Promoting and facilitating high quality care standards for dialysis and kidney transplant patients
in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Main phone (816) 880-9990
Patient toll free (800) 444-9965
Main fax (816) 880-9088
Data fax (816) 880-1775
7505 NW Tiffany Springs Pky. Suite 230 Kansas City, MO 64153
Quality Improvement
- Albumin
- Anemia Management
- Catheter Reduction
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Clinical Performance CPM
- Continuous Quality CQI
- Fistula First
- Hemolytic Events
- Hot Topics & Heads Up
- Medical Directors
- Meeting Presentations
- New Unit Administrators
- Nutshell Updates
- Patient Safety
- Pediatric Patients
- Professionalism
- State Survey Readiness
- Surgeons
- Water Treatment
Nutshell Updates
Quality Improvement
A number of quality improvement projects are underway at Heartland Kidney Network.
- Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative (ongoing)
- Clinical Performance Measures Data Collection (annual)
- Heartland Kidney Network & Quality Improvement Organization Collaboration: Immunization
- Heartland Kidney Network & Quality Improvement Organization Collaboration: Fistula First
- Mission: Referral (encouraging transplant evaluation for patients that want it)
Data Research
If you are interested in renal statistics, you may go to the following resources for numbers and data:
- United States Renal Data Systems (USRDS) at www.usrds.org
- Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) at www.dopps.org
- The Heartland Kidney Network website for demographics in our four-state area.
- The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is part of the National Institutes of Health at http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov
Patient Grievances
The Network is charged with investigating and mediating patient grievances. Information about how to file a grievance can be found on the Heartland Kidney Network website or by contacting the Network Patient Services Coordinator directly. We encourage patients to follow the facility grievance procedure before filing a formal grievance with the Network, however, if at all possible. Information on how to file a grievance must be made available to patients at the facility!
Transient or Transfer Patients
Patients are encouraged to live their lives with gusto! Information about traveling and visiting other dialysis facilities can be found by contacting the Patient Services Coordinator at Heartland Kidney Network or on the Dialysis Facility Compare website.
Technical Assistance
The Heartland Kidney Network staff is happy to assist you with questions you may have requiring technical assistance! Just call or email us! If we don’t know the answer to your question, we will help you find the answer.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Vocational rehabilitation can be defined as the process of facilitating an individual in the choice of, or return to, a suitable vocation. When necessary, assisting the patient to obtain training for such a vocation. Vocational rehabilitation can also mean preparing an individual regardless of age, or physical condition to cope emotionally, psychologically, and physically with changing circumstances in life, including remaining at school, work, or a work equivalent (homemaker).
What is your facility doing to assist and encourage patients to live their lives in a manner that is satisfying and fulfilling?
Reimbursement
Just FYI - regarding vascular access reimbursement for surgeons: if they do multiple procedures at the same sitting, they get 100% for the 1st, 50% for the 2nd, and 25% for the 3rd procedure. So it is possible to put in an arteriovenous fistula at the same time as a temporary catheter and be reimbursed.
Patient Safety
Check out this website! National Patient Safety Foundation www.npsf.org The ABC’s of Patient Safety is really good!