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About Hannah Bracamonte

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So far Hannah Bracamonte has created 493 blog entries.

Supreme Court Erases Kidney Patients’ Insurance Protections

2022-11-02T22:09:11-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Costs for Treatment, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Megan Hashbarger, DPC Vice President of Government Relations and Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy A U.S. Supreme Court ruling has nullified the law that protects dialysis patients from discrimination by insurers, threatening the system of financing kidney care that has stood for 40 years. The Court ruled that employer health plans may limit dialysis benefits. For four decades, employers understood the law as prohibiting limitations that only applied to dialysis. Some health benefit consultants encouraged a few small employers to disregard the law by paying no more than Medicare rates for dialysis. DaVita [...]

The Social Worker – Patient Relationship: One Social Worker’s Reflections

2022-11-02T22:02:24-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: The Kidney Citizen|

By Jean Carosella, LCSW In April 2021, I retired from dialysis social work after working in the same clinic for almost 44 years. I had actually planned to retire a year earlier but the pandemic played a major role in my staying on another year. I just couldn’t leave knowing the stress and worry that COVID was creating for everyone in the clinic, patients and staff alike. But now a year into retirement, I can see one positive outcome for me as a result of the pandemic. COVID forced me to slow down and take the time to reflect [...]

Anemia in People with Chronic Kidney Disease

2022-11-02T21:45:32-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Physical Health, Stages of Kidney Disease, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

By Jay Wish, MD Anemia is defined as a lower-than-normal level of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all tissues and allows those tissues to carry on their functions, including the creation of building blocks for energy. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red, and this explains why people with low hemoglobin levels may appear pale. Hemoglobin levels less than 13 in men and less than 12 in women is considered anemia. Anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may have many causes. It [...]

Navigating a Renal Diet: Decoding the Mystery

2022-11-02T21:39:30-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Nutrition, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

By Fanny Sung Whelan, MS, RDN, LDN How to navigate a renal diet based on your kidneys’ needs No matter what stage of kidney disease you’re in, all of the different diet recommendations can cause your head to spin. Pair it with other conditions you may have, and you’ve got a real recipe for confusion! So how can you sort out all of the differences in what you can and can’t eat? Here we are going to outline the diet guidelines for the different stages of kidney disease. Disclaimer: it is important to discuss any diet changes with your [...]

Conquering Dialysis Fatigue

2022-11-02T21:28:52-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Physical Health, Quality of Life, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

By Patricia McCarley, RN, MSN, ACNP and Felicia Speed, PhD, LMSW Patients on dialysis may complain of an intense feeling of tiredness or fatigue with 60-97% of patients finding it as important a health outcome as mobility or pain. While it may be difficult to identify the exact cause, patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or end stage renal disease (ESRD) have several factors contributing to fatigue, including uremia, an increased level of waste products in the blood, and anemia, a decrease in red blood cell production. Anemia is a condition in which your body does not [...]

Advanced Care Planning: Turning “What If?” Into “Here’s How”

2022-11-02T21:15:06-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Quality of Life, The Kidney Citizen, Uncategorized|

By David L. Mahoney, MD, FASN, FASDIN A number of years ago, I attended a lecture on Advance Care Planning. The speaker was a very engaging man who had recently dealt with end-of-life issues for a loved one. There were about 150 people in attendance at the lecture, which began with a series of questions: “How many of you have life insurance?” Virtually every hand in the room went up. “How many of you have a will?” About three quarters of the hands were raised. “How many of you have a living will?” About 10% of hands were raised [...]

Telehealth with a Behavioral Health Professional: What to Know Before You Start

2022-11-02T21:08:16-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Mental Health, The Kidney Citizen|

By Kirsten Weir If you or a family member is managing chronic kidney disease, you’re probably thinking a lot about physical health—the health of the kidney and the rest of the body. Caring for your behavioral health is just as important. And with telehealth options that let you see a behavioral health professional from your home, it’s more convenient than ever. “The increased availability and acceptance of telehealth might be one of the few positive changes to come out of the [COVID-19] pandemic,” says Amy Walters, PhD, a clinical health psychologist and the director of Behavioral Health Services for St. [...]

Digital Health Records – You can now access them, but not easily

2022-10-13T12:03:40-04:00October 7th, 2022|Categories: eNews, Quality of Life, Treatment|

On October 6, 2022, new federal rules took effect that require health care organizations to give patients unrestricted access to their digital health records. These rules that were passed under the 21st Century Cares Act are designed to empower patients by not only giving them the ability to access their own data, but also decide who to share that data with, which was previously not the case. This means that patients can better understand their care, shop for services, and engage in their own research. It also removes roadblocks such as fees and delays that were the norm for patients requesting [...]

Recipe of the Month: Spider Cheeseball

2022-12-04T14:35:11-05:00October 1st, 2022|Categories: eNews, Nutrition, Recipe of the Month, Recipes|

Get a brand new, kidney-friendly recipe* delivered to your inbox each month, courtesy of Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD, CLT, a member of the Ed Center Advisory Council and Founder & CEO of the Kidney Nutrition Institute. October’s recipe is perfect for a Halloween get together, or just anytime you’re craving some cheese (disguised as a spooky spider or not!): Spider Cheeseball Recipe create by Jessianna Saville, MS, RDN, CSR, LD Ingredients: Makes 16 servings 1 8 oz package, softened cream cheese (Check your packages carefully. Lowfat is not always the lowest in sodium.) 2 oz feta cheese crumbled 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic minced (If you [...]

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