Emergency Preparedness

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Pandemic Flu
What we can do to assist you
State Health & Emergency Management Agencies
For Dialysis Patients
For Dialysis Providers

Toll-Free Emergency Hotline for
Patients and Providers
888-33-KIDNEY (888-335-4363)
During non-emergency times, you will hear a recorded message.

Chronic dialysis facilities and patients are usually not included in state and local disaster plans and must therefore plan for their own survival. Because dialysis facilities provide life-sustaining treatment to patients with renal failure, it is imperative that they be as prepared as possible in the event of an emergency. Dialysis facilities should notify the following organizations during their emergency planning phase to ensure external support in the event of a disaster:

Local/regional emergency planning department
Local/regional health department
Local/regional social services department
Emergency responders (fire, law enforcement, rescue)
Utility providers (electricity, water, gas, telephone)
Transportation vendors

Patients should likewise prepare themselves for emergency situations that may prevent them from getting to their dialysis treatment. The information and resources provided below can help facilities and patients get started.

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Pandemic Influenza

Click here for information on the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu).

Please visit our Pandemic Flu webpage to learn more about potential pandemics and what is being done to prepare for them.

Sign up to receive email updates from the CDC! Complete a subscription profile, and you will get updated information on the items of interest to you, including influenza and avian flu.

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What We Can Do to Assist You

MARC can assist individuals and providers/facilities in planning for an emergency or disaster by providing resources and direction to agencies that specialize in emergency planning and response. During emergencies, we will provide the following services:

Track and make available the open and closed status of facilities in affected areas
Assist patients and facilities in identifying dialysis facilities that can provide ESRD services.
Assist family members and treating facilities in determining the dialysis location of displaced patients in order to exchange critical medical information
Coordinate with providers and emergency workers to ensure patient access to dialysis

Disaster Contacts
Each facility must designate 2 Disaster Contacts and provide their names and at least 2 telephone numbers at which each can be reached during an event. Facility representatives are required to report their open or closed status to the Network office as soon as possible. "Open" facilities are defined as facilities that have potable water, electricity from any source, and supplies and staff sufficient to provide dialysis, and that are performing dialysis. Anything less than this is considered "closed." Read the Network's position statement on Disaster Contacts.

Patient & Provider Tracking
To determine the open or closed status of a dialysis facility in an impacted area and the services being provided, or to get a map showing the nearest open facility in the event of an emergency or disaster, go to http://www.dialysisunits.com.

Following an emergency event, facilities are required to report patient movement (including transient patients dialyzing in your unit) using the Disaster Patient Activity Report (DPAR). This report should be submitted to the Network office on Day 5 post-event, and then twice weekly (Tuesday and Friday) until notified.

If MARC is impacted by an event, another ESRD Network will be designated to assist you. To find out which ESRD Network has been designated to assist in your state, call the Network 5 office at (804) 794-3757.

The KCER Coalition has developed a standardized emergency data set that facilities should produce and distribute to patients on at least a quarterly basis. This data set includes the patient's name, address, emergency contacts' information, home dialysis unit information, treatment information, and medications, and patients should be instructed to carry the information with them at all times in case they are displaced by an emergency event and must dialyze at a different facility.

Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition
MARC is part of the National Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition, which has developed a number of tools and resources to assist providers, federal, state, and local emergency responders, patients, and patients' families in establishing emergency preparedness and response plans. Below are links to a number of resources created by the Coalition, as well as additional materials to assist facilities and patients in preparing for emergencies.

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State Health & Emergency Management Agencies

Virginia Department of Health's Emergency Preparedness & Response Programs
Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Maryland Emergency Management Agency Prepardeness Information

West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources' Health Preparedness
West Virginia Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

District of Columbia Department of Health
District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency

Get a list of your local emergency management and health department contacts.

