This ESRD facility monthly newsletter highlights the latest ESRD insights and resources. Our goal is to provide you with a resource that makes it easy for you to stay on top of trends and support you in providing the best possible care for those you work with and serve.
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In This Issue:
- News You Can Use
- New Network changes, LAN recordings, and updated Speak Up grievance posters
- Going the Extra Mile
- Spotlight on Katie Fay, LMSW, for her dedication to patient welfare
- Patient Services
- CLAS in-service training resources and action plans
- Home Dialysis
- Experience the Difference program benefits
- Hospital Admissions, Readmissions and Emergency Visits
- Key symptoms and resources for sepsis prevention and education
- Transplant
- Promoting transplant advocacy through peer mentorship
- Vaccinations
- Updated COVID-19 vaccination guidelines and resources
- Patient and Family Engagement
- Resources for creating patient life plans
- EQRS
- Upcoming changes to Form CMS-2728 and Form CMS-2746
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News You Can Use
Important News and Updates
New LAN Recordings Available on ESRD NCC Website
- Debbie O’Daniel, employed with Network 14 for nearly 30 years, retired on July 12. We miss her tremendously and wish her the best. If you previously contacted Debbie for information, please email NW8info@allianthealth.org for Network 8 requests or NW14Info@allianthealth.org for Network 14 requests. If the request concerns EQRS needs, use the EQRS Help Desk Ticket. This will get your request in the queue and minimize delays.
- The Network 8 office relocated on August 1. All mail for both Networks is now processed centrally. Our new mailing address is P.O. Box 105337, Atlanta, GA 30348.
- Texas facilities: Effective May 1, 2024, Network 14 no longer manages user accounts or access to EMResource or facilities. All requests for access to the system need to be submitted to:
- Juvare Support
- Phone: +1 (877) 771-0911
- Email: support@juvare.com
New LAN Recordings Available on ESRD NCC Website
- Two new LAN recordings have been posted on the ESRD NCC website. You can view the July 18, 2024, Health Equity presentation and the July 11, 2024, home dialysis presentation here. You can also access additional resources at this link by choosing from the menu at the top right of the page.
- Arbor Research hosted a webinar on July 16 to review PY 2025 QIP preview period purpose and changes to measures. View Slides
- A webinar on August 13 discussed the calendar year 2025 QIP changes (PY 2027) in detail. Slides will be posted here by the end of August.
- We updated our Speak Up Grievance posters with our new mailing address and added a QR Code for easy patient access. Download the appropriate state-specific poster (also available in Spanish), and print it on legal-size paper. Please replace the old poster with the new version as soon as possible. Get the poster from the links below:
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Going the Extra Mile: Dedicated Social Worker Goes Above and Beyond To Support a Patient in Need
Katie Fay, a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) at DCI Medical Center, personified going the extra mile to re-engage with a patient. Concerned about the patient’s welfare due to increased missed treatments and frequent hospitalizations, the facility attempted to locate the patient without success. Since this behavior was uncharacteristic, it was suspected that the patient might be suffering from depression.
The first welfare check was unsuccessful, leading to coordination with the landlord to allow officers to enter the home. Katie met the officers at the patient’s home to help the patient understand how concerned the staff were. Subsequently, the patient’s family was contacted and asked to provide extra emotional support. Despite the outcome not meeting their hopes, the entire team at DCI Medical Center worked tirelessly to provide personalized care for this patient. Thank you to the DCI Medical Center team for their unwavering dedication and efforts in supporting this patient.
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Patient Services
Staff In-Service Training Opportunity for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS)
Check out the links below for a one-page guide outlining CLAS, a framework for addressing cultural, physical, and health equity differences in patient care, and an ESRD CLAS Action Plan, which contains brief patient case studies from health care facilities across the country. Each case study includes a roadmap that can be used to educate staff members on the best practices for communicating and advocating for patients who experience these health disparities.
Contacts:
Network 8: ericka.webb@allianthealth.org
Network 14: cassandra.hanna@allianthealth.org
Network 8: ericka.webb@allianthealth.org
Network 14: cassandra.hanna@allianthealth.org
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Home Dialysis
Want to know what all the clinics are talking about? It’s "Experience the Difference." Many in-center programs have "Experience the Difference," a method for patients to test drive a home modality and experience the benefits of more frequent dialysis. Here are just a few of the potential benefits of more frequent home hemodialysis:
- More energy and vitality with improved post-dialysis recovery time.
- Less stress on the heart and fewer medications.
- Greater schedule flexibility with the ability to work and/or attend school.
- Improved sleep quality.
- Improved appetite and possibly fewer dietary restrictions.
