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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 523 blog entries.

Fighting Back Against Implicit Bias in Health Care

2023-06-14T14:23:42-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Mental Health, Physical Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Tips for how to speak up and speak out against discrimination in a medical setting Kirsten Weir The receptionist requests two forms of identification from you, yet the White person in front of you required no identification to be verified. A nurse who uses a condescending tone of voice: “you people are all alike.” A doctor who doesn’t listen to you: Having just told the doctor you have knee problems, he recommended that you walk 30 minutes every day. Are they just having a bad day — or is it implicit bias? Implicit bias is an attitude or [...]

Andrew Carr Knows There’s More for Him

2023-06-14T14:22:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Stress Management, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrew Carr Kidney disease has been part of Andrew’s life since he was 7 years old, when he was diagnosed with Hydronephrosis. Now 29, Andrew has had kidney disease for the majority of his life, but he’s guided by the principle that his kidney disease doesn’t control his life, he does. Andrew began dialysis treatments when he was 19. While Andrew’s exposure to kidney disease happened so early in his life, he does not remember how he felt about it at its outset, but vividly remembers the beginning of his dialysis treatments. For three-and-a-half years Andrew persevered through [...]

Four Things You Should Know About the New Medicare Dental Rule

2023-06-14T14:19:46-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Additional Resources, Physical Health, The Kidney Citizen|

Andrea Moore, LMSW, Health Equity Specialist, Quality Insights Renal Network 5 1. Before January 1, 2023, Medicare would pay for a dental exam only for patients who were actively seeking a kidney transplant. Now, the new Medicare dental rule will pay for a dental exam and dental treatment (e.g., dental filling, teeth removal, replacement of teeth, etc.) for patients actively seeking any organ transplant. If you are living with kidney disease--with or without dialysis--Medicare will not pay for preventative care, like teeth cleanings. What this means for you: If you have Medicare and are actively seeking transplant, meaning [...]

The Making of An Advocate

2023-06-14T14:17:06-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, Mental Health, Support, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Gene Blankenship, DPC Board of Directors Thinking about Life Sitting in my recliner watching the leaves fall like big fat orange snowflakes, I see the trees begin to change colors. My immediate first thought is “How many more seasons of change will I see? Is this my last fall”? Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is a constant passenger in my life. Anytime you have a passenger with you for long periods of time, you will go through events together that stamp your life. For example, as a child, I watched Eugene Taylor Jr., my dad, hook himself up every [...]

Spring 2023 State Advocacy Update

2023-06-14T14:15:01-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Resources, The Kidney Citizen|

Elizabeth Lively, DPC Eastern Region Advocacy Director Pamela Zielske, DPC Western Region Advocacy Director The 2023 legislative session has been a busy and productive one for DPC’s state advocacy efforts. Bills impacting dialysis patients have been introduced in multiple state legislatures and in most cases have moved quickly through the legislative process. Improving access to Medigap coverage is a top priority for DPC, and we are thrilled that legislation was introduced in multiple states this session to expand Medigap access to patients under the age of 65. Last month, DPC celebrated Governor Glenn Youngkin's (R) signing [...]

For Mike Guffey, Working Was Key to Staying Positive

2023-06-15T18:55:03-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Employment, Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Mental Health, Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen|

Mike Guffey When Mike Guffey began dialysis treatments in 2008, one of his top priorities was to ensure he had a reason to keep moving forward, something to look forward to when he got out of bed which would allow him to push through his treatment regimen. For him, that meant returning to work as quickly as he could after starting his treatments, especially given how quickly he crashed into life on dialysis. Normally based in Kansas City, Mike was working temporarily as a project manager in Colorado when he noticed something was off. He went to the [...]

Black and Hispanic Patients on Dialysis Have Higher Rates of Staph Bloodstream Infections

2023-06-14T14:10:31-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Early Intervention, Stages of Kidney Disease, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

Actions to Reduce Inequities Can Save Lives CDC Newsroom Media Statement – Originally published February 6, 2023 Contact: Media Relations, (404) 639-3286 Adults on dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease were 100 times more likely to have a Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bloodstream infection than adults not on dialysis during 2017–2020, according to a new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than half of people in the U.S. receiving dialysis belong to a racial or ethnic minority group—about 1 in every 3 people receiving dialysis is Black and 1 in every 5 [...]

8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient

2023-06-14T14:08:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Immunizations, Medication, Physical Health, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their [...]

Ask the Doctor

2023-06-18T15:44:42-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, The Kidney Citizen|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. Four hours is too long for me to sit in dialysis. Do I have to attend every treatment? Answer: Think of dialysis as being the only way to get the toxins out of your body from the food that you consume everyday - three times a day. When you lose kidney function and are on dialysis, you are usually then only cleansing your body every other day. Those toxins will build up and can cause your body to deteriorate over time. Missing dialysis is harmful to your body. [...]

The DPC Education Center is Pleased to Welcome Velma Scantlebury, MD, to the Team!

2023-06-18T15:42:08-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, the first African-American female transplant surgeon in the United States, has joined Dialysis Patient Citizens as a healthcare consultant. Dr. Scantlebury served as a kidney surgeon for over 30 years, dedicating her life’s work to educating and raising awareness for the health disparities people in the Black community face from kidney disease. Born in Barbados, Dr. Scantlebury’s family moved to New York City when she was 15. She attended Long Island University on a full academic scholarship, obtaining a biology degree with a pre-med focus. Dr. Scantlebury then earned her medical degree from Columbia University, completed her [...]

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