News & Events
Discover new information and educational offerings that we provide. Explore our newsletters, blogs and upcoming webinars/conference calls.
Contents:
Recording of Previous Conference Call on Emergency Preparedness Now Available
We recently hosted an educational conference call/webinar on emergency preparedness with Joan Thomas, executive director of the Kidney Community Emergency Response Coalition (KCER). Thomas discussed tips and tactics for dialysis patients when severe weather and natural disasters strike. Being prepared in such circumstances is important so patients do not miss dialysis. Click here to listen to a recording of the call and view the accompanying Powerpoint slides.
Education Manager & Nephrology Nurse Joanne Smith Provides Education on Treatment Options for Kidney Patients
On April 9, Education Manager Joanne Smith hosted an educational conference call and webinar on treatment options for kidney patients. Smith has been a nephrology nurse for 32 years, and provides in-home training to patients on peritoneal and hemodialysis. Click here to listen to a recording of the call and view the accompanying Powerpoint slides.
The Importance of Scheduling Dialysis Treatments Before Natural Disasters Strike
Since dialysis is necessary to sustain life for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, it is imperative that both facilities and patients plan ahead when it comes to scheduling dialysis. It is particularly important to plan for any facility closures, which are bound to happen during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy. Unfortunately, approximately 40% of dialysis patients in the regions most affected by Hurricane Sandy - New York and New Jersey - failed to schedule dialysis in the days before the hurricane struck. As researchers pointed out in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, scheduling dialysis early would have been a good idea because approximately 4.1% of ESRD patients in New York and New Jersey made emergency [...]
Celebrate World Kidney Month
The 10th anniversary of World Kidney Month is drawing to a close! The goal of World Kidney Month is to prevent kidney disease and related diseases from happening, since one adult out of 10 across the world currently has kidney disease. World Kidney Month aims to prevent kidney disease by educating people on the importance of their kidneys. It also aims to raise awareness of high blood pressure and diabetes, the most common causes of kidney disease. Because there are little to no symptoms of kidney disease, most people are not even aware that they have it until it reaches the later stages, including kidney failure. This makes early screenings for kidney disease all the more important. [...]
Join Us for Our Kidney Health Seminar in New York!
On Saturday, March 21 from 2-5pm, the DPC Education Center will partner with the Rogosin Institute for an event that is free and open to the general public. It will cover education and training on topics such as mental health, advocacy and treatment options for kidney disease. It will take place at the Campbell Dome at Queens College – CUNY, located at 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367. If you would like to attend this event, you are required to RSVP by March 17 so we can plan for the event according to the number of expected attendees. To RSVP, call 1-866-877-4242. For more information, contact Kristy Lukaszewski at 1-866-877-4242 or the Rogosin Institute’s Jennifer [...]
Progress on Bloodstream-Associated Infections
With recent changes in dialysis payment, dialysis providers will now be held accountable for reducing bloodstream-associated infections. Research shows that when health care professionals are educated and evaluated on infection control requirements and they follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), bloodstream-associated infections can be reduced dramatically. This is why our affiliate, Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC), continues to remain active with the CDC Bloodstream Infection Collaborative, including organizing patient focus groups to identify how patients can help. The CDC recently announced a 46% decrease in central-line associated bloodstream infections. Bloodstream infections are often preventable, which is why we are working together to help empower patients to ensure they are in control and [...]
Education Center Develops New Patient Education Classroom on Bone & Mineral Disease
The DPC Education Center recently developed an online classroom on bone & mineral disease for dialysis patients. One topic the classroom focuses on is Vitamin D and its many benefits. Vitamin D balances calcium and phosphorus, regulates parathyroid hormone (PTH) production, helps build strong bones, and prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Receptors in the kidney turn Vitamin D into its active form, calciferol, but the kidneys of dialysis patients are unable to perform this function. This helps explain why almost all dialysis patients are Vitamin D-deficient. Unfortunately, dialysis patients are often unable to turn Vitamin D from natural sources like the sun into calciferol, so many types of Vitamin D supplements are [...]
Bone Health and Kidney Disease
Bones are living cells made up of collagen, calcium and phosphorous. Collagen is a protein that helps with bones’ flexibility. Calcium and phosphorous make the bones hard and strong. Cells work continuously to remove and replace weak areas of bone throughout life. The kidneys help regulate the phosphorous and calcium levels in the blood in order to keep bones healthy. When kidneys become unable to do their job, the bones begin to weaken. This can lead to joint pain and other health complications. Bones can be kept healthy through exercise and by taking prescribed phosphorus binder medications. These medications reduce the amount of phosphorous the body absorbs by binding to the undigested phosphorus and [...]
Proper Disinfection Practices Can Eliminate The Spread of Ebola
Dialysis facilities have infection control policies and procedures in place to protect their patients and staff from coming in contact with any blood borne diseases, but diligence in following those policies and procedures is imperative to protect us all. Dialysis staff are instructed to treat all patients with standard precautions. These include gloves, masks over the nose and mouth, shields or goggles for eye protection and waterproof gowns whenever there is risk for exposure. Staff should wash their hands and change gloves between every patient to reduce the risk of transmission of any infectious material, in particular blood. You should always advocate for yourself if you do not find that your healthcare workers are using [...]
Nominations Now Being Accepted For World Kidney Day 2015 Reception Honors
Do you know of an exceptional patient or healthcare professional deserving of recognition for his or her contributions to the kidney community? Nominations are now being accepted for the Nancy L. Scott Award for Patient Education & Public Service as well as the Willem J. Kolff Award for Innovation and Exceptional Patient Care. This years winners will be honored at the World Kidney Day Reception coinciding with Dialysis Patient Citizens' annual patient fly-in. About the Nancy L. Scott Award for Patient Education & Public Service Nancy was instrumental in the creation of the DPC Education Center, and has worked tirelessly to empower patients through education. She has also served in numerous Board positions for Dialysis Patient [...]