- Increased likelihood of being on the transplant list
Home Dialysis Contacts:
Network 8: katherine.buntin@allianthealth.org
Network 14: grace.robbins@allianthealth.org
Network 8: katherine.buntin@allianthealth.org
Network 14: grace.robbins@allianthealth.org
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Hospital Admissions, Readmissions and ER Visits
September is Sepsis Awareness Month. Sepsis is very common in ESRD patients and is the second leading cause of death in patients with ESRD. Sepsis is also the leading cause of death in hospitals and the number one diagnosis for hospital admission for our Networks. The only way to avoid sepsis is for staff and patients to prevent or quickly identify and treat infections. All staff and all patients should know what sepsis is and what it is not, understand the signs and symptoms, and know when to seek help.
Chances of dying from sepsis increase by up to 8% for every hour it is not effectively treated. People experiencing a combination of the symptoms listed below should seek urgent medical care, asking, “Could it be sepsis?”
Sepsis Alliance has created an initiative, It’s About TIMETM, to help remember basic symptoms.
T: Temperature – higher or lower than normal
I: Infection – may have signs and symptoms of an infection
M: Mental Decline – confused, sleepy, difficult to rouse
E: Extremely Ill – severe pain, discomfort, shortness of breath
Other symptoms of sepsis can include a drop in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, rapid respirations (breathing), chills (shivering), little or no urine output, and skin rash or change of skin color.
View the resources below to learn more about sepsis and find educational materials for your staff and patients. These resources would be perfect for creating a bulletin board. If you create one, send us a photo so we can feature it in an upcoming newsletter!
Sepsis Alliance has created an initiative, It’s About TIMETM, to help remember basic symptoms.
T: Temperature – higher or lower than normal
I: Infection – may have signs and symptoms of an infection
M: Mental Decline – confused, sleepy, difficult to rouse
E: Extremely Ill – severe pain, discomfort, shortness of breath
Other symptoms of sepsis can include a drop in blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, rapid respirations (breathing), chills (shivering), little or no urine output, and skin rash or change of skin color.
View the resources below to learn more about sepsis and find educational materials for your staff and patients. These resources would be perfect for creating a bulletin board. If you create one, send us a photo so we can feature it in an upcoming newsletter!
Resource:
- Sepsis Zone Tool (English | Spanish)
- Get Ahead of Sepsis
- The Story of Nile Moss: One Family’s Struggle with Sepsis (video)
- Sepsis Alliance
Hospitalization Contact: koby.guthrie@allianthealth.org
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Transplant
Patients who received directed donor kidney transplants and their living donors can serve as powerful and trusted advocates of transplants. They can ease other patients’ fears by answering questions and providing emotional support through sharing their transplant and donation experiences. Connecting with someone who has received a transplant or donated a kidney to learn how the choice to pursue a transplant and kidney donation impacted their life can be a positive life-changing experience.
Utilize patients with transplants and their living donors as peer mentors to encourage and empower other patients by inviting them to speak with patients or join lobby days. Review the NCC’s Transplant Trailblazer Program handout with your staff to learn how your facility can implement a trailblazer.
Utilize patients with transplants and their living donors as peer mentors to encourage and empower other patients by inviting them to speak with patients or join lobby days. Review the NCC’s Transplant Trailblazer Program handout with your staff to learn how your facility can implement a trailblazer.
Transplant Contact: arlandra.taylor@allianthealth.org
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Vaccinations
Per the CDC, last season, people who received a 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine saw greater protection against illness and hospitalization. To date, hundreds of millions of people have safely received a COVID-19 vaccine under the most intense vaccine safety monitoring in United States history.
It is safe to receive both the COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same visit. Receiving both vaccines is crucial for preventing severe outcomes. In 2023, over 916,300 people were hospitalized due to COVID-19, and more than 75,500 died. During the 2023-2024 flu season, an estimated 44,900 people died from flu complications.
CDC’s current 2024-25 COVID-19 Vaccination recommendations for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are as follows:
CMS continues to require monthly reporting of COVID-19 vaccinations via NHSN for staff and patients. Please update your vaccination data each month and ensure your data is submitted in a timely manner.
Paying for COVID-19 Vaccines:
CDC’s current 2024-25 COVID-19 Vaccination recommendations for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are as follows:
- No previous COVID vaccinations: Two or three doses of the same brand of updated COVID-19 vaccine.
- Aged 6 months and older and got COVID-19 vaccines before September 12, 2023: One or two doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the person’s age and the number of doses they received previously. Reference: COVID-19 Vaccinations for Immunocompromised 2024
- 65 years and older and received one dose of any updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine: One additional dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after their last recommended updated dose.
