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Community Outreach Resources

Involuntary Patient Discharge

Involuntary Discharges by Attending Physicians

The Medical Review Board (MRB) recently discussed patients who are involuntarily discharged by their physicians. The MRB acknowledges that physicians can discharge patients without the consent of The Renal Network or the staff at the unit. However, the attending physician is required to follow the unit’s involuntary discharge (IVD) process which should include the Network's IVD process (format: PDF, size: 407 kb) that is outlined in the Conditions for Coverage (494.180).

The medical director is required to be involved in all discharges and the MRB recommends that medical directors reinforce V760 and V763 of the State Guidance for the Conditions for Coverage (format: PDF, size: 82 kb). In addition, medical directors need to educate their attending physicians on the policies regarding involuntary discharges and to make them aware of the resources available from the staff that also can assist them with challenging situations to avoid discharging patients whenever possible.

For a complete Check-List of all responsibilies, refer to the Network's IVD Process (format: PDF, size: 407 kb).

PATIENT BULLETIN BOARD PACKET (updated July 2011)

  1. Network 4 Poster (format: PDF, size: 138 kb) -- best if printed on 11x17" paper -- provides a summary of the Network, our grievance procedure and contact information
  2. Patient Rights and Responsibilities Brochure (format: PDF, size: 262 kb) -- prints on 8.5x11" paper
  3. CMS Dialysis Facility Compare Brochure (format: PDF, size: 1.9 mb) -- best if printed on legal (8.5x14") paper
  4. Network 4 Website Flyer (format: PDF, size: 163 kb) -- prints on 8.5x11" paper
  5. Getting Back to Work Brochure (format: PDF, size: 574 kb) -- prints on 8.5x11" paper
  6. Patient Safety Brochure (format: PDF, size: 161 kb) -- prints on 8.5x11" paper
  7. 5 Reasons to Consider an A-V Fistula Pamphlet -- electronic resource not available
  8. Services for Patients Brochure (format: PDF, size: 635 kb) -- best if printed on legal (8.5x14") paper
  9. Transplant Education Document (format: PDF, size: 528 kb) -- prints on 8.5x11" paper
  10. ABCs of Fistula Placement Brochure -- inside (format: PDF, size: 8.7) -- outside (format: PDF, size: 8.5 mb)
  11. How Do I Look Brochure -- inside (format: PDF, size: 2.9) -- outside (format: PDF, size: 2.8 mb)

Check Out Our Other Community Outreach Pages ...

Adherence Toolkit

The Renal Network developed an Adherence Toolkit as a response to address adherence issues. The toolkit is divided into three sections and contains tools for staff, patient handouts, and articles that address the topic of adherence.

Exercise Resources

This page is devoted to resources to assist facilities to promote exercise among their patients.

Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit

The Renal Network strives to facilitate the achievement of optimal wellness for renal disease patients. "Optimal wellness" not only includes safe and quality care, but must also include efforts to improve patient independence, quality of life, and rehabilitation. The CMS Conditions for Coverage for ESRD Facilities require facilities to assist patients with an individualized vocational rehabiliation (VR) plan. In support of this endeavor, and to aid you in your quality improvement efforts, The Renal Network has developed a Vocational Rehabilitation Toolkit.

Assessing Functional Status of ESRD Patients

This page is dedicated to resources and tools that can be used to assess the functional status of ESRD patients.

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Click the link above to go to our Patient Rights and Responsibilities page. There you will find information on: "Respect, Privacy and Confidentiality"; "Information, Education, and Counseling"; "Informed Consent, Transfer, and Refusal of Treatment"; "Knowledge of Facility Services"; "Emergency Care"; and "Grievance Mechanism". We also have this information in Spanish!

Decreasing Dialysis Patient-Provider Conflict (DPC)

Click the link above to go to our Decreasing Dialysis Patient-Provider Conflict (DPC) page. There you will find the DPC Brochure and DPC Provider Manual.

