EMC technology architect proven professional specialist.
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Stop by and visit us.
We will have a booth in Denver at the Third Annual Transplant Quality Insitutute Conference October 12-14 Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
Registration Information can be found here.
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If you would like to be featured in the upcoming Transplant Insider,
please send updated career moves to
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Guidry & East welcomes input from our readers on future topics.
Send us your ideas for discussions, upcoming events,
and question and answer topics to
We look forward to hearing from you.
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