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Our Commitment to You
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Quality Insights Renal Network 4 (QIRN 4) is committed to providing valuable resources like this e-newsletter that help improve the quality of renal care in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Please contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions.
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QIRN 4 is now on Facebook and Twitter. Check out our social media feeds for news and updates regularly.
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New Patient Newsletter - Please Print!
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QIRN 4 Website Gets a New Look
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 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.
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Patient Education Materials Available
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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.
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Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Events
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ANNA 46th National Symposium
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 The American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA) will be hosting its 46th National Symposium on April 19-22, 2015 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ANNA's National Symposium provides opportunities for nephrology nurses to expand their knowledge, enhance clinical skills and widen professional networks. For more information about ANNA's 46th National Symposium, please visit www.annasymposium.org or download this flyer. |
ESRD NCC National HAI LAN Event
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The ESRD National Coordinating Center is offering a National Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Learning and Action Network (LAN) Webinar event, " Eliminating Blood Stream Infection in Patients with a Dialysis Catheter: A Matter of Life and Death." The webinar will be held on April 14th, 2015 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and is available free of charge. Nurses and technicians can receive 1.0 CEs. Learn more. Register here.
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Save the Date: Update on Kidney Disease
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Update on Kidney Disease
Sponsored by the Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania (KFCP) and Penn State College of Medicine
April 21, 2015
8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Hershey Hotel
Hershey, PA
Cost: $85 (Non-Physicians)
$110 (Physicians)
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Save the Date: NRAA Annual Fall Conference
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National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA)
Annual Conference
October 7-10, 2015
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
Orlando, FL
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Dialysis Facility Medical Directors Symposium
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The National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) and the Renal Physicians Association (RPA) will collaborate on a workshop for dialysis facility medical directors. With a shared vision and commitment to patient-centered care, the NRAA and RPA will hold the Dialysis Facility Medical Directors Symposium, October 9-10, 2015, in Orlando, Florida. CMEs will be offered during the workshops for physicians seeking to maintain licensure and certification.
The symposium is part of the 2015 NRAA Annual Fall Conference hosted at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on October 7-10. To find out more information on the Dialysis Facility Medical Directors Symposium and 2015 NRAA Annual Fall Conference please visit the NRAA Meetings Page. More details coming soon. Registration opens in June.
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Save the Date: QIRN 4 Annual Meeting
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QIRN 4 Annual Meeting
October 27, 2015
Seven Springs, PA
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ESRD Patient Orientation Packet (NEPOP)
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 NEPOPs are the ESRD Patient Orientation Packet that ESRD patients receive containing orientation materials relative to their plan of care. NEPOPs are distributed through a collaborative effort among the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Networks and the Network Coordinating Center (NCC). Download packet information here.
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Patient Spotlight: Pat Dangelantonio
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Pat Dangelantonio with his grandson prior to his transplant.
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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.
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Update: Peritoneal Dialysis Solutions Shortage
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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.
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Conditions for Coverage: Request for Comments
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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.
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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.
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NRAA Spring Meeting and Day on the Hill 2015
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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.
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Submit Your Emergency Preparedness Articles
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Our focus at QIRN 4 is to "Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare." If you have any disaster preparedness articles or links, please e-mail your information to dknight@nw4.esrd.net so it may be posted in our bi-weekly newsletter.
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ESRD NCC Information Exchange
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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 website for updates that include material from the Information Exchange.
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