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For Patients

Emergency Hotlines & Information
Below are toll-free phone numbers that will be activated to provide information in the event of an emergency. Please note that these numbers will not be active under normal operating circumstances:

DaVita Dialysis (or Total Renal Care):	1-800-400-8331
Fresenius Medical Care (FMC or BMA):	1-800-626-1297
Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA):	1-888-730-6164
American Renal Associates (ARA):	1-888-880-6867
Renal Advantage, Inc. (RAI):	1-800-403-2530
Independent Dialysis Foundation (IDF)	1-866-611-9028
National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS):	1-800-588-9822 or https://asd.fema.gov/inter/nefrls/home.htm

LA-DEEP Coalition's Dialysis Patient Emergency Planning Needs Assessment Questionnaire is a tool intended to be used by dialysis facility staff in cooperation with dialysis patients. It can assist in determining the preparedness level of the patient and in identifying areas in his/her plan which need further development.

Kidney Community Emergency Preparedness and Response (www.kidney.org/help), managed by the National Kidney Foundation, provides essential information to help dialysis patients, transplant recipients, and kidney health care professionals before and during emergencies.

The Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition's Patient Assistance Response Team is actively engaged in providing disaster preparedness information for patients and their families.

Resources for coping with disasters (from MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health)

Preparing for Emergencies: A Guide for People on Dialysis (PDF) Each new dialysis patient receives a copy of this helpful booklet, which contains information on gathering and carrying important medical information, making alternative arrangements for treatment, and what diet to follow if dialysis must be delayed during an emergency. This guide was published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A Spanish version (PDF) is also available.

Planning for Natural Disasters and Other Types of Emergencies (PDF) This publication, produced by the National Kidney Foundation and the TransPacific Renal Network, is a guide for both dialysis facilities and patients preparing for emergencies.

Save a Life - What You Need to Know about Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Kidney Disease (courtesy of the Coalition) (PDF) This document explains what is required in order to provide dialysis treatments, as well as what providers, patients, and emergency responders should do to prepare and provide for dialysis patients during an emergency.

Key Information to Help Individuals with Kidney Failure during an Emergency or Disaster (courtesy of the Coalition) (PDF) This 1-page document has contact information and links to a variety of important services, including the ESRD Networks, how to obtain the status of dialysis facilities, where to register as or find volunteer staff, assistance for transplant patients, and information on available supplies, equipment, and medications.

The Nephron Information Center has an extensive website dedicated to disaster preparedness for kidney patients and their providers, including an evacuee emergency data form that can be downloaded, completed, and taken with patients to other dialysis facilities.

Hurricane Information for Evacuees & Other Affected Persons (from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) Information that can be applied to hurricanes as well as other disasters.

Index of Printable Disaster Materials (from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) This list includes a number of safety and recovery publications that can be downloaded in as many as 8 different languages.

Canned Food: How Long Can You Safely Keep It? (from the Mayo Clinic) Commercially prepared canned food has a fairly long shelf life.

Managing Diabetes during a Disaster: 6 Steps to Safety (from the Mayo Clinic) Managing diabetes during a disaster requires careful planning. Start preparing now.

Reference Guide to Water System Emergencies (from the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities) Critical Care Facilities newsletter to assist facilities and patients in preparing an emergency water supply plan.

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For Dialysis Providers

By participating in MARC's 5 Diamond Patient Safety Program, you can improve your facility's and patients' emergency preparedness. Complete the Emergency Preparedness Program Module, educate your staff and patients, and earn a diamond!

Emergency Preparedness for Dialysis Facilities (PDF) This publication was prepared by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to assist dialysis facilities in the mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery associated with an emergency situation. It helps facilities to ensure the safety of employees and patients, assure the availability of dialysis care, protect medical and business records, mitigate property and content damage, and return to normal operations as soon as possible.

The Dialysis Facility Disaster Plan Template provides a list of recommended actions a facility should take in preparing a comprehensive disaster plan.

