News & Events
Discover new information and educational offerings that we provide. Explore our newsletters, blogs and upcoming webinars/conference calls.
Contents:
Four Things You Should Know About the New Medicare Dental Rule
Andrea Moore, LMSW, Health Equity Specialist, Quality Insights Renal Network 5 1. Before January 1, 2023, Medicare would pay for a dental exam only for patients who were actively seeking a kidney transplant. Now, the new Medicare dental rule will pay for a dental exam and dental treatment (e.g., dental filling, teeth removal, replacement of teeth, etc.) for patients actively seeking any organ transplant. If you are living with kidney disease--with or without dialysis--Medicare will not pay for preventative care, like teeth cleanings. What this means for you: If you have Medicare and are actively seeking transplant, meaning you are undergoing transplant workup or are actively on the transplant waitlist, you have [...]
The Making of An Advocate
Gene Blankenship, DPC Board of Directors Thinking about Life Sitting in my recliner watching the leaves fall like big fat orange snowflakes, I see the trees begin to change colors. My immediate first thought is “How many more seasons of change will I see? Is this my last fall”? Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a constant passenger in my life. Anytime you have a passenger with you for long periods of time, you will go through events together that stamp your life. For example, as a child, I watched Eugene Taylor Jr., my dad, hook himself up every day to his peritoneal dialysis port in his stomach. PKD also introduced me to [...]
Spring 2023 State Advocacy Update
Elizabeth Lively, DPC Eastern Region Advocacy Director Pamela Zielske, DPC Western Region Advocacy Director The 2023 legislative session has been a busy and productive one for DPC’s state advocacy efforts. Bills impacting dialysis patients have been introduced in multiple state legislatures and in most cases have moved quickly through the legislative process. Improving access to Medigap coverage is a top priority for DPC, and we are thrilled that legislation was introduced in multiple states this session to expand Medigap access to patients under the age of 65. Last month, DPC celebrated Governor Glenn Youngkin's (R) signing of Virginia bills SB 1409 and HB 1640 into law, guaranteeing access to affordable [...]
For Mike Guffey, Working Was Key to Staying Positive
Mike Guffey When Mike Guffey began dialysis treatments in 2008, one of his top priorities was to ensure he had a reason to keep moving forward, something to look forward to when he got out of bed which would allow him to push through his treatment regimen. For him, that meant returning to work as quickly as he could after starting his treatments, especially given how quickly he crashed into life on dialysis. Normally based in Kansas City, Mike was working temporarily as a project manager in Colorado when he noticed something was off. He went to the doctors thinking he had altitude sickness, and the doctors told him it was likely [...]
Black and Hispanic Patients on Dialysis Have Higher Rates of Staph Bloodstream Infections
Actions to Reduce Inequities Can Save Lives CDC Newsroom Media Statement – Originally published February 6, 2023 Contact: Media Relations, (404) 639-3286 Adults on dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease were 100 times more likely to have a Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bloodstream infection than adults not on dialysis during 2017–2020, according to a new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than half of people in the U.S. receiving dialysis belong to a racial or ethnic minority group—about 1 in every 3 people receiving dialysis is Black and 1 in every 5 is Hispanic. CDC data found patients on dialysis in these groups have higher rates [...]
8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient
When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their hands, ask them to do so. Be Antibiotics Aware. Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections—they [...]
Ask the Doctor
Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. Four hours is too long for me to sit in dialysis. Do I have to attend every treatment? Answer: Think of dialysis as being the only way to get the toxins out of your body from the food that you consume everyday - three times a day. When you lose kidney function and are on dialysis, you are usually then only cleansing your body every other day. Those toxins will build up and can cause your body to deteriorate over time. Missing dialysis is harmful to your body. It causes toxins and water that cannot pass out to sit in your system, [...]
The DPC Education Center is Pleased to Welcome Velma Scantlebury, MD, to the Team!
Velma Scantlebury, MD, the first African-American female transplant surgeon in the United States, has joined Dialysis Patient Citizens as a healthcare consultant. Dr. Scantlebury served as a kidney surgeon for over 30 years, dedicating her life’s work to educating and raising awareness for the health disparities people in the Black community face from kidney disease. Born in Barbados, Dr. Scantlebury’s family moved to New York City when she was 15. She attended Long Island University on a full academic scholarship, obtaining a biology degree with a pre-med focus. Dr. Scantlebury then earned her medical degree from Columbia University, completed her residency in general surgery at Harlem Hospital, and finished her clinical fellowship at the [...]
The Kidney Citizen Issue 17
The DPC Education Center is Pleased to Welcome Velma Scantlebury, MD, to the Team, Ask the Doctor, 8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient, and more!
A Step Forward: Inhibiting APOL1 (Gene) to Treat Kidney Disease
By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine by Egbuna and colleagues (1) reported that in a small study, patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) who are homozygous for the variants in the gene encoding apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) when treated with the drug Inaxaplin, (which inhibits APOL1 function) demonstrated significantly reduced protein excretion. Inaxaplin is the first investigational therapy that is directed at treating APOL1-mediated kidney disease. Why is this significant? There is a disproportionate burden of chronic kidney disease in persons of African ancestry. FSGS and other forms of kidney disease affect African Americans and persons of African descent to a [...]
