WINTER SNOW WARNING
-- Posted Monday, February 8, 2010 --
The Network has enacted its Emergency Preparedness Plan due to the winter snow storm we experienced from last Friday. Many areas are still without power. Road conditions are only fair with many roads not yet plowed. The National Guard is in Pittsburgh to assist with road conditions. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for tomorrow into Wednesday when we are to expect another 4–8 inches of snow.
Due to the current weather situation, please contact the Network 4 office, if your facility is closed and/or if you have patients who are unable to get to treatment. Our telephone number is: 412-325-2250.
Even if your facility has not been affected, it is a good opportunity to review and practice your disaster plans. This includes educating your patients and helping them to develop their disaster plans. Patients need to know where to go, what to do, and who to contact.
Patients should be given a copy of their treatment orders, medications, instructions for their emergency diet, the facilities where they can receive treatment, and facility emergency contact information. Network 4's Emergency Preparedness Manuals for Patients and for Facilities can be found on our Disasters page.
Welcome to ESRD Network 4!
Whether you are a Professional or an Individual living with Chronic Kidney Disease, we hope that you will find many useful resources here. Please take the time to look through our website and contact us at any time if you need help finding anything.
ESRD Network 4 is part of 18 non-profit organizations contracted through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Our Mission is to ensure quality in care and quality in life for individuals with end stage renal disease. We serve the renal communities of Pennsylvania and Delaware with over 250 dialysis facilities, 19 transplant centers and 14,000 individuals living with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease.
The Network is defined by its leadership role in the renal community. Network 4 is also responsible for the collection, analysis and validation of data regarding renal patients. We act as non-biased intermediaries for the resolution of complaints and grievances within the renal community. We develop, review and evaluate quality performance measures to drive positive change in quality care. Network 4's outreach is accomplished through volunteers, health care professionals and patients.
Network 4 does not handle issues related to the payment of dialysis services, reimbursement, state licensure or certifications.
Network Goals
ESRD Network 4, Inc. shares the national goals of the ESRD Network program as directed by CMS:
- Improve the quality and safety of dialysis related services provided for individuals with ESRD.
- Improve the independence, quality of life, and rehabilitation (to the extent possible) of individuals with ESRD through transplantation, use of self-care modalities, in-center self care, as medically appropriate, through the end-of-life.
- Improve patient perception of care and experience of care, and resolve patient complaints and grievances.
- Improve collaboration with providers to ensure achievement of the goals through the most efficient and effective means possible, with recognition of the differences among providers and the associated possibilities/capabilities.
- Improve the collection, reliability, timeliness, and use of data to measure processes of care and outcomes; maintain patient registry; and to support the ESRD Network program.
Data Services
ESRD Network 4 collects, validates, analyzes, and reports on a number of activities for CMS as it maintains a national registry of renal information. The data that the Network maintains includes, but is not limited to: the identification of dialysis and transplant units, ESRD Medical Evidence/Medicare Entitlement, regional demographic statistics, as well as the support on all quality initiatives. More information can be found on the Data page, which you can access if you go to our Data Services page.
Services to Individuals Living with Chronic Kidney Disease
Network 4 provides information, counseling, guidance, education, and referral assistance to people receiving dialysis or who have recieved a kidney transplant. We are also here as a resource for family members and providers of services. Network 4 also has an active Patient Advisory Committee and we encourage individuals to become a Patient Representative. You can read more about the services and information available by going to our Community Outreach page.
Quality Improvement
The purpose of the Network 4 Quality Improvement Program is to utilize rapid cycle methods to implement positive change. The Network collects and reports on a variety of projects, including:
- Fistula First
- National Clinical Performance Measures
- Lab Data Collection
- Pediatric Data Collection
The Medical Review Board of Network 4 is also developing Quality Initiatives in the areas of:
- Phosphorus Management
- Mortality Data Review
- Education on Dialysis Access
You can read more about our Quality Improvment activities by going to our Quality Improvement page.
The PennDel CKD Partnership
This is a coalition of professionals and patients dedicated to improve the quality of care and the quality of life of people living with chronic kidney disease. The members of this coalition vary greatly by occupation, corporation, background and region. The focus of the coalition is currently on improving the Network's Fistula utilization rate and on educating people on the importance of early detection of chronic kidney disease. For more information on this partnership, go to our PennDel CKD Partnership page.
