Kidney Care Partners, Kidney Care Quality Alliance to Evaluate Measures to Improve Quality, Outcomes

WASHINGTON – Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – the nation’s leading kidney care multi-stakeholder coalition representing patient advocates, physician organizations, health professional groups, dialysis providers, researchers and manufacturers – relaunched the Kidney Care Quality Alliance (KCQA) to develop meaningful measures to evaluate facility-level quality performance measures, particularly in the areas of home dialysis and transplant, for dialysis providers.

“KCP is proud to support the KCQA and its work to develop a series of quality measures addressing home dialysis, transplant, anemia, bone mineral metabolism, and infection control,” shared John P. Butler, Chair of KCP. “I know this talented group of experts shares our goals of improving quality of care, informed patient choice, and improved access to home dialysis and transplant for individuals living with kidney diseases.”

The new KCQA initiative will be co-chaired by Dr. George Aronoff, vice president of Clinical Affairs for DaVita Kidney Care and Dr. Keith Bellovich, a practicing nephrologist and Renal Physicians Association’s President-Elect.  A Steering Committee was also elected among national leaders throughout the kidney community that will guide the initiative:

• Todd Eric Minga, MD from Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.
• Gail Wick, MHSA, BSN, RN, CNN from the American Kidney Fund, Inc.
• Donna Bednarski MSN, RN, ANP-BC, CNN, CNP from the American Nephrology Nurses Association
• Daniel E. Weiner MD, MS, from the American Society of Nephrology
• Ganesh Bhat, MD from Atlantic Dialysis Management Services, LLC
• James “Mike” Guffey from Dialysis Patient Citizens, Inc.
• Lorien Dalrymple MD, MPH, from Fresenius Medical Care
• Robert S. Bomstad MS, BS, RN, from the Renal Healthcare Association
• Lori Hartwell from the Renal Support Network
• Jeffrey Silberzweig, MD, from the Rogosin Institute
• Brigitte Schiller, MD from Satellite Healthcare
• Mary Dittrich MD, FASN, from U.S. Renal Care, Inc.
• Amy Barton PharmD, MHI, from Vifor Pharma

“As care for individuals living with kidney disease continues to improve and evolve, the need for meaningful measures to evaluate the quality and efficacy of that care becomes acute,” shared Aronoff. “I’m excited by the challenge of developing such measures and know this group of talented and dedicated renal professionals is up to the task as well.”

“We know that efficient quality measures have the potential to dramatically improve kidney care and even save lives,” shared Bellovich. “I’m proud to join with Dr. Aronoff to co-chair this effort. I know the important work we will accomplish will benefit the thousands of Americans living with kidney disease.”

KCQA was launched in 2005 by KCP to independently develop meaningful, actionable, community-supported facility-level performance metrics that meet the needs of patients, other members of the renal community, and federal policymakers.

Through four project cycles, KCQA has a measurable record of success, having received National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsement for seven performance measures addressing vascular access, immunization, patient education, fluid management, and medication management in dialysis patients. It has also published a framework for priorities for patient-reported outcome measure development.

KCQA expects to submit the newly developed measures to NQF for endorsement by 2022.

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