The National Renal Administrators Association and Renal Physicians Association will host a workshop for dialysis facility medical directors Oct. 9-10 in Orlando. 

The workshop will feature nephrology experts discussing the following topics:

• Trends and opportunities in patient care
• Understanding facility performance scores such as QIP and the 5-Star Program
• Opportunities for quality improvement in infection control
• Innovations in home therapy

"The majority of RPA's members serve as dialysis facility medical directors," said Dr. Rebecca Schmidt, RPA president. "We have developed numerous educational tools and programs to assist medical directors with fulfilling their roles. This workshop provides an additional opportunity to reach medical directors and facility administrators with valuable information to improve care delivery in dialysis facilities."

The Dialysis Facility Medical Directors Symposium is a part of the 2015 NRAA Annual Fall Conference hosted at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista on Oct. 7–10.

"The NRAA and the RPA have worked for more than 35 years in the industry," said Marc Chow, NRAA executive director. "This collaborative effort between both associations combines forces in order to develop ways to progress patient care for the 600,000 people on dialysis due to chronic kidney disease."

CMEs will be offered during the workshops for physicians seeking to maintain licensure and certification.

Registration opens in June.

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From Staff Reports

In recognition of National Kidney Month during March, Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) has invited the community to attend its “Healthy Lifestyle Day” on Thursday, March 26 at its Fresenius Medical Care Discovery clinic in Huntsville.

FMCNA, the nation’s leading dialysis provider, is hosting a series of wellness events throughout the month in select clinics nationwide to raise awareness of kidney disease for those who might be at risk, and to emphasize to people with kidney disease or on dialysis the importance of eating well and staying physically active.

FMCNA experts will offer wellness tools, tips and recipes, plus kidney screenings and information about treatment options for those with kidney failure.

 Dietitians and social workers will be on hand to discuss how people can live better lives on dialysis by becoming more physically active and eating healthier foods

There will be light refreshments, educational materials including tips and recipes, free kidney disease risk-assessment screenings. Nurses and staff available to discuss patient services and the latest dialysis treatment options, including home dialysis and in-center nighttime dialysis.

The staff will host one of the company’s informative Treatment Options Programs (TOPs) to educate at-risk patients and their families about chronic kidney disease and how to choose treatments for kidney failure that best suit their health and lifestyle needs.

 The clinic is located at 1131 Eagletree Lane Southwest, Suite 100 in Huntsville. There is no cost to attend. For more information, contact Cynthia Church at 256-489-4160.

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