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In April 2014 the Network launched InfectionWatch2014 which is a quality improvement project aimed at increasing awareness of infection control practices with the use of three CDC observation audits on hand hygiene, catheter connection/disconnection, and AVF/graft cannulation practices. Now six months into the project, the Network staff interviewed leadership and staff from thirty-nine focus facilities in September to determine how the project has impacted infection control practices in facilities. The most common answers and lessons learned are highlighted below:
40% of respondents said that time (to complete the audits) was a barrier at first. Most have developed a system where the audits are more manageable such as spreading the audits out throughout the month or incorporating them into other already existing monitoring activities.
When asked what lessons have been learned, the following were the top most frequently cited answered: 1. Observational audits have contributed to infection control
improvement 2. Improvement with time management skills has occurred 3. Old habits are had to break with long term staff
When asked, “If you had an opportunity to do this project again, how would you have done it differently? “, most common answer was utilization or rotation of auditors.
Impact of project on facility’s infection control practices = 3.72 (avg) with 5 being greatest impact and 1 being least impact
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InfectionWatch2014: A Six Month Progress Report
October 2014
Don’t Skip Your Thumbs poster
3
KCER/FDA Alerts and Recalls
4
Nephrology Today & Tomorrow 2014
4
Health Literacy Month
5
Help the Network Identify Your Unit
6
CROWNWeb: Did You Know
7
Community Information
8
5-Diamond Patient Safety Program
9
Calendar 10
Patient’s Corner 11
Network’s Website Makeover
2
Inside this Issue:
NetLink
The Network 14 NetLink is created and published under CMS contract number: HHSM-500-2013-NW014C
End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, Inc. (aka: Network 14) 4040 McEwen Road, Suite 350 * Dallas, Texas * 75244
www.esrdnetwork.org * [email protected]
Page 2 October 2014 NetL ink
...Continued from page 1 Most frequently cited changes seen as a
result of the project: 1.Patients are washing accesses prior to treatment and washing hands post treatment/holding sites 2.Changes in practices to meet organization infection control policies and procedures are being followed more closely 3.Added easily accessible hand sanitizers, gloves, and personal protective equipment
Patients’ perceptions of their own infection control practices as well as staff infection control practices have improved because of the attention and focus placed on various infection control strategies that the audits address. One facility reported that the patients seem to be more aware of infection control issues and ask questions when they see staff not following infection control practices. Many patients are now washing their
hands after holding their sites.
While we received some comments about leaders feeling overwhelmed with this project and the number of Network/CMS or company sponsored projects and we are sensitive to that issue, we also received comments indicating that this has been a great initiative from the Network. In fact, one facility administrator whose facility underwent a recent state survey reported that due to the audits, the facility did not get “dinged” on any hand hygiene or cannulation issues.
Stay tuned for details on the Network’s InfectionWatch2014 Webinar coming December 2014 where we will hear from dialysis facilities, ESRD patients, and our HAI Learning and Engagement Network stakeholders on infection prevention and control best practices, collaboration opportunities, up-to-date educational and innovative resources, and patient engagement strategies.
Like us on Facebook. To access go to www.facebook.com and log in to your account. Look under “liked pages”, and type in ESRD Network of Texas.
Follow us on Twitter
@ESRDNetworkofTX
Network 14 Website Gets A Makeover! We are really excited about the new look and the new features. The website address is still the same: www.esrdnetwork.org
Check out the new look of the ESRD Network of Texas website, then let us know what you think—send comments to [email protected]. We welcome your ideas and suggestions to improve the method of communication between our organizations.
Don’t Skip Your Thumbs!You use soap, you rub your palms and your four
main fingers together, then you rinse. Now your hands are clean, right?
Oops! You skipped your thumbs.
Studies show people often skip their thumbs during handwashing.
Wash your hands completely, including all five fingers, before you rinse.