Patient Engagement: Can innovative techniques empower patients to better manage their kidney disease?
A new buzzword popular among health care leaders is “patient engagement,” sometimes referred to as “beneficiary engagement” when referring to Medicare beneficiaries. What does this concept mean for kidney patients? In general, patient engagement refers to transforming patients from passive recipients of health care to active partners, with their providers, in self-management of their disease. We often hear from veteran dialysis patients that success in avoiding complications depends on the patient taking on an active role in his or her health care and working with clinicians on a “two-way street.” While this kind of active engagement is certainly typical among the members and volunteer leaders of Dialysis Patient Citizens and the DPC Education Center, policymakers [...]
Time For Your Flu Vaccine
Flu season generally starts in October and ends in May. With all the recent news regarding the deadly Ebola virus on everyone’s mind, we need to remember that the flu virus can also be deadly – an estimated 36,000 people die each year from the flu. Individuals 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems such as heart, lung and kidney disease have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill from the flu. The good news is that you can get a vaccination for the flu, which should be received every year unless there is a specific allergy or contraindication to that vaccine or if you are not feeling well. People with severe, life-threatening [...]
Milestone Reached in Building Replacement Kidneys
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us, cats look down on us, pigs treat us as equals.” -Winston Churchill Could pigs be the answer to kidney replacements? Pig kidneys are roughly the same size as human kidneys. Testing in the past has been limited to rodent sized kidneys without much success. Recently, testing with pig kidneys has proven more likely to match human needs for kidney replacement. Researchers are currently using only the structure of the pig kidney and filling in that structure with the recipient’s own cells to create a kidney that would not be rejected. If proven successful, the new method to coat the blood vessels that keep blood flowing could be [...]
Don’t take Your Mental Health for Granted
End stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure is the end of your kidney function, not your life. As a result, the DPC Education Center entered into an exciting new collaboration with the American Psychological Association (APA). We recently held our first joint webinar and Regional Meeting in Detroit. Click here to view the recorded webinar. The diagnosis of stage 5 kidney disease or ESRD can be devastating. Grieving the loss of your kidney function is normal as long as it does not interfere with living your life to the fullest. Typically, the doctors focus on the physical aspects of your chronic illness. Ordering treatment plans, and medications to deal with the symptoms that are [...]
September is Disaster Preparedness Month
Are you prepared for any disaster that might impact your life or your ability to dialyze? Depending on where you live, there are many different types of disasters. You and your family should have a plan in place and practice your plan so that when the need arises, you can stay calm and be prepared. You also should have alternative plans and specific means to communicate any changes that might occur. Dialysis clinics are required to provide disaster plans to their patients and practice drills. Your dialysis team will instruct you how to take yourself off of your dialysis machine if you are able. Be aware of how your particular machine operates. If you are [...]
Setting up Your Home Dialysis Unit without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU: Tackling the Storage Problem
By Linda Gromko, MD and Jane C. McClure, Interior Designer When Linda and her husband, Steve Williams, brought Steve’s dialysis machine home, they felt reasonably confident about the mechanics of home dialysis. But the next day – when sixteen cubic feet of dialysis supplies arrived, they felt overwhelmed! After all, who has even one extra storage closet just waiting to be used? How could they incorporate all this “stuff” into their already busy household? Sound familiar? (Now, it’s true that the newer procedure of preparing dialysate from tap water and storing a couple of batches under the machine will minimize the sheer quantity of supplies. But storage will always be an issue – whether you’re doing hemo [...]
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Mental health disorders are common in the United States, and each year approximately one quarter of the population suffers from one or more disorders. Mental health is a taboo subject in American culture. Many individuals are afraid to ask for help when they feel low or overwhelmed due to the stigma associated with mental health disorders. Maintaining emotional health can be a challenge for anyone, but [...]
Setting up Your Home Dialysis Unit without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU: Designing Your Home Dialysis Unit
By Linda Gromko, MD and Jane C. McClure, Interior Designer This is the third of a four-part series on “Setting Up Your Home Dialysis Unit Without Feeling like You’re Living in an ICU!” We’ve already covered “Top Ten Considerations,” and “Setting Up with Safety First.” In this entry, we discuss the very basics of setting up your unit. Next time, we’ll address storage! The whole process of dialyzing at home can be daunting at first, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Dialyzing at home can provide the ultimate in personal flexibility – plus, more dialysis and more frequent dialysis which can truly improve the quality of your life. 1. As you start your [...]
Tickets Available Now for Inaugural Gala
Tickets are now available to purchase for DPC Education Center's Inaugural Gala on March 11, 2014. This year, we are extremely excited to honor a health care professional with the “Willem J. Kolff Award for Innovation and Patient Care.” Dr. Kolff was honored at DPC’s Gala in 2006 for inventing the dialysis machine. As a result, we decided to name this award after him, and are excited that his son will be attending to present the award. In addition to the health care proffesional, a dialysis patient will also be recognized for his continued work to educate patients and assist with low-income housing efforts. These honorees were chosen by a committee from nominations submitted by [...]
Join Us In The Fight Against Kidney Disease!
Do you want to help make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans through kidney disease education? Join the DPC Education Center's first annual National Kidney Month Fundraising Drive! The DPC Education Center is making great strides toward becoming the leading resource for kidney patients, family members and members on the hill to learn about dialysis and chronic kidney disease. With only two weeks left in National Kidney Month, now is the time to help us continue to provide extensive resources to patients and families to help curb the spread of this debilitating illness. We have a great program to help you raise awareness, while raising funds in celebration of National Kidney Month. Our [...]
