Page Title

Save the FRM Table of = Contents?

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 6, April 2009

ESRD Network 13

= Electronic

Doctor= s Dossabhoy, Sequeira, Sachdeva, Abreo, Rabideau and Blondin, Network 13 ne= phrologists, gather after the short course “Interventional Tools and = Techniques to Improve AVF Utilization&#= 8221; at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Dr. Rabideau serves as N= etwork 13 QIC Co-chair and = member of the Medical Review Board.

Did you like the chang= e this past year in the Network 13 Facility Resource Mate= rials (FRM)? The Network supplied a laminated table of contents = along with the FRM CD to facilitate finding the resources more efficiently.= If you would like to have this laminated table of contents (pictured= right) again this year, please click here= and hit send to let the Network know this resource is va= luable to our professional audience. If we do not hear from enough of you r= egarding a preference for this format, the Network will supply only the FRM= CD and a paper version of the table of contents this year. Thank you for y= our input!

<= ![endif]>

L to R: Doctors Dossabhoy, Sequeira, Sachdeva and= Abreo pose for a picture after presenting the course, “Interventiona= l Tools and Techniques to Improve AVF Utilization” in Shreveport, Lou= isiana.

Links to Network 13 Web site

Quality Improvement<= /p>

Fistula First

Project CROWNWeb

Evaluate this Newsletter=

Disaster Resource Materials

Previous Editions

Upcoming Events

Data

Networ= k 13 staff member Jason Clem prepares for “Strategies to Improve Vasc= ular Access Outcomes in the Greater Shreveport Area” at the Mabry Hou= se in March.

RN Cha= rla Litton, RN Kathey Day and RN Linda Bethea pose for a pictur= e during the presentation “Strategies to Improve Vascular Access = ; Outcomes” in Shreve= port this past March.

Dr. Sa= tyaki Banerjee presents during the short course = 220;Interventional Tools and Tech= niques to Improve AVF Utilization”= ; at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shre= veport. March 2009.

Dr. Kenneth Abreo, chief of the&nbs= p; nephrology division at LSU Health Sc= iences Center, discusses im= proving vascular access out= comes in the Shreveport urban area in March 2009.

RN Linda Bethea assists two N= etwork 13 AVF Evaluation and Cannulation training participants cannulate a = practice arm in Shreveport during the “Madness in March” event.=

Network 13 staff Cheryl George and = Jason Clem greet guests during a Shreveport “Madness in March” = event.

RN Judy Coursey, patient care = coordinator for inpa= tient and = outpatient hemodialysis at Willis Knighton Health System, cannulates a pra= ctice arm using pain-reducing techniques learned at the Network 13 AVF Eval= uation and Cannulation training on Thursday, March 12, 2009 in Shreveport.<= /span>

More Details

Quality Improvement

Infections are the second leading cause of death (13.6%) = among hemodialysis patients according, to the U.S. Renal Data System = 2007 Annual Data Report. Due to a = suppressed immune system, hemodialysis patients are at a= high risk for infection. Added risk factors include the frequency of dialy= sis procedures in the chronic setting, hospitalizations and drug resistant = organisms. A CDC press release January 6, 2009 states that in the last decade more than= 60,000 patients have been tested for Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HC= V) due to healthcare personnel failing to follow infection control practice= s.

Preventing Infection in the Dial= ysis Facility

The FDA alerted consumers nationwide not to purch= ase or consume more than 25 different products marketed for weight loss bec= ause they contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may pu= t consumers’ health at risk...

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 &n= bsp; community delivered directly from the U.S. Food & Drug Admin= istration. Join here.

Subscribe to the FDA MedWatch E-= List

The Mission of the EndoVascular Forum is to impro= ve the treatment and prevention of endovascular and cardiovascular diseases= through the advancement of medical care and the use of electronic collabor= ative intelligence instruments. This is accomplished through using the Web = as a care advancement instrument to unite and connect a global, multidiscip= linary medical peer community that disseminates its experiences, innovation= s and insights from controversial, complex and pioneering clinical cases. T= hese exchanges serve to further the professional development of clinicians,= the effectiveness and efficiencies of clinical interventions, and the acce= ss to and production of real-time evidence at the site of care. Click below to go to the NANT Web site for ad= ditional information about this interventional resource. www.endovascular.org.

Info to Help Move Your AVFs from= Placed to Used

More Articles from Region VI

Region VI Insider

During spring, the Network’s expectations a= re that all applicable dialysis and &nbs= p; transplant providers will 1) monitor weather conditions: 2) have visited= their disaster plans; and, 3) implement actions as necessary. Remembe= r to keep open lines of communication for patients and staff...

More Details

Spring Weather Preparedness

Network 13 Hosts “Madness = in March” in Shreveport

Network QI staff recently hosted “Madness i= n March,” a three-day vascular access educational marathon in S= hreveport, LA to provide AVF education and awareness to healthcare provider= s working with hemodialysis patients. The event ran from March 11 through 1= 3.