- If younger than 65 years old: One additional dose of an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after their last recommended updated dose.
CMS continues to require monthly reporting of COVID-19 vaccinations via NHSN for staff and patients. Please update your vaccination data each month and ensure your data is submitted in a timely manner.
Paying for COVID-19 Vaccines:
- Most people can get no-cost updated COVID-19 vaccines through their private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid plans.
- Adults without health insurance and those whose insurance does not cover all vaccine costs can get the updated COVID-19 vaccine at no cost at healthcare providers, federally supported health centers, and select pharmacy locations participating in the CDC's Bridge Access Program.
Vaccination Contact: hayley.errington@alllianthealth.org
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Patient and Family Engagement (PFE)
CMS expects Medicare-certified facilities to set goals (also called life plans), integrate them into the patient’s plan of care, provide a patient-patient support program, and incorporate a patient’s voice in their QAPI (quality meetings). Below are some resources from the ESRD NCC to assist you with developing goals/life plans for your patients. Goals/life plans are created by meeting with patients and identifying their personal goals during assessments. If you are doing this, answer “yes” to life plans on the next Patient and Family Engagement Survey that you will receive in November. Be sure to give yourself credit for the great work you are doing!
Resources:
For Professionals:
For Professionals:
- Creating a Life Plan
- Module Part 2: Assisting Patients with Life Planning
- Module Part 3: Helping Patinet Stay on Track with Their Life PlansFor Patients
Patient and Family Engagement Contacts:
Network 8: casey.rich@allianthealth.org
Network 14: ericka.webb@allianthealth.org
Network 8: casey.rich@allianthealth.org
Network 14: ericka.webb@allianthealth.org
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EQRS
Effective October 1, 2024, the updated Form CMS-2728 will automatically generate in the EQRS Patient Registry application whenever an Initial, Re-entitlement, or Supplemental Form CMS-2728 is added. The EQRS version will align with the version released on CMS.gov on this date.
The updated Form CMS-2728 in EQRS will capture additional patient details in sections A, B, C, and F. It will also contain an updated International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 List of Primary Causes of Renal Disease.
View the Reference Guide: Form CMS-2728 Updates for information on the new fields that will be required for successful submission to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Additionally, users can refer to the Form CMS-2728 Updates: FAQs when completing Form CMS-2728. These resources are available on the Education page on mycrownweb.org.
Coming soon: CMS has announced that the updated Form CMS-2746 is now available to download and preview.
Note: EQRS will continue to generate the existing version 2018 Form CMS-2746 until October 1, 2024. The use of any Form CMS-2746 other than what is available in EQRS is not authorized.
For additional information on the Form CMS-2746 updates, refer to the Reference Guide: Form CMS-2746 Updates as a quick reference tool when completing Form CMS-2746. This resource is available on the Education page on mycrownweb.org.
The updated Form CMS-2728 in EQRS will capture additional patient details in sections A, B, C, and F. It will also contain an updated International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 List of Primary Causes of Renal Disease.
View the Reference Guide: Form CMS-2728 Updates for information on the new fields that will be required for successful submission to the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Additionally, users can refer to the Form CMS-2728 Updates: FAQs when completing Form CMS-2728. These resources are available on the Education page on mycrownweb.org.
Coming soon: CMS has announced that the updated Form CMS-2746 is now available to download and preview.
Note: EQRS will continue to generate the existing version 2018 Form CMS-2746 until October 1, 2024. The use of any Form CMS-2746 other than what is available in EQRS is not authorized.
For additional information on the Form CMS-2746 updates, refer to the Reference Guide: Form CMS-2746 Updates as a quick reference tool when completing Form CMS-2746. This resource is available on the Education page on mycrownweb.org.
Resource:
- Visit https://mycrownweb.org/ for EQRS news and access to upcoming trainings and prior Town Hall events.
EQRS Contacts:
robert.bain@allianthealth.org, mary.dearman@allianthealth.org or lenard.justice@allianthealth.org
robert.bain@allianthealth.org, mary.dearman@allianthealth.org or lenard.justice@allianthealth.org
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Copyright © 2025, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
ESRD Network 8
775 Woodlands Parkway, Suite 300
Ridgeland, MS 39157
ESRD Network 14
4099 McEwen Rd., Suite 820
Dallas, TX 75244
Our mailing address is:
ESRD Network 8
775 Woodlands Parkway, Suite 300
Ridgeland, MS 39157
ESRD Network 14
4099 McEwen Rd., Suite 820
Dallas, TX 75244