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Attention facility staff members: This newsletter i= s formatted to be viewed best in Microsoft Outlook. If you are having= difficulty viewing this newsletter using a different e-mail system such as= Yahoo!, Google or Hotmail, please view the Web version here. =

Network 13 is having an issue reaching some of you via e-mail due = to our e-mails being directed to your junk folder. Please add our dom= ain “nw13.esrd.net” to your trusted sites so that our e-mails w= ill get through to you. If you do not know how to do this please cont= act the person(s) who maintains your e-mail systems. Thank You!

Volume 7, July 2009

ESRD Network 13

= Electronic

L to R: Debbie Wolfe and Meryl Slowik pause= for a picture at the Network 13 event, “My Experience with Fistula F= irst,” in New Orleans in June. Dr. William Jennings of OU presented.&= nbsp;

Links to Network 13 Web site

Quality Improvement<= /p>

Fistula First

Project CROWNWeb

Evaluate this Newsletter=

Disaster Resource Materials

Previous Editions

Upcoming Events

Data

Dr. Wi= lliam Jennings, vascular surgeon from OU, demonstrates vessel mapping on Dr= . Eric Simon, nephrologist from Tulane. The demonstration was part of Dr. J= ennings’ presentation “Creating AVF in All Eligible Hemodialysi= s Patients” in New Orleans in June.

Dr. Wi= lliam Jennings and Linda Duval, RN, Network 13 QI Director, pose for a pict= ure after his evening Fistula First presentation in New Orleans at Le Pavil= lon Hotel.

News You Can Use<= /span>

= Your Network 13 e-source for renal news.
Evaluate&nbs= p; e-NYCU here.

New Or= leans area nurses and PCTs attend the AVF Evaluation and Cannulation course= presented by Cheryl George, NW 13 QI Nurse, in New Orleans in June.

Quality Improvement

Network 13 Holds AV Fistula Educ= ational Events in New Orleans

Hepatitis B Vaccine Shortage

In December 2008, Merck communicated with CDC tha= t it expected to deplete available adult and dialysis formulations of their= hepatitis B vaccine, Recombivax HB® in the first quarter of 2009. Once= depleted, these formulations will be unavailable for the remainder of 2009= . For the latest updates about this issue, click here to visit the CDC Web site.

More Details

Network 13 To Release 2009 FRM i= n August

Network = 13’s 2009 Facility Resource Materials (FRM) CD is in its final stages= of development. In early August, the CD will be mailed to Nurse Mana= gers and Medical Directors, along with a cover letter, hard copy table of c= ontents, list of Network Standards and Recommendations, a verification of r= eceipt form for you to complete and return, and a schedule of WebEx Trainin= g opportunities for to learn what’s new in this year’s FRM.&nbs= p;

More Details = Flyer

Earlier this year the reimbursement rate for AV f= istulas was modified to make it comparable to the reimbursement for AV graf= ts. The FFBI Coalition members worked hard to build the case for this= change, which we hope will positively impact the placement of AVFs in hemo= dialysis patients. We recognize that many of you are already promotin= g this change, and to assist your efforts the Fistula First team has develo= ped the attached informational flyer.

Level Payment Field for AVF &= ; AVG– A Letter From Fistula First

FDA notified healthcare professi= onals that it is taking several actions to reduce the risk of overdose in p= atients using pain medications that contain propoxyphene because of data li= nking propoxyphene and fatal overdoses...

More Alerts

FDA Medwatch Alerts

The FDA MedWatch e-list provides clinically impor= tant medical product safety alerts and concise, timely information about dr= ugs and devices relevant to the renal community delivered directly from the= U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Join here.

Subscribe to the FDA MedWatch E-= List

Both Oseltamivir (Tamiflu(r)) and Zanamavir (Rele= nza(r)) are almost 100% eliminated by the kidneys; however, there is no dos= age adjustment in kidney failure for Zanamavir because it is inhaled and mo= st of the dose is not absorbed systemically.

Dosing Recommen= dations for Anti-Virals used for Prophylaxis and Treatment of Influenza in = ESRD Patients

More Articles from Region VI

Region VI Insider

Do you have Medicare patients who cannot afford t= heir medications? Extra help is available to help cover prescription = costs for qualified individuals once enrolled in a Medicare Prescription Dr= ug Plan. If they qualify and are not already enrolled in a Medicare p= lan, they will be given a special election period to enroll with coverage s= tarting the 1^st of the following mo= nth.

