Quality Insights Renal Network 4 
A Periodic Newsletter from Quality Insights Renal Network 4 | www.qirn4.org
In This Issue
Alerts and Recalls
 
Quick Links
QIRN 4 Staff
Executive Director
  
Quality Improvement Director
  
Quality Improvement Coordinator
  
Patient Services Director
  
Patient Services Coordinator
  
Data Manager
  
Administrative Assistant
August 5, 2014 
Greetings from QIRN 4
Quality Insights Renal Network 4 (QIRN 4) is committed to providing valuable resources that help improve the quality of renal care in Pennsylvania and Delaware. 
 
We encourage you to visit our Web site for the most up-to-date information or to contact us with questions, comments or suggestions. 
 
IMPORTANT NOTE: In an effort to bring you the most important information in the most convenient way, we have started to send our newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. Look for important updates about alerts and recalls, Quality Incentive Program news, Infection Prevention updates, and much more in your inbox every other week. 

*This will serve as our primary method of communicating important news and updates. 
 
Sincerely,
Your QIRN 4 Team
Save the Date: Cannulation Camp
Cannulation Camp
October 16, 2014
Giant Super Food Store
315 York Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090

Additional details will be coming soon. 
  
How QIP Affects Patients
I'm a Medicare beneficiary. How does the ESRD QIP affect me?

The End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) is designed to provide better care to patients with ESRD. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay your facility based on the care that it provides to you. It is possible that your facility will receive a payment reduction if it does not perform well enough. You will not be impacted financially by the ESRD QIP.

You can use the ESRD QIP to choose your facility and better understand the care it provides. CMS requires facilities to post certificates describing how they performed on the ESRD QIP. You can also find this information on Dialysis Facility Compare, available for free at Medicare.gov. You can compare facilities based on their ESRD QIP scores, and you can ask your facility about its individual scores. It is important to note that the ESRD QIP is not the sole method for evaluating quality care at a facility. It should be used as a tool, but you should consider other factors as well.
 
How QIP Affects Dialysis Facilities
I work for a dialysis facility. How does the ESRD QIP affect me?

The ESRD QIP is designed to provide better care to patients with ESRD. CMS will pay your facility based on the care that it provides to your patients. Each year, CMS publishes a rule explaining how it will evaluate your facility. Each facility is scored based on individual measures outlined in this rule. If your facility does not score high enough, it may receive a payment reduction.

Please use our website to familiarize yourself with an overview of the ESRD QIP. To better understand what is required of your facility, read the rule published for each payment year of the program. Also, look through our Educational Resources page for an index of presentations, fact sheets, and other material, all indexed by payment year.

 
Did You Miss the MLN Connects National Provider Call?
If you were not able to attend the MLN Connects National Provider Call on the ESRD QIP for Payment Year 2017 and Payment Year 2018 Proposed Rule Presentation on July 23, 2014, you can access the slide presentation here.

CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until September 2, 2014.

 
ESRD QIP: Performance Score Reports
Please remember, August 15, 2014 (5:00 PM ET) is the deadline for facilities to submit comments about their Performance Score Report for Pay Year 2015.


In addition, you will find your facility's 5 Star Rating on your DFC report, which is also open for comment. 


You will need your Master Account Holder to log on to the Dialysis Reports Web site to review your facility reports. Please do not hesitate to contact the network if you have any questions. 

 

Attestations

 

Due to unclear and conflicting guidance provided by various information sources, some facilities may not have properly completed their Payment Year 2015 reporting attestations in CROWNWeb. Facilities are encouraged to utilize the formal inquiry process during the PY 2015 Preview Period (now through August 15, 2014) to communicate to CMS that their attestations were improperly submitted and to request a correction that will ensure that their final scores will be accurate. More information is available here. 

 
Me, too! Campaign
The goal of this campaign is to help patients ages 65 and older to take the first step to be referred to a transplant center. If you have any questions about the campaign or the weekly August activities, please contact the Network.



To learn more, visit the QIRN 4 Web site. 

For a list of updated transplant centers in ESRD Network 4, please view this chart. 
Planning to Travel?
Here are some tips that will help make your plans go smoothly.
  1. Plan early. Making all your arrangements early helps to ensure a trouble-free trip.
  2. Make the calls. It's up to you to make initial contact with the dialysis center where you plan to have your dialysis. To locate a center, you can use www.dialysisfinder.com for travel within the United States or www.globaldialysis.com for travel outside the United States. (If you have no access to the internet, bring the address that you plan to visit to your dialysis center and they will print a list of centers for you to call.)
  3. Take your information to dialysis. Once you've located a center that can provide your treatment, bring that information to your social worker. The social worker will need:
    • The name of the dialysis center
    • The telephone number to the dialysis center
    • The dates you plan to travel
    • The name of the person with whom you spoke.
  4. Your dialysis center staff will send your records. Once your records have been sent, staff will notify you so you can follow up with your destination center for your appointment time, directions and more.
  5. Have a safe and happy trip. 
Vascular Access Education
This month, we would like to share the Management of Patient with Central Venous Catheter (CVC) chart as part of vascular access education from FistulaFirst.org. 
ESRD NCC Information Exchange
The ESRD Network Coordinating Center (NCC) provides centralized coordination and support for the Medicare ESRD Network program. Each month, the ESRD NCC distributes an e-newsletter, known as the Information Exchange, that compiles the most important information from numerous ListServs and publications related to renal health.

To sign up to receive this informative newsletter, please contact the ESRD NCC at ncc@ncc.esrd.net or visit the ESRD NCC Web site. You can also check the QIRN 4 Web site for updates that include material from the Information Exchange.

CRAFT and CROWNWeb Newsletters
The August 2014 editions of the CROWNWeb Newsletter and the CRAFT Newsletter are now available for viewing. The CROWNWeb Newsletter focuses on user-specific topics, such as training, account management, use of the CROWNWeb system, tips and tricks, and CROWNWeb user stories. The CRAFT Newsletter focuses on the technical aspects of CROWNWeb, such as system development, user requirements, and Standard Operating Procedures. You may access both newsletters by visiting the CROWNWeb Web site. 
Register Today for the ANNA Fall Meeting
The American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA) will be hosting its Fall Meeting October 11-13, 2014, at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort and Spa in Savannah, Georgia. ANNA's Fall Meeting provides opportunities for nephrology nurses to expand their knowledge, enhance clinical skills and widen professional networks. ANNA is also pleased to offer a special $20 discount code for nurses.

For more information about ANNA's Fall Meeting, please go to www.annanurse.org or download this flyer.
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Quality Insights Renal Network 4
 630 Freedom Business Center, Suite 116
King of Prussia, PA 19406
610-265-2418
800-548-9205 (patients only) 
610-783-0374 (fax)
This material was prepared by Quality Insights Renal Network 4 under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 
Publication No. ESRD4-MV-073014 App. 07/14

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