A Periodic Newsletter from Quality Insights Renal Network 3 | www.qirn3.org
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August 2014 
Greetings from QIRN 3
Quality Insights Renal Network 3 (QIRN 3) is committed to providing valuable resources that help improve the quality of renal care in New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. 
 
We encourage you to visit our Web site for the most up-to-date information or to contact us with questions, comments or suggestions. 
 
Sincerely,
Your QIRN 3 Team
Save the Date: QIRN 3 Annual Meeting
 Date: Thursday, October 2nd 2014
Place: The Pines Manor * 2085 Route 27 * Edison, NJ

CROWNWeb, Dietitian and Social Work Breakout Sessions

Early Bird Reservations: $95
(Ends August 29th. Cost will increase to $110.)

Reservation deadline: September 12th 2014

 
en-GAGE 2014
QIRN 3 continues to encourage and support facilities in promoting patient and staff engagement at the facility level. We've scheduled the third webinar of the 2014 en-GAGE program titled, Ready, Set, Engage! on August 28, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. for our English speaking staffed facilities.  Register here.  

For our Spanish speaking staffed facilities, we've scheduled the next webinar titled, Preparados, Listos, Involucrense! on August 28, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. Register here.  

Attendance is open to all facilities, even if not a participant of this year's en-GAGE project. Please join us in learning more about patient and family engagement at the dialysis facility.
 
Save the Date: 4th Annual Creating a Culture of Quality Conference
Guidelines, incentives, patient centered care, shared decision making...how do we judge quality?

March 23-24, 2015
(Immediately following the RPA Annual Meeting March 19-22)
Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD

This conference will examine quality care as it applies to the tension between Patient/Family Centered Care and the reality of renal replacement therapy in the current environment of clinical directives and cost consciousness. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to incorporate patient centered care into decision making and how to respond when patient goals and values are different than those of the clinician(s) and/or the dialysis provider.
 
The conference will consist of three sessions, each with a different theme and each containing at least one valuable "take home" technique in the spirit of a "train the trainer" approach. This interactive meeting will enrich the abilities of the dialysis team including patients, physicians, administrators and everyone who cares about quality patient care. This conference will provide an opportunity to connect with care providers, patients and professionals from across the country.

The Keynote address will be presented by Raymond Hakim, MD, PhD, Professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Call for Posters
The Forum of ESRD Networks invites your organization to present a poster showcasing your work on any quality project, either recently completed or currently ongoing. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference and highlighted during the Monday evening Wine and Cheese Reception. Poster abstracts are due to the Forum office by Friday, February 20, 2015. Instructions are available at the Forum website.

More Information
Please visit the Forum website or contact the Forum office for more information.

This is a renal community collaboration presented by the Forum of ESRD Networks and its Beneficiary Advisory Council in partnership with DaVita, DCI, Fresenius, the Renal Physicians Association, the American Nephrology Nurses Association, the National Renal Administrators Association and the American Association of Kidney Patients.
 
Infection Prevention
Dialysis Patients Speak: Prevent Infections
Please take a moment to view this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) video, which seeks to empower hemodialysis patients and teach the importance of hand hygiene, proper equipment and careful technique in preventing infection.

Put Together the Pieces to Prevent Infections in Dialysis Patients
This wall poster is a visual reminder of measures that staff can take to reduce infections in dialysis patients. View the Spanish version here. 

NHSN Second Quarter Data Closing September 30
2014 Quarter 2 (April 1-June 30) Dialysis Event data (includes positive blood culture, I.V. antimicrobial start, and signs of vascular access infection), denominator data, and reporting plans must be entered into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) by September 30, 2014. To ensure your data have been correctly entered into NHSN, please make sure to verify that your monthly reporting plans are complete, you've entered appropriate summary and event data, and you've cleared all alerts from your NHSN facility homepage. For additional guidance on ensuring your data are accurately sent to CMS for Quality Reporting purposes, please contact the NHSN Helpdesk.

Hemodialysis Catheter Compatibility Chart
The CDC has added a Hemodialysis Catheter Compatibility Chart to its website. This chart helps to connect providers to information about using compatible skin antiseptics and antimicrobial ointments with different chronic hemodialysis catheters. We encourage you to learn from and utilize these new resources to further your bloodstream infection prevention efforts among hemodialysis patients.

CMS Releases Proposed ESRD QIP Measures
CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until September 2, 2014.

Proposed Rule

Fact Sheet: CMS Proposals to Update Policies and
Payment Rates for ESRD Providers for CY 2015 and Proposals for Implementation of Competitive Bidding-Based Prices for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS)

Fact Sheet: CMS Proposals to Update Quality Measures for ESRD PPS for CY 2015

 
Nephrology Certification Review Course
Have you been thinking of becoming certified but didn't know where to start? The Keystone 110 Chapter of the American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA) will be offering a Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN)/Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN) review course on Saturday, September 20, 2014 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Continuing Education (CE) credits will be available. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and technicians are welcome to attend. Please review this brochure for more information.
 
August is Immunization Awareness Month
In honor of August being Immunization Awareness Month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers resources and tools for health care professionals and providers to use and share. 
 
CNN Eligibility Criteria Changes in January 2015
Certified Nephrology Nurse (CNN) eligibility criteria will change in January of 2015 with respect to the minimum hours of employment experience required to sit for the exam. Twenty-five percent, or 750 hours of experience, must be in one of seven other nephrology areas, including home therapies, apheresis, renal replacement therapy (RRT), chronic kidney disease (CKD) or transplant. For more information, visit the Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission website
 
Education Opportunities
ANNA's Fall Meeting
The American Nephrology Nurses Association's (ANNA) Fall Meeting provides opportunities for nephrology nurses to expand their knowledge, enhance clinical skills, and widen professional networks. Learn more here.

NRAA's Medical Director Workshop and Nephrology Symposium
The National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) is excited to be offering its third annual Medical Director Workshop and Nephrology Symposium in joint providership with the Cleveland Clinic on October 17-18, 2014, in Chicago, IL. Learn more here
 
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 [email protected] or visit the ESRD NCC website
 
   Quality Insights Renal Network 3
 109 South Main Street, Suite 21
Cranbury, NJ 08512
609-490-0310
888-877-8400 (patients only) 
609-490-0835 (fax)
This material was prepared by Quality Insights Renal Network 3 under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 
Publication No.
ESRD3-081914 

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