Patient Resources

Our Patient Resources page provides a lot of information ... like: treatment options, transplantation, finding a dialysis unit, rehabilitation information, Medicare resources and other educational sites.

Grievance Policy

Our Grievance Policy page helps define what a grievance is, the guidelines for contacting the Network 4 office, the Network's involvement, and the response of the Network.

Facility Resources

Our Facility Resources page also contains a lot of really good information ... like: Network 4's guidelines for care of ESRD patients, inservice education modules, Medicare Conditions for Coverage link, Immunization materials, and link to discipline oriented websites.

Disaster Preparedness and Response

Our Disaster Preparedness and Response page contains our patient and facility emergency preparedness booklets, answers to frequently asked questions regarding disasters, pandemic preparedness resources, and a link to the Kidney Community Emergency Coalition.

Annual Reports

Look for our Annual Reports from 2000 to current on this page.

Network Newsletters

Our patient and facility newsletters are provided on this page.

woman speaker in front of graphs

Techical Assistance Available

ESRD Network 4 is happy provide the following services ...

  • Assist you and your patients with resolution of complaints and grievances
  • Consult regarding approaches to managing challenging situations
  • Provide education regarding community resource information and materials
  • Assist facility with developing education programs
  • Provide voacational rehabilitation information
  • Assist patients with locating transient dialysis care
  • Provide education and assistance regarding CMS requirements
  • Communicate essential information that will affect facilities via mail, e-bulletin, or fax
  • Represent the needs of the renal community, patients and providers to CMS
  • Develop collborative partnerships to promote improved quality outcomes for patients
  • Inform facilities about Network goals and activities

National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and Your Dialysis Unit
-- HOW TO GET STARTED --

Join us for a four-part webinar series focusing on NHSN. Register for each session below:

  1. Friday, January 6, 2012
    -- 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST --
    Agenda: Why you should enroll and how to navigate the first two stages of NHSN enrollment
  2. Friday, January 13, 2012
    -- 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST --
    Agenda: Finalizing the enrollment of your dialysis facility
  3. Friday, January 20, 2012
    -- 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST --
    Agenda: Discussion on Dialysis Events -- what are they and how to report them
  4. Friday, January 27, 2012
    -- 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST --
    Agenda: Joining the ESRD Network Group and utilizing reports for Quality Improvement

Turning Vascular Access Best Practices Into Exemplary Outcomes

Presentations by Beverly Bulliner, BS, MJ and Brani Ross, RN. Each webinar will last 60 minutes, sponsored by The Renal Network, Inc. (ESRD Networks 4, 9 and 10). After registering, you will recieve a confirmation email containing information on how to join to webinar. 1.2 CEs have been applied for through NANT for nurses and patient care technicians. To get your NANT CE Certificate, you will need to complete an online evaluation. The link to the evalution will be provided after the presentation.

Click to visit our 3Ps for Vascular Access Success page

Click to visit our 5 Diamond Patient Safety page

Keep your sick kids home from school. Visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1 for more information.

http://www.kidneyeol.org - Click to visit the Kidney EOL Coalition Website

Network 4 Links

Additional Resources

Accessibility and Usability Resources

This page passed the "Cynthia Says" Section 508 compliance tester February 23, 2011.

Privacy Policy

The privacy of visitors to our website is important to ESRD Network 4, Inc. Therefore the following is our Internet Privacy Policy:

We will not obtain personal identification information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information. While our Network will make every attempt to protect the personal information you may share with us, electronic mail is not secure against interception. If your communication is sensitive, or includes identifiers such as your Social Security number or medical history you may want to consider sending by another means; such as via US postal services. The personal information you send may be shared with appropriate others with your consent only. Otherwise it will be held in strictest confidence for your protection. Your personal information will be used only for such purposes as described by you and only at the point of request or collection.

This policy may be revised as needed, updates will be posted here.