If you skip your thumbs, your hands aren’t clean.
texasqio.tmf.org
This material was originally created by Stratis Health, the Quality Improvement Organization for Minnesota, and modified by TMF Health Quality Institute, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Texas, under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents presented do not necessarily reflect CMS policy. 10SOW-TX-C7-13-138
KCER and FDA Alerts and Recalls
The ESRD Network of Texas, Inc. is notified by both KCER and the FDA when there is a product alert or recall.
You can access information concerning recalls and alerts from our website at: http://www.esrdnetwork.org/network/news.asp under Special Alerts.
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Don’t Wait! Make your hotel reservations today at: 972-556-0800—Special Room rate ends 10/2/14!!! www.omnimandalay.com
The names on the room block are:
End Stage Renal Disease of TX ESRD Network of Texas Nephrology Today and Tomorrow
Registration is now open!!!
Early registration ends 10/13/14.
Nephrology Today & Tomorrow 2014
“Blue Print For Success”
October 24-25, 2014
Omni Mandalay Hotel
Irving, Texas
Page 5 NetL ink October 2014
Health Literacy Month is a time for organizations and individuals to promote the importance of understandable health information. The theme for Health Literacy Month 2014 is “Be a Health Literacy Hero.” It’s about taking action and finding ways to improve health communication. Health Literacy Heroes are individuals, teams, or organizations who not only identify health literacy problems, but also act to solve them. Health Literacy ideas:
Host a patient and family group meeting focused on Health Literacy Adopt a “Word of the Day” campaign for the month Distribute Health Literacy handouts to your patients
Health Literacy Resources (for patients and staff):
Health Literacy Month website – www.healthliteracymonth.org Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Health Literacy topic - http://
www.ahrq.gov/health-care-information/topics/topic-health-literacy.html 5-Diamond Pat ient Safety Program Heal th L i teracy module –
www.5diamondpatientsafety.org (must sign up as a participant or viewer to access the module)
End Stage Renal Disease Network of Texas, Inc. Speak Up! campaign - http://www.esrdnetwork.org/patients/education/index.asp
Network 14 will post a Word of the Day on it’s Facebook page throughout October. Have your patient’s follow up on Facebook to improve their health literacy!
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Network #14 encompasses the state of Texas, the second largest state in land area, with 267 thousand square miles of land. With a geographical area this large, you can be sure there are many dialysis centers located throughout the state.
As of September 15, 2014, Texas has a total of 540 Medicare certified dialysis facilities located in 119 of the 254 Texas counties, with the Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex areas accounting for almost 40% of these units. Texas also has a total of 41 units awaiting certification. These 581 units are a mixture of Large Dialysis Organization (LDO) and Non-LDO (regional or independent) units. The breakdown is:
LDO units: 393 DaVita – 204 Fresenius Medical Care – 187 DCI – 2
Non-LDO units: 188 Regional – 134 Independent – 48 State Owned – 6
With these figures in mind, when you contact the Network for assistance, or if you fill out a survey for a Network project, help us identify your unit effectively. Identifying your unit as “Fresenius Medical Care” still leaves us with almost 200 units to which you could possibly be referring.
When contacting the Network for assistance, have your six-digit CMS Certification Number
(CCN) available. This is the single most effective way to identify your unit. This CCN will begin with the numbers “45” or “67.”
This number is not to be confused with your internal clinic number. Telling the Network you are calling from clinic #3183 doesn’t help us.
When completing surveys for Network projects, carefully and completely write your unit’s name in the boxes provided, if applicable. Merely writing “US Renal Care” won’t allow us to properly identify your unit. If you don’t know your unit’s legal name (one of the names the Network knows you by), try providing a location with it, such as “US Renal Care Amarillo.” This will allow the Network to narrow down to which unit you are referring.
Proper identification is crucial for CMS- or Network-mandated projects. You don’t want to be marked as delinquent because the Network doesn’t know which facility turned something in!
Remember, the Network is here to help! So help us help you by properly identifying your unit when contacting the Network or submitting project documentation. If you don’t know your CCN or would like to know what name the Network knows your unit by, you may contact the Information Management Department at 972-503-3215 (option 3) or [email protected].
