Quality Insights End-Stage Renal Disease Network 5
The End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program was established in 1972, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2991, Public Law 92-603, of the Social Security Amendment of 1972. This legislation extended Medicare coverage to virtually all individuals with ESRD who require kidney dialysis or transplantation to sustain life.
Subsequent legislation established health and safety standards applicable to ESRD service providers. In 1978, ESRD Networks were established to oversee the quality of care provided to patients with ESRD and serve as a liaison between the federal government and ESRD service providers.
Quality Insights Renal Network 5 is a nonprofit corporation serving as the federal contractor for the Network 5 region, which encompasses Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. There are more than 465 hemodialysis facilities and 13 renal transplant centers in the area, providing treatment to more than 28,000 dialysis patients and over 13,000 transplant recipients (2021 Annual Report, ESRD Network 5).
The activities of Quality Insights Renal Network 5 are under the supervision of the Quality Insights Board of Directors. The Medical Review Board (MRB) oversees Quality Insights Renal Network 5's quality improvement activities. The MRB identifies Network-wide and facility-specific opportunities for improvement through routine monitoring of data profiles and pattern analysis. The Patient and Family Advisory Council, made up of patient representatives from all geographic areas and dialysis modalities within Network 5, serves to keep Network staff abreast of current patient issues and provide a patient perspective for Network projects and tasks.
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