Recipe of the Month: Kidney Friendly Honey-Garlic Kebabs
Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. Fire up that grill! Our June recipe is: Kidney Friendly Honey-Garlic Kebabs. Ingredients Makes 15 servings Marinade: 1/4 c olive oil 1/3 c honey 1/4 c Bragg's Liquid Aminos 1/4 tsp black pepper 3 garlic cloves crushed Kebabs: 4 medium chicken breasts 4 small onions 3 medium bell peppers Instructions Mix all marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag. Add chicken (or prepared kebabs) to marinate at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight in refrigerator. Use marinade to baste [...]
Recipe of the Month: Alkaline Green Power Smoothie
Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. The weather is starting to heat up as we approach summer, which makes our May recipe an excellent choice for those days when you want to sip on a cool treat: Alkaline Green Power Smoothie. Recipe developed by Clarissa Paimanta, RD Ingredients Makes 1 1/2 cup unsweetened rice milk 1/4 cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt 1 cup baby kale 1 apple core removed and diced 2-4 ice cubes 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted Optional: 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup and [...]
Bringing Racial Equity to Kidney Transplant Evaluation
By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina’s Department of Surgery has developed an initiative that will help address the disparities seen in kidney transplantation for African Americans. While African Americans develop kidney failure at a rate that is three times greater than Whites, they are four times less likely to receive a kidney transplant by 12 months after a diagnosis of kidney failure. There are many barriers that contribute to these inequities and the researchers at MUSC, hope to implement strategies designed to reduce the structural barriers that prevent African Americans from obtaining access to kidney transplantation. One barrier that was identified was [...]
ADA Advises New BP, Lipid Targets for People With Diabetes
By V. Scantlebury, MD, FACS, DPC Education Center Healthcare Consultant The American Diabetes Association has recently made more aggressive changes to the Standard of Care in Diabetes -2023. Published in December 2022 as a supplement in Diabetes Care, this document is considered the gold standard for the care of over 100 million Americans living with diabetes and pre-diabetes. Below is a summary of some of the recommendations: A blood pressure target for people with diabetes of less than 130/80 mmHg, if it can be reached safely. Blood pressure targets should be individualized through a shared decision-making process that addresses the risks of cardiovascular disease and the potential adverse effects of antihypertensive medications and patient [...]
Recipe of the Month: Feta, Onion, and Pepper Pizza
Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. As the days become longer, take advantage of the warmer evenings and dine alfresco with our Italian-Inspired April recipe: Feta, Onion, and Pepper Pizza. Ingredients Makes 8 servings 3 cups bell peppers (red, green, and/or yellow) chopped 1 cup onion (red or yellow) sliced and separated into rings 3 cloves garlic crushed 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning dry 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled (can reduce to 1/2 cup to reduce sodium) Instructions Preheat oven [...]
Staph Infections in Hemodialysis Patients
A new study, looking at data from the 2020 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and the 2017-2020 Emerging Infections Program (EIP), has found that Hispanic patients on hemodialysis had a 40% higher risk of having a Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bloodstream infection than white patients. This is on top of all hemodialysis patients being 100 times more likely to have an S. aureus bloodstream infection than non-dialysis patients. Data also showed that the S. aureus bloodstream infection rate was strongly associated with vascular access via central venous catheter over graft or fistulas. Higher rates of S. aureus bloodstream infections have also been found to correlate to people living in areas with higher poverty levels, those with [...]
Recipe of the Month: Caribbean Lime Shrimp Salad
Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. It might not feel like spring yet, but you can pretend to be somewhere warm and tropical while enjoying our March recipe: Caribbean Lime Shrimp Salad. Ingredients Makes 6 servings Salad: 6 cups broccoli slaw fresh bagged kind found in all produce sections...can also use a cabbage slaw or just plain green salad 1 cup pineapple tidbits fresh or canned 1 cup mandarin orange segments 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup cilantro chopped 1 bunch green onions sliced, [...]
Recipe of the Month: Berry Yogurt Smoothie
Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. February’s featured recipe is a festive shade of pink for Valentine’s Day: Berry Yogurt Smoothie Recipe developed by Clarissa Paimanta, RD and tested by Jessica Prohn, MS, RD, CSR, LDN. Ingredients Makes 1 servings 3/4 cup unsweetened plant based yogurt** 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted) Instructions Add all ingredients except coconut oil into the blender. Blend until smooth, adding more almond milk as needed to achieve [...]
A Career and Dialysis Become a Way of Life
By Gene Blankenship, DPC Board Member I was 42 years old when I crashed into dialysis, though my family obviously knew about my kidney disease. I also worked full time and so the next step was to tell my employer, OPEA. I cannot compliment my employer enough. From the second I told my Supervisor and our Executive Director it was, as the cool kids say, "cake". First words out of their collective mouths were "How can we help?' My doctor and I had already discussed what I could do while still keeping my health a priority. This made it easier as we sat down to come up with a reasonable plan that [...]
Just a Dad with Kidney Disease
By Gene Blankenship, DPC Board Member Being a dad with kidney disease is something that I never imagined when I was younger. Actually, I never once pictured myself as a person who would be challenged by kidney failure, even though I watched my dad "Big Gene" struggle with end stage renal failure all my life until his death when I was 12 years old. Now, my weeks each have an automatic 16 hours at the dialysis center (20 hours with travel) during “prime time” completely scheduled for me until I receive a transplant. Those 20 hours are the perfect time for school games, plays, family events etc. This presents the challenge for a [...]