DO NOT email patient information (Name, SSN, DOB, etc.) to the Network #14
office.
Help the Network Identify Your Unit
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT MATERIALS FOR OCTOBER
Materials for the Patient Engagement Calendar for the month of October can be located on our website at:
www.esrdnetwork.org Our Network Patient Centered Care/Patient Engagement
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CROWNWeb: Did you know….? CROWNWeb 4.5 New Reports
Facility-level users now have access to two CROWNWeb reports that will assist with data submission and management efforts: Missing Forms Report:
- Used by facilities to obtain a list of patients that are missing specified CMS-2728 and CMS-2746 forms
- Facilities can obtain a list of open or past due forms Saved Status Report:
- Used by facilities to obtain a list of patients with forms in SAVED status - Helps to minimize submission delays and activate benefits
NOTE: Network 14 requests that units run the Missing Forms Report and Saved Status Report weekly. By doing so, your facility will reduce the number of notices from the Network and will ensure your facility will be compliant with CMS guidelines.
CMS-2728 Form Completion A CMS-2728 form is required for all chronic dialysis patients. The CMS-2728 form serves as both the Medicare ESRD benefits form and the ESRD
patient registry form. Facilities initiate the process of completing the CMS-2728 form in CROWNWeb. Submission via CROWNWeb submits the CMS-2728 form to CMS ONLY. NOTE: This means that the original signed form must be submitted to your local Social
Security Administration’s office (if the patient is applying for ESRD Medicare benefits) to activate those benefits!
CMS-2746 Form Completion Complete the ESRD Death Notification, CMS-2746, within 2 weeks of the date of death. If
the patient was a dialysis patient, the dialysis facility last responsible for the patient’s maintenance dialysis (or home dialysis) must complete the form.
The death event date should be the date the patient expired. If the patient expires within 30 days of discharge, the last outpatient dialysis facility is
responsible for completing the CMS-2746 form within 14 days of the date of death. If the patient expires on day 31 after the discharge date, the last outpatient dialysis
facility is NOT RESPONSIBLE for submitting a CMS-2746 form. If the patient expires while being a transient patient, the patient’s HOME dialysis facility is
responsible for submitting a CMS-2746 form, NOT the dialysis unit who treated the patient transiently.
Page 8 NetL ink October 2014
2014 NRAA Fall Conference - Medical Director Workshop & Nephrology Symposium
October 15-18, 2014 in Chicago, IL
For more information go to: http://www.nraa.org/index.php/news-a-meetings/508-2014-annual-conference
CKD 2014 Professional Symposium
Register Online at www.kidney.org or call (877) 543-6397
Friday, October 10, 2014 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Magnolia Hotel 1100 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 221-0011
American Nephrology Nurses’ Association (ANNA)
October 11-13, 2014 Westin Savannah Harbor Resort & Spa - Savannah, GA
For more information go to: http://www.annanurse.org/events/national-events/fall-meeting
Save the Date!