A personal health record (PHR) keeps the medical = information of Medicare &nbs= p; beneficiaries at their fingertips without = the hassle of shuffling through papers. PHRs are a safe and confidential wa= y to store and track one’s health history and other = important medical information in one place. A PHR can he= lp doctors by providing a complete picture of a patient’s health and = the information they need to give the best care and avoid duplicate tests a= nd medical errors.

Community Information & Outreach

CROWNWeb Update

<= span lang=3Den-US style=3D'font-size:7.0pt;line-height:125%;font-family:Verdan= a; language:en-US'>To remove your name from our mailing list, please = click here.

Questions or comments? Email us = at nycu_editor@nw13.esrd.net or call 405-942-6000

ESRD Network 13

4200 Perimeter Center Drive, Suite 10= 2

Oklahoma City, OK 73112

(405) 942-6000

www.network13.org

&nb= sp;

The NANT Annual Training Conference w= as held February 10-12, 2009 in Las Vegas, NV. The presentations that speakers provided at the Symposium= are now available in Acrobat format. Use the link below to access th= e presentations and the important timely information they provide for PCTs.=

Mental Health Issues and Interve= ntion WebEx

This material was prepared by Network 13 under contract #HHSM-500-= 2006-NW013C with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). = The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy.

Please remember to pass along resources obtained = from Network 13 to your patients. We value our common goal of improving qua= lity of care . Thank you for all your efforts!

Reminder*

Clearinghouse Materials Availabl= e for Professionals

More Details

Network 13 sent the spring edition of the patient= newsletter, Kidney Koncerns, to patients and social workers in April. The issue= featured stories about a patient with an AVF, home hemodialysis and the te= mporary use of a central line catheter. View the newsletter here. (Large files may take some time to download.) Talk with your p= atients about contributing to the newsletter with stories, poetry or suppor= t group information. To view archived newsletters, click here.

Quarterly Patient Newsletter

More Details

Educational Opportunities for Pa= tient Care Technicians

ANNA chapters in the Network 13 area are busy hos= ting activities. If you would like to report your activities for publicatio= n, please send information here.

More Details

ANNA Chapter Activities Within N= etwork 13

There are only two more sessions in the Net= work 13 Educational WebEx presentations! Don’t forget to mark yo= ur calendars. May’s topic is Mental Health Issues and Interventi= on. The April topic focused on End of Life Conversations and = Resources. View schedule.

Network 13 has many educational resources availab= le in the Clearinghouse Library maintained in the office. Clearinghou= se educational materials are available to &nbs= p; professionals, patients, family members and other inte= rested parties. Upon request the Network staff will mail items to you, if a= vailable or help you download the = materials. Most items can be kept, but books and videos = must be returned within 30 days. Access the inventory list here. Contact Heather Riaz, NW 13 Communications Director, to receive Clearin= ghouse materials.

More Details

NW 13 Hospital Participates in M= ulti-State “Domino” Kidney Transplant

Medicare provides a Web site called Dialysis Faci= lity Compare, and it allows patients and professionals to view important&nb= sp; information about dialysis facilities in the U.S. It provides informati= on about dialysis facility services, quality measures and other renal resou= rces. Please inform your patients about this valuable resource. For detaile= d instructions about how to use the DFC Web site, click here.

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

The pov= erty guidelines are one version of the federal poverty measure. Th= ey are issued yearly in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services<= /span> (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the p= overty thresholds used for administrative purposes — for instance, determining financial eligibility= for certain federal programs. View the 2009 guidelines.

2009 Fede= ral Poverty Guidelines Available

Data Corner

CROWNWeb is currently in Phase I of implementation. = There are four Networks participating with each having two facilities pilot= ing the system. We have been notified that Phase II will begin this summer. All 18 Networks will be involved in Phase II, with each Network having up to 10 facilities. If you would lik= e to volunteer your facility for Phase II participation, please email Nellie Hedrick at nhedrick@nw13.esrd.net so we may place you on the list for consideration.

Surgical teams successfully completed Feb. 14 the= first six-way, multi-hospital, domino kidney transplant. All six donors ar= e in good condition, according to Robert = ; Montgomery, MD, PhD, chief transplant surgeon at Johns = Hopkins. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Barnes-J= ewish Hospital in St. Louis and Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma= City participated in the operation. For more information visit the Renal B= usiness Today Web site link below.

The procedure, kidney paired donation (KPD), take= s a group of incompatible donor-recipient pairs (recipients coming to one o= f the three hospitals with a willing donor who is not compatible by blood o= r tissue) and matches them with other pairs in a similar predicament.

For the latest information from CDC regarding Swine = Flu please click here.

News You Can Use<= /span>

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