About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 570 blog entries.

DPC’s State Advocacy Program Works to Advance State Policies that Improve Dialysis Patient Outcomes

2024-03-28T20:59:16-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Kelly Goss, J.D., LL.M., Western Region Advocacy Director Historically, health policy issues that impact End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients have largely been focused at the federal level since the vast majority of ESRD patients are on Medicare, a federally-run health insurance program, as their primary insurer. Hence, much of the decision-making with regard to ESRD policies has come either from Congress or from within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since both have oversight of the Medicare program. However, in recent years, states have become more actively engaged in health policy legislation, in large part due [...]

How to Prepare Your Child for a Hospitalization

2024-03-28T20:59:17-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Shani Thornton, MS, CCLS, RWWP When your child has a chronic illness, hospitalizations and urgent care visits may become more frequent. Feeling prepared for these medical admissions can help ease anxiety and fear. Here are a few tips to help create a plan for your family. Emergency Visit Pack a bag that can easily be accessed during a medical crisis. The emergency go-bag should include extra clothes, comfort items, small toys, activities, snacks, phone charger, medical records, emergency contacts, pen and paper. Many families leave their go-bag in their car or have a specific location within their home. It can [...]

New Organ Transplant Guideline Promotes Patient Safety, Organ Availability

2024-03-28T20:59:18-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: Immunizations, Kidney Transplant, The Kidney Citizen|

By Sridhar Basavaraju, MD, FACEP, CDR-USPHS and Heather Ewing Ogle, MA, MPH In the United States, there are approximately 90,000 patients with end-stage renal disease waiting for a transplant. For those patients, a kidney transplant could substantially improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, an organ offer may not be available for every patient in need because of the length of the waiting list. With guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Public Health Service released a new guideline in 2020 that may increase the number of available organs for those in need of a transplant. The [...]

The COVID-19 Vaccine is Finally Here. Learn How to Manage Anxiety and Impatience While You Wait

2024-03-28T20:59:19-04:00April 19th, 2021|Categories: Mental Health, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|Tags: |

By Kirsten Weir It’s been a long and stressful pandemic year. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are becoming available, many people are wrestling with a new burst of emotions: From fear and skepticism to excitement and impatience. “There is such a range of emotions around the vaccine rollout,” says Elizabeth Christofferson, PhD, a pediatric psychologist and clinical director of transplant psychology at Children’s Hospital of Colorado and an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Those emotions are normal and valid — and you can find ways to cope with them.” Easing Concerns About the Vaccine Guidelines from the [...]

So, You’ve Been Vaccinated. Now What?

2024-03-28T20:59:21-04:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, Immunizations|Tags: |

First of all, congratulations! It has been a long and difficult year for everyone, and finally having some protection against COVID-19 feels good. We still have a ways to go though, and since we are still learning about how the vaccines will affect the spread of the virus, it is important that everyone one keeps taking precautions – such as wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds or poorly ventilated indoor spaces. The CDC has also provided some recommendations to help with decision making in daily activities for people who have been vaccinated. The first thing [...]

Fabry Awareness Month

2024-03-28T20:59:22-04:00April 1st, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|

April is Fabry Awareness Month, which brings attention to a rare disease that affects about 1 in 100,000 people. So, what is it? Fabry is an inherited genetic condition, caused by a mutation on the X chromosome in the GLA gene that leads to reduced levels of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (AGA) in the body. This means that the body cannot break down a certain type of fat, called globotriaosylceramide (GL-3), which then continues to build-up in a way that causes the blood vessels all over the body to become narrowed. This causes damage to tissues and organs, including your kidneys! [...]

Healthy Lifestyle May Lower Death and Major Adverse Cardiac Events Risk in Kidney Patients

2024-03-28T20:59:24-04:00March 10th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Staying Healthy|

It is no secret that doctors advise all their patients to live a healthy lifestyle; eating well, including making sure to get the recommended daily nutrients for your diet, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and not smoking are beneficial for everyone. However, this is particularly important for patients living with CKD, as they are 10 times more at risk for cardiovascular disease compared with the general public. A new study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, has shown that adhering to generally recommended healthy lifestyle choices may lower the risk of death and major adverse [...]

Podcast: The Elephant in the Room – Fear & Uncertainty During COVID-19

2024-03-28T20:59:25-04:00March 4th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Support|Tags: |

At the end of last year, dialysis patients were invited to submit their questions about real-life issues during COVID-19. In this first episode of the new podcast, The Elephant in the Room, experts respond to patients’ letters, including Dale Lupu from George Washington School of Nursing, Liz Anderson, a long-time social worker (both of whom were presenters for the Ed Center’s January 2021 webinar), and a kidney patient with “lived experience” John Brandon Bayton, Jr. You can listen to the first episode of the podcast on Buzzsprout here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1642372/7476073-episode-1-fear-uncertainty-during-covid-19

March is National Kidney Month!

2024-03-28T20:59:26-04:00March 1st, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Physical Health, Stress Management|

Your kidneys work hard for you all year long, but this month we give them a little extra recognition and raise awareness about kidney disease for National Kidney Month. This year’s theme is all about taking charge of your health and what goes into managing your kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious condition that affects 37 million people; however, it is often overlooked until symptoms appear. This can put you at risk for serious health complications, including kidney failure, so it is important to know the ways to help manage and slow the progression of CKD. Take charge [...]

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