The Controversies in Dialysis Access (CiDA) October 23-24, 2014
The Grand America (A Five–Diamond Hotel) Salt Lake City, UT
www.dialysiscontroversies.org
Life-like Vascular Access Simulation Offered in Conjunction with CiDA
North Texas Chapter of NANT—15th Annual Symposium Sunday, November 9, 2014
Sheraton Convention Center Hotel - Arlington, Texas Registration forms coming soon
Charlie Johnson, President & Treasurer NT-NANT 972-496-5727 [email protected]
ANNA Gulfcoast Chapter—Nephrology Nurses Certification Review Course
October 18, 2014 [email protected] to register
Page 9 October 2014 NetL ink
Network 14’s 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program
5 DIAMOND STATUS Ameri-Tech Kidney Center-Arlington Ameri-Tech Kidney Center-Bedford Childress Regional Medical Center Dialysis Christus Children’s Kidney Center DaVita East DaVita Weslaco DCI Nacogdoches FMC Austin South FMC Greenway Kidney Center FMC New Braunfels Kidney Disease Clinic FMC Village II Dialysis FMC West Seguin Grand Prairie Dialysis Center Moncrief Dialysis Center New Century Dialysis Center of Jasper NNA Marble Falls Plaza Drive Dialysis RCG Center Dialysis Reeves County Hospital Dialysis Renal Center of Carrollton Renal Center of Frisco Renal Center of Lewisville Renal Center of Nederland Renal Center of North Denton Renal Center of Orange Renal Center of Plano RSA Schertz Kidney Center Satellite Dialysis Kyle Satellite Dialysis Manor Satellite Dialysis Metric Satellite Dialysis Round Rock Satellite Dialysis Southwood
South Arlington Dialysis Center South Austin Dialysis Texas Children’s Hospital Dialysis USRC Delta Dialysis UTSW Dallas Dialysis Wilbarger General Hospital Dialysis of
Vernon
4 DIAMOND STATUS Kidney Treatment Center East
3 DIAMOND STATUS Stafford Dialysis University Dialysis West
2 DIAMOND STATUS Angelo Kidney Connection Harlingen Dialysis USRC Mid Valley Weslaco Dialysis
1 DIAMOND STATUS Dialysis Services of West Texas DSI Bryan Dialysis FMC Medical Center Home Therapy Suites University Dialysis Northwest
Have you completed a module in the new 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program but don’t see your facility’s name on the 5-Diamond list? It may be because the Network does not have permission to disclose the name of your facility in recognition of your accomplishments. Please contact Kathleen Prewitt at 469-916-3815 or [email protected] to see if the Network has a “Permission for Public Acknowledgment” form on file for your unit.
Page 10 October 2014 NetL ink
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 HAI CDC audits due for focus facilities
2 3 4
5 6 7 8 EMSystems and PART updates due
9 10 11
12 13 Columbus Day
14 15 NHSN data accuracy responses due
16 National Boss’s Day
17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31 Closure June-Sept clinical months Halloween
October 2014
Register for the Network’s Annual Conference
Nephrology Today & Tomorrow 2014
at www.esrdnetwork.org
Network Annual Meeting
Be A Health Literacy Hero!!
October is Health Literacy Month
Patient’s Corner Written for patients
To contact the Network for assistance or to file a grievance: Patient Toll Free #: 1-877-886-4435 (patients only please)
Facility staff: 972-503-3215 Email: [email protected]
Facility staff – post both the English and Spanish pages by the patients’ scales as well as near the sink that the patients use to wash their accesses and in the lobby/waiting room.
October 2014 NetL ink
ESRD Network of Texas, Inc. has entered the Social Media
world!!!
Like us on Facebook and see what is happening at the Network
and renal community.
h ps://www.facebook.com/pages/ESRD‐Network‐of‐Texas/415497655222823
Page 11
National Kidney Foundation The National Kidney Foundation provides patients and their caregivers with a monthly electronic newsletter. Some of the articles for September were “7-Kidney Friendly Super Foods,” “Kidney Stones Linked to Coronary Heart Disease,Stroke”, “Back to School + Less Time to Cook = A-OK”, and “Keep Your Veggies Raw”.
For these and other articles and educational materials go to http://www.kidney.org.
Living Well on Dialysis Unfortunately, many overlook the importance of good mental health on our overall health. As a result, Dialysis Patient Citizens announced a new collaboration with the American Psychological Association (APA). This organization will present a webinar series on mental health and kidney disease. If you missed the last education call, use the link below to view a recording and to participate in their discussion on the importance of good mental health as a kidney disease patient. http://www.dialysispatients.org/living-well-dialysis
Texas ESRD Patients: You are invited to the Network 14 Annual Conference, Nephrology Today & Tomorrow 2014!
Patient Breakout Sessions 8:00AM: Who is the ESRD Network of Texas? Saturday, October 25, 2014 9:00AM: Treatment Options: ICH vs. Home Hemo 8:00AM-12:00PM 10:30AM: Kidney-Friendly Cooking Demo
Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas 221 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75039
Phone: 972-556-0800 | Fax: 972-556-0729 | www.omnimandalay.com Group discount rates are available for the Network 14 room block under: End Stage
Renal Disease of TX, ESRD Network of Texas, or Nephrology Today & Tomorrow.
