CMS modernizes emergency response for dialysis facilities

In 2025, when disaster strikes, dialysis facilities and the patients who rely on them will be better protected thanks to a digitally modernized emergency response system. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in partnership with ICF, has transformed how critical facility data is collected and acted upon during emergencies. By integrating emergency response directly into the End Stage Renal Disease Quality Reporting System (EQRS), disasters are captured in way that creates a faster, more accurate, and more resilient system that enhances patient safety and reduces operational risk.

Challenge

With over 550,000 patients depending on 7,000+ dialysis facilities across the U.S. and territories, CMS has long relied on EQRS to manage patient and facility data. But during disasters, collecting and synthesizing situational data fell to a small team at the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) coalition. Their manual system—based on spreadsheets and email—was a great opportunity for modernization to increase speed, reduce the potential for errors, and expand capabilities to better sustain large-scale disaster events.

Solution

To address this, CMS partnered with ICF to design and implement a new EQRS Emergency Module. This cloud-native solution was developed using a human-centered design process and built directly into the existing EQRS platform—a system familiar to dialysis facilities, ESRD networks, and federal users.

Now, when a disaster threatens, KCER can:

• Create an incident in EQRS and specify the type of emergency and affected areas.
• Automatically notify designated contacts at impacted facilities and networks.
• Prompt facilities to submit real-time status reports covering operations, staffing, supplies, power, water, transportation, and patient needs.
• View and triage responses via a dynamic incident dashboard.

Impact

• Faster response: Automated alerts and reminders replace manual outreach, accelerating data collection and action.
• Improved accuracy: Facilities have the option to report on their own status directly, reducing secondhand errors.
• Reduced burden: KCER staff spend less time aggregating spreadsheets and more time mobilizing support.
• Stronger resilience: The federal government is now better equipped to ensure continuity of life-sustaining dialysis care during disasters.

Looking ahead

This work on the EQRS Emergency Module exemplifies the power of digital modernization to improve mission outcomes. This effort not only enhances emergency readiness but also serves as a model for how federal agencies can reduce operational risk and improve public health resilience through smart, human-centered technology.