Quality Insights Renal Network 4 
A Periodic Newsletter from Quality Insights Renal Network 4 | www.qirn4.org
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QIRN 4 Staff
Executive Director
  
Quality Improvement Director

Jeannette Shrift
Quality Improvement Coordinator
  
Patient Services Coordinator
  
Data Manager
  
Office Manager

Emma Fountain
Administrative Assistant
November 5, 2015 
Greetings from QIRN 4
Welcome to the November 5 edition of the Quality Insights Renal Network 4 (QIRN4) e-newsletter.  In this issue, learn about new tools available from the CDC, take a survey to help the Philadelphia Department of Public Health strengthen infection prevention practices, take advantage of free training opportunities and much more. We encourage you to contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions. 
CDC Adds New Infection Prevention Tools to Promote Dialysis Safety
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new infection prevention tools on injectable medication preparation and administration intended specifically for hemodialysis centers. These new tools expand the set of existing audit tools and checklists to help outpatient hemodialysis health care workers adhere to CDC-recommended practices. CDC also recently added tools on dialysis station routine disinfection. View the available infection prevention tools.
Training Video and Print Resources Now Available for Preventing Bloodstream and Other Infections in Outpatient Hemodialysis Patients
The CDC has created a video for frontline dialysis staff along with an accompanying poster for staff and pocket card for patients that convey best practices for preventing bloodstream and other infections in hemodialysis outpatients. View these resources
PDPH Survey to Support Facilities with Infection Prevention Education 
QIRN4 is collaborating with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) on a Bloodstream Infection Prevention Collaborative.

The goal is to strengthen infection prevention practices in dialysis facilities and to reverse the increasing trend in bloodstream infections in hemodialysis patients.

PDPH will support dialysis facilities in their infection prevention efforts by:
  • Promoting infection prevention best practices
  • Educating health care professionals and patients
  • Providing and sharing educational resources and materials, including a resource library on a collaborative website
  • Providing National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data entry and analysis support
  • Responding to infection control challenges and health condition outbreaks

PDPH requests that all Philadelphia facilities take the Infection Prevention Educational Needs Survey. The survey contains 20 questions and should take about 5 minutes to complete. PDPH will use your feedback to guide the development of educational content for its hemodialysis infection prevention initiative.


 
For more information, feedback, and how to join the initiative, contact Tiina Peritz at [email protected] or (215) 685-6742. 

FREE CME: Getting Ahead of Metabolic and Mineral Disturbances in the Management of CKD-MBD
This activity, available through the National Kidney Foundation's Continuing Medical Education Program, will review the pathophysiology of mineral and bone disorder in chronic kidney disease (CKD-MBD), as well as its relationship to cardiovascular risk and other comorbidities. Current and emerging strategies to proactively manage CKD-MBD will be explored.

This CME has been approved for 1.5 credits.**

Faculty: Kathleen Hill Gallant, PhD, RD; Ellie Kelepouris, MD, FAHA; Rajnish Mehrotra, MD, FNKF

Learn more or participate in this activity.

**All Physician credits are AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. All Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Pharmacist, and Technician credits are measured in contact hours. All Social Worker credits are continuing education clock hours. All Dietitian credits are measured in CPEUs. Family Physician allows up to that many Prescribed Credits. For Physician Assistants, up to that many hours of Category I credit. For Case Managers, credits are measured in clock hours.
 
If You Missed the National Provider Call
The October 7th MLN Connects� National Provider Call on Dialysis Facility Compare: Rollout of Five Star Rating is now available as an audio recording with an accompanying written transcript and presentation slides. Look for the "Call Materials" section of this webpage to access these materials. 

Register for upcoming MLN Connects Calls:
  • Tuesday, November 10: Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory Test Payment System Proposed Rule
  • Tuesday, December 1: National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care and QAPI


Reminder- Dialysis Facility Compare: Submit your Comments through December 4
Help CMS improve Dialysis Facility Compare. Submit your comments and measure recommendations for the October 2016 release to [email protected] through December 4, 2015.  

CROWNWeb Data Validation - Supporting Data Validity and Reliability Town Hall
With CROWNWeb serving as the system of record for the ESRD dialysis community, it is vital that users ensure that necessary data are accurately reported and timely.

To help support data accuracy and reliability, CROWNWeb has built-in data submission features that present "Warning" and "Error" messages that inform users of missing, incorrectly formatted, or out-of-range values. Additionally, CMS works with various organizations to review data entered into CROWNWeb. Allegheny Science and Technology Services (AST) is such an organization. As part of its data validity and reliability responsibilities, in late 2015 and early 2016, AST will randomly select facilities to validate CMS forms in CROWNWeb, as well as clinical performance and attestation data submitted by facilities.