Registration for patients and caregivers is free. Patients and/or caregivers are responsible for all other costs associated with the conference, including travel and lodging. You will have an opportunity to meet other patients from the area and your Regional Patient Advisory Committee (PAC) members. You will also learn more about the Network and other current topics in the renal community. Exhibitors will be onsite to speak about current trends and help answer your questions. We strongly encourage you to attend this important educational event!
Nephrology Today & Tomorrow 2014
October 24-25, Irving, Texas
E S R D N e t w o r k o f T e x a s , I n c .
Please fill out (print or type) and fax back to the Network office at 972-503-3219 by October 13.
Name: ____________________________________________________
Facility Name: ______________________________________________
Contact Phone #: (______) _______-___________
Email: _____________________________________@________________.com
Protecting your ‘Sensitive’ Information
October 2014 NetL ink Page 13
(Ring…..Ring…..Ring….) “Hello.” “Hello there, may I please speak to Mr. Smith.” “This is Mr. Smith.” “Mr. Smith, this is ABC Dialysis Corporation and we want you to know that as a Medicare recipient, we can save you a large amount of money each year on your prescriptions, co-pays, premiums and a whole lot more. These can be provided FREE to you. How does that sound?” “That sounds pretty interesting so far. How much would it cost me?” “Mr. Smith, because we value you as a patient, it will be FREE to you.” “Hmmm, that sounds a little too good to be true.” “Mr. Smith, I know exactly how you feel. But again I want you to know that these savings can be offered because you are a patient with ABC Dialysis Corporation.” “What would I need to do to apply?” “We just need some additional information to start your application in order to begin your immediate savings on all your dialysis healthcare needs. Please tell me your Medicare number, date of birth, social security number, and first name.” “Yes, oh, yes, just a second and let me get my Medicare card…” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are your first thoughts when you see this scenario? Is it, ‘I would never give out that information,” or “It has to be ok since the caller is from my dialysis organization.” The truth is that this caller is attempting to steal this patient’s information in order to commit identity theft or other deceptive practices. If you were to receive this type of call, remember that a representative from your dialysis corporation would already have this information and would not be asking you to provide it. It was brought to the attention of the ESRD Network of Texas that patients from a large dialysis organization were receiving suspicious calls from persons who were claiming to be with their dialysis company. The persons who called refused to give
Continued on page 14...
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their name when asked. In some instances, patients were being asked to give their last name and led to say where and/or if they are receiving dialysis. The caller proceeded to ask questions about the patient’s dialysis care, along with asking for the patient’s personal health information.
Protected health information (PHI), also referred to as personally identifiable health information (PII), generally refers to demographic information (e.g. name, date of birth, medical history, test and laboratory results, insurance information, and other data) that is collected by a health care professional to identify an individual and determine appropriate care.
What should you do if you received a questionable call and you provided your information? First, try not to panic or blame yourself. Gather all the information that you may have regarding the call. For example, was there a call back number, a reference number, etc? Secondly, contact an organization that may help you to verify the legitimacy of the call (e.g. dialysis clinic, the company itself who contacted you, Medicare).
Should you suspect that your protected health information could be compromised, contact the following agencies for assistance: (This is only a partial listing).
The Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is the federal agency responsible for receiving and processing complaints by people who believe they may be victims of identity theft. Trained counselors will provide information on the steps you should take to resolve problems and repair damage to your credit record. Certain cases may be referred to law enforcement agencies, regulatory agencies or private entities that can help. Call toll-free 877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). The FTC also maintains the U.S. government's central Website for information about identity theft at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Go there to fill out an online consumer complaint form or link to educational materials.
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The three major credit bureaus. Ask them to place a fraud alert in your file, so
that lenders and other users of credit reports will be careful before starting or changing accounts in your name. The special toll-free numbers for the fraud departments are: Equifax at (800) 525-6285, Experian at (888) 397-3742, and Trans Union at (800) 680-7289.
