The QIRN 4 website recently received a new look. Please visit the new site and check out valuable information and tools to help you improve the quality of care for your renal patients.

Find your facility name and win a pizza party.
As a fun way to get facilities interacting with the new site, we've "hidden" two random facility names in the Providers section of the website. If you find your facility's name listed in the Providers section, please notify us and let us know. You could win a pizza party for your facility staff, courtesy of QIRN 4.

QIRN 4 has new Patient Education materials ready for your facility's use. We encourage you to download and distribute the following materials for patients at your facility.

• The Role of the Network
• QIP: What does it mean to me?

Pat Dangelantonio with his grandson prior to his transplant.

After receiving a kidney transplant in December of 2014, Pasquale "Pat" Dangelantonio got inspired to help others by raising money and awareness for the National Kidney Foundation. Recently featured in a Delaware newspaper article, Pat explains how he was on dialysis for four hours a day, three days a week for five years before receiving his kidney transplant. Now on a mission to help others in need, Pat has helped coordinate a local bake sale fundraiser, which he hopes to make an annual event. He will also be participating in the Southern Delaware Kidney Walk to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation. In addition, Pat was instrumental in advocating the passage of House Bill 360, which was designed to support dialysis patients and encourage the use of generators in dialysis facilities in the state.

Since mid-August 2014, ESRD NCC Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) has held meetings with manufacturers, federal agencies, dialysis and kidney organizations and health care associations to discuss current and potential impacts and issues of the PD Solutions Shortage. View the recap of the last PD Solution meeting held on March 20, 2015.

The Clinical Standards Group (CSG) in the CMS Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) is responsible for developing, updating and overseeing the CMS regulations on the Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) for ESRD facilities.  These particular regulations were last revised in 2008. Therefore, CSG is asking the ESRD community to review the current Conditions for Coverage and provide suggestions that may be useful in a future update to the current regulations. Please email ESRDCSG@cms.hhs.gov with your suggestions for future updates to the CMS regulations on the Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) for ESRD facilities.

For a limited time, Nurse.com is offering a new Refer-A-Friend program which provides an opportunity to obtain a free CE course for sharing information with friends. Learn more.

The National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) is hosting its annual Spring Meeting and Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C. The event is focused on education and advocacy for the renal community, including providers and patients. Learn more about the event and register.