Online Publication Date:
24 Apr 2020
Patients Are Facing Serious Transportation Challenges, Especially to Dialysis Facilities During COVID-19

ASN is hearing from nephrologists in multiple COVID-19 hot spots that their patients are facing serious logistical transportation challenges, specifically with ensuring COVID-19 patients can access safe transportation to dialysis facilities. The ramifications are significant and include barriers to discharging kidney failure patients with COVID-19 from hospitals, risks of admitting patients to hospitals who cannot get to dialysis facilities, and risks of spreading COVID-19 during transportation. While nephrologists and dialysis facilities are coordinating with state and local authorities, there is also a role for the Department of Health and Human Services.
By:
David White
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ASN is hearing from nephrologists in multiple COVID-19 hot spots that their patients are facing serious logistical transportation challenges, specifically with ensuring COVID-19 patients can access safe transportation to dialysis facilities. The ramifications are significant and include barriers to discharging kidney failure patients with COVID-19 from hospitals, risks of admitting patients to hospitals who cannot get to dialysis facilities, and risks of spreading COVID-19 during transportation. While nephrologists and dialysis facilities are coordinating with state and local authorities, there is also a role for the Department of Health and Human Services.

If you should experience difficulty arranging for transportation of COVID-19 patients to in-center dialysis facilities, please contact your ESRD network. The ESRD Network has an established alert protocol with the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and will ask you to provide detailed information. As this is a local and state challenge, you must also report the problem to your local health department and state department of health. To find your local health department, use the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Directory of Local Health Departments .

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