Your bank, credit card company or any other financial institution that may need to know. Ask to speak with someone in the security or fraud department, and follow up with a letter. If necessary, close old accounts and open new ones, and select new passwords and "PIN" numbers (Personal Identification Numbers). Your call also alerts the financial institution to a possible scam that may be targeting other customers.
Your local police or the police where the identity theft occurred. Fill out a police report that will detail what happened. Get a copy of the completed report because that can help you clear up questions and problems when dealing with your creditors and other financial institutions.
It is your right to question anyone asking you to provide your ‘sensitive’ information – especially when you have not initiated the services of a reliable company. Examples of a reliable company are placing an online application for Medicare Part D enrollment or applying for Social Security benefits. As a rule of thumb, “when in doubt, check it out!” Contact your dialysis center directly and inquire. Talk to your Social Worker or Facility Administrator, for example, about what happened. By doing so you, may also prevent other patients from being victimized.
Dialysis Facility Performance Score Certificate
Your facility has been graded using measures on anemia management and dialysis adequacy. Based on these measures, your facility may have changes made to its Medicare payments based on the scores. Medicare wants you to know your facility’s scores. Your facility is required to post its Dialysis Facility Performance Score Certificate in both English and Spanish. Ask your healthcare team where your facility’s certificate is posted and, if you have questions talk with your dialysis facility administrator or head nurse.
To compare your facility with other facilities, go to www.medicare.gov/dialysis
Página 16 NetLink
Rincón del paciente
Escrito por pacientes
octubre 2014
Instrucciones al Personal de las Instalaciones- cuelgue las paginas en inglés y español cerca de las basculas de los pacientes y el fregadero que usan los pacientes para lavar sus accesos y en el vestíbulo/sala de espera.
¡¡¡ESRD Network of Texas, Inc. se introduce al mundo de Medios Sociales!!!
Diga que le gustamos en Facebook y observe lo que sucede en la Red y dentro de la comunidad de pacientes renales.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ESRD-Network-of Texas/415497655222823
Para solicitar ayuda a la Red: Número gratuito para pacientes # 1-877-886-4435 (solo para pacientes)
Personal del centro-972-503-3215 Email: [email protected]
La Fundación Nacional del Riñón
La Fundación Nacional del Riñón provee un boletín electrónico mensual a los pacientes y a sus cuidadores. Algunos artículos para septiembre eran “7 Super Alimentos para los Riñones,” “Los Cálculos Renales se Vinculan a Enfermedades Cardíacas y Embolia,” “El Regreso a la Escuela + Menos Tiempo para Cocinar = A-OK”, y “Mantenga sus Vegetales Crudos.”
Para leer estos y otros artículos y materiales educativos, consulte http://www.kidney.org.
La Vida Sana en Diálisis Desafortunadamente, muchos no se percatan del papel importante que juega la buena salud mental en su salud total. Como resultado, Dialysis Patient Citizens (Ciudadanos Pacientes de Diálisis) anunció su colaboración con la APA (Asociación Psicológica Americana). Esta organización presentará una serie de seminarios web sobre la salud mental y enfermedades renales.
Si no alcanzó participar en la última llamada educativa, use el enlace abajo para ver una grabación y participar en su plática sobre la importancia de buena salud mental para los pacientes renales.
Página 17 octubre 2014 NetLink
ESRD Network of Texas, Inc.Nefrología Hoy y Mañana 2014
Octubre 24-25, Irving, Texas
PACIENTES de ESRD de TEXAS: Les invitamos a la Conferencia Anual de Network 14, ¡Nefrología Hoy y Mañana 2014!
LAS SESIONES DEL PACIENTE INICIAN
El sábado, 25 de octubre de 2014 8:00a.m. -12:00 p.m. 8:00AM: ¿Qué es la ESRD Network of Texas?
