Renal Business Today Articles

A Q&A with NKF President-Elect Lynda Szczech

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:50:31 PDT

In April, Lynda A. Szczech, MD, MSCE, FASN, became the first woman in the National Kidney Foundation’s 60-year history to be appointed President-elect. Szczech is currently associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in the Division of Nephrology. She earned her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University, her ...(2064 words)

CROWNWeb: A Phased-In Approach To 100% Data Collection

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:10:00 PDT

On Feb. 1, 2009, the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS) took dialysis facilities’ ability to accurately manage their patients’ Medicare data into a new era, with the introduction of CROWNWeb. A Web-based data-collection system, CROWNWeb will provide a new means of accessing key patient-care data summaries, such as ...(1627 words)

KCP Plans to Cut First-Year Dialysis Mortality by 20 Percent

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:31:24 PDT

WASHINGTON—Every year a new U.S. Renal Data System report is released, the renal community is reminded of the persistent high-mortality rate for kidney disease patients in the first year of dialysis. To combat this, Kidney Care Partners, a coalition of renal providers, patient advocates, professionals and manufacturers, announced a plan ...(671 words)

Rockwell Looking to Start New Iron Age

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:50:44 PDT

Iron management in dialysis patients today is largely done intravenously; however, in the next few years Wixom, Mich.-based Rockwell Medical Technologies hopes to have a new dialysate-delivered iron drug on the market that could improve iron care, as well as save money. Robert Chioni, Rockwell president and CEO, formed the ...(597 words)

MedPAC: Looking to the Future of ESRD Payment

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:32:30 PDT

It was with great interest that I recently reviewed the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission’s March 2009 “Report to the Congress, Medicare Payment Policy.” As per the inner cover of the report “The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an independent congressional agency established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 ...(875 words)

Surviving Future Vascular Access Reimbursement Reductions

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:29:04 PDT

Beginning in 2007, vascular access reimbursement rates have experienced significant reduction with more proposed in 2010. Many vascular access center owners are concerned about their ability to continue to treat patients in this reimbursement environment. This begs the question, “What should operators do now to survive future reimbursement reductions?” The ...(1899 words)

Dialysis Clinics and Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:25:44 PDT

Last year, Sutter Health, a family of nonprofit hospitals and physician organizations serving more than 100 communities throughout Northern California, entered into what is being hailed by disability rights advocates as a “landmark settlement” of a class-action lawsuit for its alleged institutional discrimination against the disabled, in so far as ...(2291 words)

Bundling’s Affect on Home Dialysis Still Unclear

Wed, 27 May 2009 11:04:58 PDT

WASHINGTON—In a May report, the Government Accountability Office found that home dialysis is generally cheaper per treatment compared to in-center dialysis, but it also learned that providers have questioned whether a new reimbursement system can increase the use of the home option. The use of home dialysis has been on ...(992 words)

Dialysis Triathlete Takes Message Cross Country

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:29:00 PDT

As Shad Ireland rode his bike into Arizona in mid May, he was greeted by scorching triple-digit heat. Not a complete surprise for the desert-dwelling locals, but not the desired welcome for a dialysis patient riding more than 4,000 miles cross country to raise awareness of kidney disease.“I never thought ...(1051 words)

Inventory Management for Home Dialysis

Fri, 15 May 2009 08:59:03 PDT

Nephrology professionals are well aware of the many benefits that patients can achieve with more frequent, home-based dialysis. From improved patient health to a better quality of life, home dialysis can deliver a far greater degree of freedom and removes many of the constraints and restrictions that have largely defined ...(2095 words)