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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 395 blog entries.

If You’ve Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine, Don’t Get an Antibody Test

2021-06-09T09:16:15-04:00June 9th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Immunizations|Tags: |

Thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines, life is beginning to look a little more like it did pre-pandemic and people are out and about as many states start opening back up. Some people are uncertain about the effectiveness of the vaccine or its ability to protect against different variants and have considered antibody tests as a way to check the effectiveness of their vaccine. Public health officials are urging fully vaccinated people not to get antibody tests though, as they have limitations. Antibody tests are a great way to understand if someone has been previously infected with coronavirus and didn’t know at [...]

New Online Course for Parents and Caregivers of Children with Kidney Disease

2021-06-09T09:20:17-04:00June 2nd, 2021|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Online Courses, Support|

The DPC Education Center is proud to announce a new free course, in partnership with the American Psychological Association, for parents and caregivers of children living with kidney disease. It explores the changes that happen within families due to a chronic illness and offers tips to help your family cope and thrive. Check out the Course

Staying Safe in Summer Heat

2021-06-09T09:13:07-04:00June 1st, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Physical Health|

It is finally summertime! After a long winter of being cooped up indoors, it’s great to finally be able to go to the park, the beach, or even just a nice little walk around your neighborhood. As temperatures around the country are rising though, it’s important to be mindful of the risk of heat-related illness, especially if you have kidney disease or another health condition. Hyperthermia is a illness that happens when your body becomes overheated. Mild cases can cause muscle cramps or swelling in the feet, whereas a more serve form, heat exhaustion, means that your body can no longer [...]

CMS Makes it Easier for Consumers to Find Prices on Hospital Services

2021-05-13T11:26:25-04:00May 11th, 2021|Categories: Costs for Treatment, eNews|

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a new rule on hospital price transparency that went into effect January 1, 2021. Under a section of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA), hospitals are required to publish a list of standard charges each year. Originally, hospitals could fill this requirement just by publishing their chargemaster list (a comprehensive list of all products, procedures, and services provided by a hospital) online; now, however, hospitals are told exactly what they are required to publish, and how to publish it, in order to comply with the PHSA. Hospitals must publish the following five [...]

COVID-19 Vaccines for Dialysis and Transplant Patients – What We Know

2021-05-13T11:21:40-04:00May 3rd, 2021|Categories: eNews, Immunizations, Staying Healthy|Tags: |

As more and more people in the United States receive the COVID-19 vaccine, researchers have been able to learn more about efficacy rates in different patient populations. Unfortunately, preliminary research suggests that efficacy rates may be lower in both dialysis and transplant patients. In a small study, published April 6, 2021 on CJASN ePress, researchers found that, although study participants on hemodialysis did develop a substantial antibody response following two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine, it was significantly lower than the response of the control group comprised of participants not on dialysis. It was also found that older patients, regardless [...]

So, You’ve Been Vaccinated. Now What?

2021-04-08T11:00:58-04:00April 5th, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, Immunizations|Tags: |

First of all, congratulations! It has been a long and difficult year for everyone, and finally having some protection against COVID-19 feels good. We still have a ways to go though, and since we are still learning about how the vaccines will affect the spread of the virus, it is important that everyone one keeps taking precautions – such as wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds or poorly ventilated indoor spaces. The CDC has also provided some recommendations to help with decision making in daily activities for people who have been vaccinated. The first thing [...]

Fabry Awareness Month

2021-04-08T10:53:07-04:00April 1st, 2021|Categories: Additional Resources, eNews, What Causes Kidney Disease|

April is Fabry Awareness Month, which brings attention to a rare disease that affects about 1 in 100,000 people. So, what is it? Fabry is an inherited genetic condition, caused by a mutation on the X chromosome in the GLA gene that leads to reduced levels of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A (AGA) in the body. This means that the body cannot break down a certain type of fat, called globotriaosylceramide (GL-3), which then continues to build-up in a way that causes the blood vessels all over the body to become narrowed. This causes damage to tissues and organs, including your kidneys! [...]

Healthy Lifestyle May Lower Death and Major Adverse Cardiac Events Risk in Kidney Patients

2021-03-10T10:13:24-05:00March 10th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Staying Healthy|

It is no secret that doctors advise all their patients to live a healthy lifestyle; eating well, including making sure to get the recommended daily nutrients for your diet, regular exercise, getting enough sleep, managing stress, and not smoking are beneficial for everyone. However, this is particularly important for patients living with CKD, as they are 10 times more at risk for cardiovascular disease compared with the general public. A new study, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, has shown that adhering to generally recommended healthy lifestyle choices may lower the risk of death and major adverse [...]

Podcast: The Elephant in the Room – Fear & Uncertainty During COVID-19

2021-03-10T09:51:10-05:00March 4th, 2021|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Support|Tags: |

At the end of last year, dialysis patients were invited to submit their questions about real-life issues during COVID-19. In this first episode of the new podcast, The Elephant in the Room, experts respond to patients’ letters, including Dale Lupu from George Washington School of Nursing, Liz Anderson, a long-time social worker (both of whom were presenters for the Ed Center’s January 2021 webinar), and a kidney patient with “lived experience” John Brandon Bayton, Jr. You can listen to the first episode of the podcast on Buzzsprout here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1642372/7476073-episode-1-fear-uncertainty-during-covid-19

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