9:00AM: Opciones de Tratamiento: Cuidado Casero vs. Hemodiálisis en Casa
10:30AM: Demostración de Cocina Buena para Pacientes Renales
Omni Mandalay Hotel en Las Colinas 221 East Las Colinas Boulevard, Irving, Texas 75039
Teléfono: 972-556-0800 | Facsímil: 972-556-0729 | www.omnimandalay.com
Network 14 tiene un bloque de habitaciones disponibles a un precio descontado para el grupo, que se llama: End Stage Renal Disease of TX, ESRD Network of Texas o Nephrology Today & Tomorrow [Red de Enfermedad Renal Terminal de Texas o Nefrología Hoy y Mañana]. Solamente se disponen los precios especiales de grupo hasta el 2 de octubre de 2014.
La inscripción para los pacientes y los cuidadores es gratuita. Los pacientes y/o cuidadores tienen la responsabilidad de pagar todos los otros costos vinculados con la conferencia, incluyendo el viaje y el alojamiento. Tendrá una oportunidad para conocer a otros pacientes del área y a los miembros de su Comité Regional de Consejería de Pacientes (PAC). Usted también aprenderá más sobre la Red y otros temas actuales en la comunidad renal. Los expositores estarán presentes para hablar sobre las tendencias actuales y ayudarán a contestar sus preguntas. ¡Le animamos mucho a asistir a este evento educativo importante!
Por favor llene este formulario (escriba con letras de molde o a máquina) y envíelo por fax a la oficina de Red a 972-503-3219 antes del 13 de octubre. Nombre: _____________________________________________________ Nombre de las Instalaciones: _____________________________________ Teléfono de Contacto #: (______) ____________-____________________ Correo Electrónico: _________________________@______________.com
Página 18 octubre 2014 NetLink
La Protección de su Información ‘Privada’
(Rin…..Rin…..Rin….) “Bueno.” “Hola, ¿Me permite hablar con el Sr. Smith?” “Habla el Sr. Smith.” “Sr. Smith, Hablo de ABC Dialysis Corporation y le queremos avisar que, como recibe Medicare, podemos procurar que ahorre muchísimo dinero cada año en la compra de sus recetas medicas, copagos, primas y mucho más. Se le pueden proporcionar GRATIS. ¿Cómo le parece? “Lo que dice parece muy interesante. ¿Cuánto me costará?” “Sr. Smith, ya que le estimamos como paciente, será GRATIS para usted.” “Este... Parece demasiado bueno para ser cierto, “Sr. Smith, sé exactamente cómo se siente. Pero repito que quiero que sepa que ofrecen estos ahorros porque usted es paciente de ABC Dialysis Corporation.” “¿Qué necesito para solicitar?” “Solamente necesitamos información adicional para comenzar a tramitar su pedido para ahorrar inmediatamente en sus necesidades de cuidados de salud para diálisis. Por favor dígame su número de Medicare, fecha de nacimiento, número de seguro social y nombre.” “Sí, uh sí, permítame a momento y yo consigo mi tarjeta de Medicare…" _____________________________________________________________________ ¿Qué se le ocurre primero cuando ve este escenario? ¿Piensa 'Jamás daría esa información', o "Ha de ser legítimo porque me llaman de mi organización de diálisis"? La verdad es que esta persona llama para tratar de robar la información de este paciente para cometer hurto de identidad o algún otro acto de decepción.
Si usted recibe esta clase de llamada, recuerde que un representante de su corporación de diálisis ya tendrá esta información y no necesita pedírsela.
