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CONTACT US
For resources or technical  assistance on the Chronic Kidney Disease Project, call 1.800.564.7490 and ask for a member of the CKD Team or email CKDTeam@fmqai.com. |
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RESOURCES
Read about a simple strategy to screen for kidney disease at Renal Business.com
Check out the eGFR Trending Tool on FMQAI's website. Click here.
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Order FREE Materials
Click on the image for an order form. |
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READING CORNER
Thanks to a tip from Donna Gray, we have a recommendation for a great book that gives a good background to our CKD project. Mamma Might Be Better off Dead vividly illustrates the human face of health care, and the difficulty getting through the system. Unfortunately, it is not fiction.
Give us other tips, and this will be a regular feature in the monthly newsletter! | |
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"Any Questions?"
With all the focus on self advocacy and empowering the consumer, the health message is still not getting across. How many times have you left a physicians’ office or pharmacy or, hung up from an insurance company and did not get your questions answered?
 The National Transitions of Care Coalition, a group that tries to improve care coordination and patient safety, has developed a useful tool for keeping a record of medications, called My Medication List. This tool may help members of the community get better information from the doctor. Click here to access the tool.
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Coalition Member: Ingenix
 Ingenix is an information and technology company committed to transforming organizations and improving health care by creating powerful and innovative solutions for our clients. Dr. Robert Coit is the Eastern Regional Vice President Medical Director, Ingenix Clinical Assessment Solutions. His office is located in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Clinical Assessment Solutions (CAS) works primarily with Medicare Advantage plans to improve care for people with long-term or advanced illnesses by improving the early identification, management and reporting of chronic conditions. With common goals such as education, awareness and provider motivation, the organizational objectives of the FMQAI's CKD Statewide Coalition and Ingenix CAS have natural alignment, Dr. Coit observes.
Dr. Coit describes the benefits of participation in the CKD coalition in this way: “The best results are obtained by efficiency and reinforcement. Promoting a clear, simple, forceful message combined with tools that are free and easy to use, makes implementation possible.” Dr. Coit praised the FMQAI tools and information available to providers on the website.
Dr. Coit also offered this insight from a physicians’ standpoint: “Making use of the clinical relationship between chronic conditions is one way to achieve positive outcomes. For example aligning and coordinating initiatives for diabetes and CKD will eliminate duplication yet reinforce the message. The focus points of controlling blood pressure, tracking GFR, and monitoring microalbuminuria are not difficult concepts. Motivation is key.”
Dr. Coit noted that providing feedback, such as performance data, may help physicians take steps needed to enhance clinical outcomes. |
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Coalition Member: Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Florida
 Pam Fico, Director of Community Relations at the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida located in Fort Meyers, is part of the Administration on Aging (AoA) network of area agencies on aging. AoA awards funds for nutrition and supportive home and community-based services to the 56 State Units on Aging (SUAs), 244 Tribal organizations, and 2 Native Hawaiian organizations. In addition, funds are awarded for disease prevention/health promotion services, elder rights programs (long-term care ombudsman program, legal services, and elder abuse prevention efforts), the National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) and the Native American Caregiver Support Program (NACSP).
Older Americans Act (OAA) funding for programs is allocated to each SUA based primarily on the number of persons 60 years of age and over (70 years of age and older for the NFCSP) in the state. Most states are divided into planning and service areas (PSAs), so that programs can be tailored to meet the specific needs of older persons residing in those areas. The SUA grants funds to the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) designated for each PSA. The AAA determines the needs of older persons in the PSA and works to address those needs through the funding of local services and through advocacy.
The mission of the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida is to help aging adults achieve greater independence through awareness of resources and access to qualified service providers.
The AAA for Southwest Florida joined the coalition to better promote healthy aging through Chronic Kidney Disease awareness. As Pam manages health and wellness programs, the opportunity to increase CKD awareness was a priority.
Pam describes the benefits to Elder Affairs participation in the coalition in this way: “The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida, Inc. is a single point of entry for senior services in Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Sarasota counties. Early intervention and GFR awareness goes along with our mission statement to help aging adults achieve greater independence through awareness of resources and access to qualified service providers.”
On a personal level, Pam has a brother that was diagnosed with an early stage of kidney cancer. Fortunately, through early intervention, he is now cancer free. Pam states that this experience empowered her to become a strong advocate of early intervention and GFR awareness. |
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The Patient Perspective
 Here is a link to a very interesting, perhaps controversial, article in the current issue of Nephr-Online. It puts the patient first and asks some questions about why the gaps in care exist and challenges providers to put quality first. Welcome to NephrOnline: Property of Grand View Media Group
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Disparities in CKD
 Minority populations are more likely to develop CKD than non-minority populations. Studies show that African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and American Asians are, respectively, 4.5, 3.6, 2 and 1.6 times more likely to develop CKD than are Caucasians. Regarding kidney disease, African American and Hispanic patients in the United States are more likely than Caucasian patients to develop kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation.
For resources on working with dispaired populations, check out this link on FMQAI website: Multilingual Health Care Information. |
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The Medicare Quality Improvement Organization for Florida
 FMQAI serves as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization and End Stage Renal Disease Network (ESRD Network 7) for Florida. With a strong reputation as a leader in facilitating change and collaboration, FMQAI implements projects and conducts case review activities to improve care across all settings, including dialysis and transplant facilities.
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