The time is here, and it is important for both di= alysis patients and professionals to be prepared for a hurricane, cyclone, = typhoon or other tropical storm in their area. Reference the 2009 Network 13 Disaster= Preparedness Resources to learn or update yourself on important disaster prepar= edness information. Contact the Network office for any questions about rece= ntly released disaster materials (patient ID cards, etc.). The CDC has addi= tional resources for planning and preparing for emergency situations. = Click below to view the CDC resources.

More Details

Hurricane, Cyclone, Typhoon and = Tropical Storm Preparedness

More Details

Are you interested in having an AVF Evaluation an= d Cannulation training session in your area? Cheryl George, Network 13 QI N= urse, has presented the course in many Network 13 urban areas. Recently, sh= e presented four sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana in June and two session= s in Tulsa, Oklahoma in July. The three-hour presentation and hands-on trai= ning reviews the vascular access process that helps nurses and patient care= technicians better understand the many issues surrounding successful evalu= ation, cannulation and care of the hemodialysis patient’s lifeline...=

More Details

Network 13 Hosts Training Sessio= ns in New Orleans and Tulsa

Community Information & Outreach

Network 13 2009 Fistula First To= olkit

The Fistula First Toolkit has been updated and wi= ll be sent to dialysis facilities on a CD via U.S. mail in the coming month= s. It is also available via the Network 13 Web site here. For more info= rmation about Fistula First, visit the Network 13 QI Web site here.

Network 13 Vascular Access Trend= s Report Available

The latest Network 13 vascular access trends repo= rt was mailed to facilities the second week of July. If you have not alread= y received your facility’s report, it will arrive soon. View a = copy of the urban area analysis graph and the acknowledgment of high perfor= ming facilities here.

Quarterly Patient Newsletter

Network 13 sent the summer edition of the patient= newsletter, Kidney Koncerns, to patients and social workers in July. The issue featured sto= ries about a patient who celebrates her 12-year kidney transplant anniversa= ry this year and one patient who chose to make the best of meal planning by= hitting the kitchen! View the newsletter here. (Large files may take some time to download.) Talk with your pa= tients about contributing to the newsletter with stories, poetry or support= group information. To view archived newsletters, click here.

Medicare provides a Web site called Dialysis Faci= lity Compare, which allows patients and professionals to view important&nbs= p; information about dialysis facilities in the U.S. It provides informatio= n about dialysis facility services, quality measures and other renal resour= ces. If you would like written materials to provide to patients regar= ding this resource, contact the Network office. Please inform your patients= about this valuable resource. For detailed instructions about how to use t= he DFC Web site, click here.

Dialysis Facility Compare (DFC) = Web site Provides Important Information

ESRD Network 13’s 2008 Annual Report is now= available for perusal or download from the Network Web site. This re= port describes the Network’s 2008 activities conducted to improve qua= lity of care and quality of life for ESRD patients in our community, mainta= in accurate data on the dialysis and transplant patients we serve, address = patient concerns and grievances, and build and nurture partnerships with co= alitions and other entities concerned about the quality of care provided to= renal patients. Additional demographic and quality improvement information= is provided via tables and graphics. An Executive Summary/Highlights docum= ent will be distributed soon. View the 2008 and past annual reports = here.

2008 Network 13 Annual Report No= w Available on the Web!

Data Corner

More Details

Network 13 Facilities Join CROWN= Web for Phase II

More Details

We would like to thank the staff members of the f= ollowing dialysis units for their willingness to work with us in this phase= of the National roll-out of CROWNWeb. The energy and time they put i= nto working with us on this project will help all facilities as we move for= ward into full use of this system.

A new video explaining the MLN and its benefits t= o Fee-For-Service healthcare providers, is now available for download on th= e CMS website. This video, approximately seven minutes in length, is = suitable for self instruction or for use during provider education events.&= nbsp; National associations and organizations may want to consider posting = this video to their websites to educate their membership on the products an= d services of the MLN. You can access the video here MLN Video - Quick and Basic Inf= ormation about the MLN and its Benefits to Providers [ZIP, 44.1MB] &nb= sp; , please note the large file size, download speeds will v= ary based on your internet connection.

Medicare Learning Network (MLN) = Video Now Available for Download