La ESRD Network of Texas se ha enterado que los pacientes de una organización grande de diálisis recibían llamadas sospechosas de personas que supuestamente eran de su compañía de diálisis. Las personas que llamaban negaban dar
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Página 19 octubre 2014 NetLink
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su nombre cuando uno les preguntaba. En algunos casos, piden el apellido de los pacientes y tienen que decir donde y/o si reciben diálisis. El que llamó hizo preguntas acerca del cuidado de diálisis y además la información personal de la salud del paciente. La Información Protegida de Salud (PHI), que también se refiere a información de salud personalmente identificable (PII), generalmente se refiere a información demográfica (p.ej. nombre, fecha de nacimiento, historia médica, resultados de pruebas y laboratorio, información de seguro y otros datos) que el profesional de medicina recopila para identificar a la persona y para determinar el cuidado indicado. ¿Qué se debe hacer en caso de haber recibido una llamada cuestionable si usted proveyó su información? Primero, trate de no entrar en pánico y no se eche la culpa. Junte toda la información que tenga referente a la llamada. Por ejemplo, ¿había un número para regresar su llamada, un número de referencia, etc.? Segundo, comuníquese con una organización que le pueda ayudar a verificar la legitimidad de la llamada (p.ej. la clínica de diálisis, la compañía que se comunicó con usted, Medicare). En caso de sospechar que corre un riesgo su información protegida de salud, comuníquese con las siguientes agencias para solicitar ayuda: (Esta es solamente una lista parcial). · La Comisión Federal de Comercio (Federal Trade Commission). La FTC es el
organismo federal responsable de la recepción y trámites de las quejas de personas que creen que les habrían robado su identidad. Los consejeros capacitados le proveerán información sobre los pasos que debe de tomar para resolver problemas y reparar su historial de crédito. Se trasladan ciertos casos a cuerpos policiales, organismos reguladores o entidades particulares que pueden ayudar. Llame sin costo alguno a 877-IDTHEFT (438-4338). La FTC también mantiene el sitio web central del gobierno estadounidense con información sobre hurto de identidad a www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Consúltelo para llenar un formulario de queja o enlace a materiales educativos.
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· Los tres burós principales de crédito. Pídales que coloquen una alerta de fraude en su expediente, para asegurar que actúen con cautela los prestamistas y otros usuarios de reportes de crédito antes de abrir o cambiar cuentas al nombre de usted. Llame sin costo alguno a los números especiales para Equifax a (800) 525-6285, Experian a (888) 397-3742, y Trans Union a (800) 680-7289.
· Su banco, compañía de tarjeta de crédito u otra entidad financiera que requieran esta información. Pregunte por alguien en el departamento de seguridad o fraude, y entonces haga seguimiento con una carta. Si se necesita, cierre las cuentas viejas y abra cuentas nuevas y seleccione contraseñas nuevas y números “PIN” (Números de Identificación Personal). Su llamada también sirve como una advertencia a la entidad financiera sobre una estafa posible dirigida a otros clientes.
· La delegación policial local o en el lugar de los hechos del hurto de identidad. Llene un reporte policial para detallar el suceso. Obtenga una copia del reporte completo, ya que ese le servirá para esclarecer las preguntas y problemas cuando enfrenta a sus acreedores y otras entidades financieras.
Tiene el derecho a hacer preguntas a cualquier persona que le pida su información ‘privada’ – especialmente si los servicios de una compañía de confianza no se hayan iniciado. Algunos ejemplos de tratos con una compañía de confianza incluyen una solicitud en línea para la inscripción de Medicare Parte D o una solicitud para obtener beneficios de Seguro Social. La regla general es “¡Si tiene dudas, verifíquelo!” “Comuníquese directamente con su centro de diálisis y haga preguntas. Por ejemplo, infórmele a su Trabajador Social o Administración del Centro del suceso. Al hacer eso, se pueda prevenir que estafen a otros pacientes.”
Certificado de Calificación del Desempeño del Centro de Diálisis
Su centro ha sido calificado con el uso de medidas sobre el manejo de anemia y lo adecuado de la diálisis. Basándose en estas medidas, se puedan cambiar los pagos de Medicare a su centro, en base de las calificaciones. Medicare quiere que usted se entere de las calificaciones de su centro. Se requiere que su centro cuelgue su Certificado de Calificación del Desempeño del Centro de Diálisis en inglés y español. Pregunte al equipo de cuidados de salud sobre donde está colgado el certificado del centro, y si tiene preguntas, hable con su administrador del centro de diálisis o con la enfermera supervisora.
Para comparar su centro con otros centros, consulte: www.medicare.gov/dialysis