In 2004, the American Health Lawyers Association published the guidebook Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recorvery Checklist to assist the healthcare community in addressing some of the legal issues arising from a disaster situation. This guidebook addresses issues such as personnel, patient insurance, information technology services, and financial concerns. In 2007, the Association published a follow-up guidebook, Lessons Learned from the Gulf Coast Hurricanes. This guidebook addresses legal issues including licensing and credentialing for temporary healthcare workers, patient evacuation, emergency access to prescription medications, and avoiding malpractice and criminal claims.

Resources for coping with disasters (from MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health)

Adapting Standards of Care under Extreme Conditions Download this FREE guide, published by the American Nurses Association, for information on ethics and standards that apply to making decisions about care during extreme or unusual circumstances, such as emergencies, disasters, and pandemics.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's (CDC) What's New in Emergency Preparedness and Response webpage provides all-hazards resources intended for individuals at healthcare facilities tasked with ensuring that their facility is as prepared as possible for an emergency. The healthcare facilities targeted by this page include hospitals, long-term acute and chronic care facilities, outpatient clinics and urgent care facilities, physicians' offices, and pediatric offices and hospitals. You may also sign up to receive email updates from the CDC! Complete a subscription profile, and you will get updated information on the items of interest to you, including emergency preparedness and response.

Planning for Natural Disasters and Other Types of Emergencies (PDF) This publication, produced by the National Kidney Foundation and the TransPacific Renal Network, is a guide for both dialysis facilities and patients preparing for emergencies.

In October 2001, the American Nephrology Nurses Association published a "Disaster Preparedness" issue of the Nephrology Nursing Journal . Below are links to some of the articles it contained:

Disaster Preparedness: Is Your Unit Ready? (PDF) by Caroline Counts, MSN, RN, CNN
Emergency Preparedness Guidelines for Water Treatment Systems (PDF) by Rebecca Amata, BSN, RN, CNN
Proper Planning and Networking are Key in Preparing for Disasters (PDF) by Mary Ann Gould, MSN, RN, CNN
Surviving a 500-Year Flood (PDF) by Holly Fadness McFarland, MSN, RN, CNN
Emergency and Disaster Planning: Patient Education and Preparation (PDF) by Elizabeth Howard, RN, CNN, and Karen Wiseman, MSN, RN, CNN
Emotional Trauma Associated with Renal Disease and Natural Disasters (PDF) by Martha Jean McClellan, MDiv, BA

Extended Care Facility Emergency Response Guidelines (PDF) Guidelines for basic emergency planning, response, and recovery (from the Virginia Department of Health)

Water Safety & Infection Control following a Disaster - for Healthcare (Dialysis) Professionals (from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)

Reference Guide to Water System Emergencies (from the Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities) Critical Care Facilities newsletter to assist facilities and patients in preparing an emergency water supply plan.

Index of Printable Disaster Materials for Healthcare Professionals (from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) This list includes a number of safety and recovery publications that can be downloaded in as many as 8 different languages.

Hurricane-related Information for Healthcare Professionals (from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) Includes information on immunization, medical records, licensing and legal requirements, infection control, and much more.

Save a Life - What You Need to Know about Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Kidney Disease (courtesy of the Coalition) (PDF) This document explains what is required in order to provide dialysis treatments, as well as what providers, patients, and emergency responders should do to prepare and provide for dialysis patients during an emergency.

Key Information to Help Individuals with Kidney Failure during an Emergency or Disaster (courtesy of the KCER Coalition) (PDF) This 1-page document has contact information and links to a variety of important services, including the ESRD Networks, how to obtain the status of dialysis facilities, where to register as or find volunteer staff, assistance for transplant patients, and information on available supplies, equipment, and medications.

The Nephron Information Center has an extensive website dedicated to disaster preparedness for kidney patients and their providers, including an evacuee emergency data form that can be downloaded, completed, and taken with patients to other dialysis facilities.

Find or offer volunteer staffing during an emergency.

*Information provided in the above links is subject to change in the event of a disaster.

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