Dialysis Patients and Providers

The following resources are specific to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and other kidney health providers and patients. 

News & Announcements

• News
  • March 23, 2020 - CMS Approves Medicaid Section 1135 Waivers for 11 Additional States in Response to COVID-19
  • March 22, 2020 - CMS Announces Relief for Clinicians, Providers, Hospitals and Facilities Participating in Quality Reporting Programs in Response to COVID-19
• Announcements
  • March 23, 2020 - Specific 1135 waiver requests should go to the CMS location. The email address for your CMS regional office is ROPHIDSC@cms.hhs.gov (Northeast Consortium): Delaware, District of Columbia,  Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
  • March 23, 2020 - General ESRD mailbox – (non-COVID) is ESRDQuestions@cms.hhs.gov. 

Resources for Dialysis Providers

In response to the unique circumstances resulting from the outbreak of COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided the following guidance for facility patient engagement activities: 
 
"Until further notice it is recommended that patient engagement and advocacy activities such as peer mentoring, hosting Lobby Days, attending support groups, and participating in QAPI meetings be done so virtually, over the telephone, online or thru another distant, non-person to person format to limit patient exposure risk."

Please don’t hesitate to contact your Network if you have any questions. ​
 

• American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
  • Poster for Patients: COVID-19 Tips (English / Spanish)
  • Information for Screening and Management of COVID-19 in the Outpatient Dialysis Facility
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • COVID-19 Outpatient Dialysis Facility Preparedness Assessment Tool
  • Information for Healthcare Professionals
  • Interim Additional Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 in Outpatient Hemodialysis Facilities
  • Discontinuing Home Isolation (Interim Guidance) - Includes information on both test-based and symptom-based strategies
  • Resources for Clinics and Healthcare Facilities
  • Screening Guidance for Dialysis Facilities
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 
  • ESRD Provider Telehealth and Telemedicine Toolkit
  • Memo: Information Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019 - COVID-19
  • Memo: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Dialysis Facilities
  • Memo: Suspension of Survey Activities
• Co-Imagine Health - ESRD Alliance 
  • Healthcare Workers: Coping with Infectious Disease Outbreaks in the Dialysis Setting
• Pathways Project 
  • Communication Strategies During a Pandemic: Responding to Hard Questions and Emotional Distress about COVID-19 from Dialysis Patients or their Families
  • Helping You and Your Patients Keep Emotional Balance in this Unbalancing Time
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Resources
  • ​Healthcare Supply of Personal Protective Equipment
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of PPE
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Eye Protection
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Isolation Gowns
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of Facemasks
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators
  • Strategies for Optimizing the Supply of N95 Respirators: Crisis/Alternate Strategies

Resources for Dialysis Patients

• Facts and Recommended Actions for COVID-19 (English / Spanish)
• Staying Safe: Social Distancing During a Pandemic (Video) - (English / Spanish)
• American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
  • Poster: COVID-19 Tips
• American Society of Transplantation (AST)
  • COVID-19 FAQs for Organ Transplantation
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Factsheet: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and You
• Dialysis Patient Citizens (DPC) Education Center
  • Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Information for Dialysis Patients
  • Webinar: "What COVID-19 Means for Kidney Patients" (Recording / Slides)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
  • Taking Care of Your Behavioral Health - Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak

State and Territory-Specific Resources

ESRD Network 3 (www.qirn3.org) 

• New Jersey

  • Department of Health

    • Frequently Asked Questions: Healthcare Personnel and COVID-19

    • Guidance for Discontinuation of Transmission - Based Precautions and Home Isolation for Patients Diagnosed with COVID-19

    • Guidance for COVID-19 Patients Discharged from Healthcare Facilities

    • Frequently Asked Questions: Close Contacts of Confirmed COVID-19 Patients

  • Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    • Coronavirus Information Sharing Card (English / Spanish)

  • NJ211

    • The Coronavirus (COVID-19)

    • NJ211 Information Hub

  • State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Management

    • County Coordinators

• Puerto Rico

  • Department of Health/Departamento de Salud

• U.S. Virgin Islands

  • Department of Health

ESRD Network 4 (www.qirn4.org)

• Delaware

  • Division of Public Health

  • Division of Public Health Contact Information

    • Media inquiries: DPHMedia@delaware.gov

    • Call Center: 1-866-408-1899 (General questions)

    • Epidemiology Hotline: 1-888-295-5156

      • If there are grave concerns about people experiencing symptoms, or people who think they have come in contact with positive cases, please direct them to the Epidemiology hotline immediately.

    • PPE Requests: OEMS@delaware.gov

• Pennsylvania

  • Department of Health

  • PA Emergency Management Coordinators

ESRD Network 5 (www.qirn5.org)

• District of Columbia (DC)

  • Mayor's Office

• Maryland

  • Department of Health

• Virginia

  • Department of Health

• West Virginia

  • Department of Health and Human Resources