By Susan Eymann, MS31 Aug 2016
Compensation for Nephrologists Sees Above Average Increase in 2015
Nephrology and hypertension saw the biggest pay increase among medical specialties in 2015, according to the 2016 AMGA Medical Group Compensation and Productivity Survey. Nephrologists saw a 6.7 percent increase in salary.
Source: Nephrology News & Issues
American Renal Associates & Western Nephrology to Open Colorado Location
The two groups plan to open an outpatient dialysis facility—Kidney Center of the Rockies — in Avon, Colorado. The facility is scheduled to open in fall 2016 and will offer patients in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and home dialysis services.Source: Nephrology News & Issues
Breaking Down the CMS End-Stage Renal Disease Measures Manual
If you haven’t seen it yet, the CMS released a 25-page document outlining the CMS End-Stage Renal Disease Measures Manual. The document provides an overview of the manual, a look at its organizational structure and how to provide feedback via the JIRA platform.Largest Dialysis Providers Preparing for Change in 2016
Medicare’s shift to a value-based medicine approach has produced some intriguing data for the dialysis and kidney care communities. The mortality rate among prevalent dialysis patients is declining, and providers are investing in new products. Among the largest dialysis providers, DaVita and Fresenius are preparing to expand their overseas locations.Source: Nephrology News & Issues
More Intense Pre-dialysis Care Linked to Better Outcomes
A retrospective study found that older adults who visited their nephrologists more frequently in the year before dialysis had lower risk of severe anemia and a better likelihood of having a permanent vascular access in place at the start of dialysis.Smoking Raises Mortality Risk Among Dialysis Patients
Dialysis patients with preexisting coronary artery disease who smoke have a 14 percent increase in risk of death compared to non-smoking patients with preexisting coronary artery disease. Younger patients with coronary artery disease who smoked had a significantly higher risk of death than older patients, 76 percent to 33 percent, respectively.