Join CMS, AST, and the CROWNWeb Outreach, Communications, and Training team (OCT) for an overview of what to expect if your facility is selected for AST's data review efforts, and a discussion regarding how to work toward remaining compliant with data submission requirements.

Register today.
CROWNWeb November Newsletter Now Available
The November 2015 edition of the CROWNWeb Newsletter is now online. The CROWNWeb Newsletter focuses on user-specific topics, such as training, account management, use of the CROWNWeb system, and tips and tricks, as well as key technical aspects of CROWNWeb.

This month's featured stories include:
  • Notifications and Accretions
  • CROWNWeb Data Validation Project Starts in November
  • Saved CMS-2728 Forms in CROWNWeb
  • CROWNWeb Data Quality Management Forum To Be Held
  • Weekly CROWNWeb Restarts Implemented
New NKF Pro CE on Transplantation
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Professional Education Resource Center has added a new online CE opportunity, free to NKF Professional members. Visit this website for a list of many CE opportunities.
News from the NHSN Help Desk
The latest edition of News from the NHSN Help Desk is now available. Learn about frequently asked questions related to Healthcare Personnel Influenza Vaccination Summary Reporting. 
Vascular Access Education Spotlight for November
For November, we encourage patients to view Step #8: Taking Care of My Lifeline for a Lifetime (page 15). In this step, patients will learn how to check their access to make sure it's working as it should and what they should do if they encounter problems with their access. A Spanish version is also available.  
General Education Spotlight for November

We encourage everyone to take a look at the following general education spotlights for the month of November. 


 
Dialysis Patients Speak: 

CDC Patient Pocket Guide: 6 Tips to Prevent Dialysis Infections (English/Spanish)
 

NHSN Education Spotlight for November
Our National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) education spotlight for November focuses on CMS-QIP Report Generation. Download this fact sheet from the CDC to learn more. 
NKF News and Updates
Are you a Runner?
Team Kidney is the National Kidney Foundation's new endurance program where you can run, jump ride, swim - anything that makes you sweat- to raise funds to enhance the lives of everyone with or at risk of kidney disease. Whether you participate in honor of someone or you yourself have kidney disease, Team Kidney will be with you every step of your training.

Upcoming Events
Philadelphia Marathon: November 21st & 22nd - Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Love Run: March 2016 - Philadelphia, PA
Free Kidney Transplant Lunch and Learns
QIRN4 is committed to sharing all upcoming educational opportunities with the ESRD community.  Learn more about a free kidney transplant lunch and learn session on November 15, 2015. Please share this event flyer with your patients.
A Comparison of the New Dialysis Facility Star Ratings to the Original
On Oct. 8, CMS released the second round of its dialysis facility star rating system, and most of the dialysis facilities rated in CMS' Dialysis Facility Compare Star Rating Program in January 2015 and again in October 2015 received the same star rating each time. The program was launched in January as part of CMS' Dialysis Facility Compare website, which offers information on how clinics perform based on certain quality measures. Learn more.
CMS Releases Final Rule for 2016 ESRD Payment Bundle
CMS released the final rule yesterday for the ESRD payment bundle for dialysis facilities and the ESRD Quality Incentive Program for 2016. There were few changes from the proposed rule to the final rule, and despite a strong effort to encourage CMS to pay more for home hemodialysis training, the agency declined to take action. Learn more.
Emergency Preparedness
Shelter-in-Place Resources  
A disaster can occur at any time or any day of the week.   In many disasters it is necessary to 'shelter-in-place'.  "Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are whether it be at home, work, school, or somewhere in between. Download this flyer for more information. A Spanish version is also available. 

Flu Preparedness

You can take action now to help limit the spread of germs that cause the flu. Download this flyer for more information. A Spanish version is also available. 

Submit Your Emergency Preparedness Articles

Our focus at QIRN4 is to "Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare." If you have any disaster preparedness articles or links, please e-mail your information to [email protected] so it may be posted in our bi-weekly newsletter.
 
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 Web site. You can also check the QIRN4 website for updates that include material from the Information Exchange.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This bi-weekly e-newsletter will serve as our primary method of communicating important news and updates. We encourage you to visit our Web site for the most up-to-date information or to contact us with questions, comments or suggestions.

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Quality Insights Renal Network 4
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