ESRD Network of Florida Selected by the America Society of Nephrology to Speak at the Annual Mtg

Oct. 22, 2009 - PRLog -- ASN “Renal Week” is known as the biggest nephrology meeting in the country, attracting thousands of nephrologists from all around the globe. The ASN membership includes approximately 11,000 physicians and scientists committed to preventing kidney disease and making life better for patients.

Longtime supporters of the ASN meeting have alerted the Network of the honor in being selected saying, “The abstracts are usually selected to be published in the book. Those that have an important message are selected for poster presentation. Those that have a critically important message get accepted for an oral presentation.”  

The presentation titled: “A Strategy to Minimize the Use of Tunneled Hemodialysis Catheters” is authored by Deuzimar Kulawik, BSN, RN, MSN, the Network Quality Improvement Coordinator and co-authored by Dr. Jeffrey J. Sands, the Network 7 Medical Director, Kelly Mayo, Network 7 Project Director and Arif Asif of the Division of Nephrology of Miami Miller School of Medicine. “Tunneled hemodialysis catheters (TDCs) carry the highest mortality risk for chronic hemodialysis patients of any access type. Recent data have emphasized that mortality risk decreases when these devices are discontinued. Therefore, we were inspired to share this quality improvement project with a group of ESRD leaders who are able to implement system changes that impact the quality of care delivered and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for our ESRD population,” said Deuzimar.

Network 7 provides oversight for 342 facilities, eight transplant centers and over 21,000 dialysis patients in Florida. The Florida ESRD Network has worked exhaustively to maintain a developed program focused on improving the quality of life and the quality of care for kidney patients in Florida. Network 7 continually enhances its efforts by conducting quality improvement initiatives, resolving patient grievances, collecting data, collaborating with providers and leading national level special projects.

For more information about FMQAI and ESRD Network 7, please visit our website at:
www.FMQAI.com/esrd.aspx

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About FMQAI, FMQAI is Florida’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) and the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Network of Florida.
As a healthcare quality improvement organization, FMQAI works with providers in Hospitals, Physician Offices, Nursing Homes, and many other provider settings to implement projects focused on improving the care provided to over three million Medicare beneficiaries in Florida. FMQAI’s mission is to ensure the quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and economy of health care services provided to Medicare beneficiaries.