Sign Up Now for a Network Webinar Event- Tomorrow 1/26/16!
IPRO's ESRD Network Program will be hosting a Webinar Event on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 1:00-2:00 PM. The Webinar will provide an overview of the ESRD Network Program including Network departments, role and responsibilities, and technical assistance. The Webinar will also detail the 2016-2020 ESRD Statement of Work.
 

To register click here and search for the IPRO ESRD Network Program. For more information view the full flyer, or contact the Network at (203) 387-9332.

Introducing the New ESRD Network Program Website!
IPRO's ESRD Network Program proudly serves three Network areas: New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island), New York State, and the Ohio River Valley (Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio). Collaborating with renal patients, their families, care partners and healthcare practitioners, the IPRO ESRD Network Program works to help improve the quality of life of those affected by kidney disease.
 
 
To learn more about the services offered to the Network areas served by IPRO's ESRD Network Program, please visit our NEW and IMPROVED website by clicking here!

 
Patient Services
Patient Subject Matter Experts
To enhance the development of our Network activities, the IPRO ESRD Network of New England is seeking committed and informed patients to advise in promoting quality of care for their fellow patients. These patients will serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and will assist the Network in developing patient-centered projects mandated by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Social Workers, please discuss this opportunity with your patients, and encourage them to volunteer to be a SME. PAC Representatives, please consider being a Patient SME in addition to your PAC duties.  2015 patient SMEs have already been sent an e-mail about renewing participation for 2016.
 
The role of a Patient SME:
  • Participate on conference calls, as needed
  • Review and develop educational materials
  • Discuss planning for educational events (Webinars, Meetings, Conference Calls)
  • Evaluate project interventions
  •  Share ideas/concerns/thoughts to enhance learning for all
For more information please visit the ESRD Network Program website. If you have a patient that is interested in becoming a Subject Matter Expert please use this form and fax to (203) 389-9902 by Wednesday, February 10, 2016.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Kayla Abella, Community Outreach Coordinator here or by calling (203) 285-1223.

Emergency/Disaster Reporting Requirements
Regional, local, and facility level events that impact operations of dialysis facilities, or patient access to treatment during normal operating hours,must be reported to both the Network and the State Department of Health within 24 hours of the event. This includes any inclement weather, which alters patient treatment schedules.


The Network is required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to track the status of facility operations and patient access to treatment during emergency events. 


For more information please visit the Network website or contact the IPRO ESRD Network of New England Patient Services Department for reporting requirements at (203) 285-1213.

 
Quality Improvement
2016 Quality Improvement Activities
The following two 2016 quality improvement activities (QIAs) have been initiated. If you have any questions about your inclusion in these activities or requirements related to these, please refer to the Network website:
Please note that contracts for each project were distributed. If you are included in these activities and have not received this form, please contact the Network Quality Improvement department.


5 Diamond Patient Safety Program Announcement
5 Diamond Patient Safety The 5 Diamond Patient Safety Program, in place since 2008, has provided a resource for the community to incorporate patient safety into their organizational culture. For each module successfully completed, the facility is awarded a "Diamond" culminating in the 5-Diamond Facility recognition once program objectives are completed. In 2015 this program became entirely web- based thanks to a number of partners, most notably the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition (Network 5), who manage the program at a National level.
The IPRO ESRD Program will no longer be listed as "participating" Networks; however the 5 Diamond Program resources are still available for facilities to use and garner recognition for module completion and Diamond status. The only change you will see at the facility level will be in registration and the key contact for inquiries. Beginning in 2016, the Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition (Network 5) will be reviewing submitted modules and reporting forms and approving these from the national level, with the exception of those under the Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) umbrella, who are participating as an organization. We would like to thank Network 5 for their dedication to this program, and encourage facilities to continue to utilize these modules for education about patient safety.

 
Data Management
QIP- ICH CAHPS Attestation in CROWNWeb
Facilities that are not eligible for ICH CAHPS reporting measure because they did not treat a sufficient number of eligible patients for CY 2015 must attest to this in CROWNWeb before January 31, 2016. If your facility treated less than 30 eligible patients you will enter N/A and attest that your facility is not eligible for ICH CAHPS reporting measure. Please click here for more information.


The exclusion criteria includes:
  1. Facilities treating fewer than 30 eligible in-center hemodialysis adult patients during the "eligibility period," which is defined as the year prior to the performance period
  2. Facilities that treat 30 or more eligible in-center hemodialysis adult patients during the "eligibility period," but are unable to obtain at least 30 completed surveys during the performance period
  3. Facilities with a CCN open date after January 1, 2015
  4. Facilities not offering in-center hemodialysis
  5. The following patients are excluded from the count of 30 eligible patients: A) patients less than 18 years on the last day of the sampling window for the semiannual survey. B) patients receiving hemodialysis from their current facility for less than 90 days. C) patients receiving hospice care. D) patients currently residing in an institution, such as a residential nursing home or other long-term care facility, or a jail or prison.
If your facility treated more than 30 eligible patients, you do not have to attest in CROWNWeb. You will leave this field blank as mentioned in the CROWNWeb town hall meeting dated December 17, 2015. Please see the slide set for more information. 
 
   




Important CROWNWeb Information
As of January 1, 2016, all facilities are required to follow the new CMS Data Management Guidelines. If you are a member of a dialysis facility, you are considered a Tier 1 CROWNWeb Data ManagerPlease see page 52 of the document for a one page list of your CROWNWeb responsibilities along with the new due dates for 2016.


CMS-2744 Annual Facility Survey Schedule:
  • February 15, 2016- Deadline for generating the 2744
  • April 1, 2016- Final Due Date for submission of completed 2744 forms to the IPRO ESRD Network of New England for approval
 
Upcoming Meeting & Events
Tuesday, January 26, 2016- IPRO ESRD Program Webinar Please follow the instructions attached here to register! 

 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016- Bringing QAPI to Life: From Tool to Tangible Results hosted by the National Renal Administrators Association's Webinar Wednesdays

 

Wednesday, April 27- May 1, 2016- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA.


IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease Network of New England, the ESRD Organization for Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, prepared this material under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. CMS Contract Number: HHSM-500-2016-00019C.


IPRO ESRD Network of New England | 1952 Whitney Avenue, 2nd Floor | Hamden | CT | 06517