June 8, 2011

Dear …:

The Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) and its project partners would like to invite you to participate in the National Opportunity to Improve Care in ESRD (NOTICE) Initiative Technical Expert Panel (TEP). The initiative is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality and is advised by experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Survey and Certification Group of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

To achieve the project aims of addressing healthcare infections in dialysis facilities, HRET partnered with the Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center at the University of Michigan and the Renal Network of Upper Midwest (Renal Network 11). A project fact sheet is attached for your information.

The expertise of the NOTICE Initiative TEP will be invaluable in reviewing and vetting evidence-based approaches to reducing infections in the dialysis setting. The project team will look to the TEP to provide useful feedback on major deliverables, offer advice on the study design, and endorse the scientific validity and utility of documents or recommendations. The TEP will include a diverse group of experts from the areas of nephrology, infection control, infectious disease and epidemiology, research methodology, dialysis facility operations, CMS surveying, and dialysis patient advocacy.

TEP members will meet at least once in person in the summer of 2011. Prior to the in-person meeting, HRET would schedule a preliminary TEP call at the end of June, 2011 to introduce the initiative and government partners on the project. Please indicate your availability for a call on the attached response form. If you are available and able to participate in the TEP for the NOTICE Iniative, please complete and either email or fax back the attached response form and Conflict of Interest questionnaire to the contact provided on the sheet by Monday, June 20.

We very much appreciate your willingness to serve as an advisor to this important initiative to improve ESRD care nationwide.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,


Stephen Hines, PhD
Vice President of Research
Health Research and Educational Trust