Dear Renal Community Partner:

In an effort to provide more timely communications with our renal community, ESRD Network 4 would like to share the following electronic newsletter with you. If you cannot view HTML email, this electronic newsletter is available online, along with our past editions Network eNews.

	Network eNews
December 12, 2011	Volume 2, Number 4
In This Issue · Performance Score Certificate Reminder · National Healthcare Safety Network · Newsletter · Nephrology Conference 2012 · Surgeon Data Reports · Vascular Access Infection Project · Five Diamond Patient Safety Program · Never Send Sensitive Information via Email · CROWNWeb Preparations · Annual Network Goals Mailing · Provider Directory Validation Sheets · 2011 Customer Evaluation For More Information Keep up to date on with Network news by visiting our pages: · Network 4 "Events and Updates" · Network 4 "Newsletters" · The Renal Network Newsletters -- Including "Renal Outreach" for Patients and "E-VAC News" for Staff Visit Us www.esrdnetwork4.org www.therenalnetwork.org Contact Us Email: info@nw4.esrd.net Mail: The Renal Network, Inc.: ESRD Network 4 40 24th Street, Suite 410 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Main telephone number: (412) 325-2250 Fax number: (412) 325-1811	Reminder: Post Your Performance Score Certificate by 12/20/2011 Your dialysis unit's performance score certificate (PSC) and final performance score report (PSR) will be available for download starting Thursday, December 15, 2011 at http://www.dialysisreports.org. CMS requires each dialysis unit to print and post their performance score certificate in a public area within five days days (ESRD Conditions for Coverage [42 CFR Part 413, Section III (E)(3)]). You need a "User Account" in order to access and print your PSR and PSC. Your unit's Master Account Holder can assist user's with their accounts. Your unit's Master Account Holder may contact the Network office for help with their access. CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network Visit the Frequently Asked Questions Page on CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network for more information on how this program will be utilized by ESRD facilities. Newsletter for People with Chronic Kidney Disease and their Families Articles in this newsletter include: This Works For Me!, Flu Shot Facts For The Dialysis Patient, Getting Started With An Advance Care Plan, Medicare Part D, What To Do If You Have A Complaint, National Minority Donor Awareness Day, Online Resources, Patient Self-Managed Care Word Search, Hemodialysis Vascular Access, Dialysis Facility Compare, Tips For Caring For Your Dialysis Access, Patient Safety Authority, Role Of ESRD Network 4, Flu Prevention Tips, Choose Work, KCER Coalition, Renal Friendly Recipe. Download a copy today (format: PDF, size: 2.6 mb), and remember to evaluate this newsletter so we can better serve the community in the future. Nephrology Conference 2012 Join us for our next annual nephrology conference! May 22 – 24, 2012 Hilton Columbus at Easton 3900 Chagrin Drive – Columbus, Ohio Working agenda includes: Tuesday, May 22 from 7-9 PM · CROWNWeb Session Wednesday, May 23 (Plenary Session) · The Patient Perspective · Evidence Based Medicine · The Impact of Bundling · Health Acquired Infections · Home Therapies & Transplantation Thursday, May 24 (Break Out Sessions) · The challenges of caring for the dialysis patient from a multi-disciplinary perspective · Effective Communications · Team Work · Identifying Disparities in Care · Overcoming Cultural Barriers · Impact of Quality Incentive Payment Watch the website for details as they develop: http://www.TheRenalNetwork.org Quality Improvement v Surgeon Data Reports The Renal Network distributed surgeon-specific reports directly to surgeons in the area as a "snapshot" of their vascular access placement and maintenance practices. While the data used in these reports are not current and have limitations, the reports are useful for internal quality improvement. Area surgeons were ask to share their information with dialysis centers and nephrologists, to achieve higher AVF use rates, and to assist in improving the care of ESRD Medicare beneficiaries. v Vascular Access Infection Project As a reminder, each dialysis unit is asked to submit Vascular Access Infection information. We are collecting baseline data (January-June 2011), and each quarter until March 2012. Submitting your scan on time will help the Network move forward with this important project.
	Patient Services v 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program The Renal Network held an orientation webinar on November 2nd for the 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program. Over 80 people joined our presentation. If you missed our session, the following resources are available for you to review. We hope you will consider joining the program. · Watch the recording of the webinar · Submit feedback on the webinar · Review the slides of the webinar · Visit our 5-Diamond Homepage to sign up and for more information Data Services v Never Send Sensitive Information via Email As a reminder, never send any Personal Identifying or Protected Health Information (PII/PHI) via email, either in the body of the note or as an attachment. Should you need to communicate with the Network office and PII/PHI is involved, the approved methods are Mail, Phone or Fax. Our office’s contact information is provided in the blue margin. v CROWNWeb Preparations Look for a memorandum (coming soon) from the Network office explaining the specifics of CROWNWeb. The National Release of CROWNWeb is still slated for February 2012. Although registration for the national release is not available at this time, there are some things that you can do NOW to prepare: · CMS will require each user of CROWNWeb to complete a Security Awareness Training. At the end of course, you will receive a certificate. This certificate is good for one year, and you will need it when you sign up for CROWNWeb. · Refresh and renew your knowledge of CROWNWeb. Visit ProjectCROWNWeb.com for all your training needs. · While on their site, check out their Simulations. · Be sure to sign up for the Learning Management System (LMS) for the latest online training and tutorials. · Also, don't forget to submit your unit's full list of nephrologists (or names of anyone who will be signing CMS forms) to the Network office with your Provider Directory Updates. Having the Network enter this information in our current environment will save you from having to manually enter it into CROWNWeb.
	Administration v Annual Network Goals Mailing The Renal Network distributed a packet of information to your dialysis and transplant unit administrator. This packet contained our Annual Network Goals Statement, an Acknowledgment of Receipt Form, Patient Newsletter, Provider Directory Validation Sheets, and a Customer Evaluation. Be sure to return your Acknowledgment of Receipt Form, your Provider Directory Validation Sheets and the Customer Evaluation to the Network 4 office via Fax: (412) 328-1811. Contact the Network 4 office if you need to receive another copy of this material. v Provider Directory Validation Sheets Speaking of the Provider Directory Validation Sheets, it will be very critical for you to review this information and let us know if there are any corrections. You may supply us with lists of additional names you would like added. Helpful Hint: Everything in our database will be loaded into CROWNWeb when it goes nation-wide. Supply us with the names of all your nephrologists and anyone who may sign your CMS-2728 or CMS-2746 forms so you won't have to worry about entering those names in CROWNWeb manually. v Customer Evaluation Please complete our 2011 Customer Evaluation. Your insight tells us if we are on the right track, how we can do better, and guides us for the future.

Should you have any questions regarding any of the informational updates provided above, please contact the Network 4 office at (412) 325-2250.

We apologize for any duplication of this material which you may have received. We were pulling email addresses from a number of sources. If you do not wish to receive any further email communications from the Network office, please email your request to me (my email address is below).

Best wishes,

Shane Perry

Director of Information Systems

ESRD Network 4

40 24th Street, Suite 410

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

direct line: (412) 325-2255

fax: (412) 325-1811

sperry@nw4.esrd.net

http://www.esrdnetwork4.org