KECC Awarded Five-Year, $28 Million CMS Contract to Continue Supporting Kidney Care Programs

The University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (KECC) has been awarded a five-year, $28 million contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue supporting federal oversight of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and transplant and Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) programs. The new contract begins September 30.

Through the contract, KECC will provide CMS with data and reports on dialysis facilities, transplant programs and OPOs, helping inform oversight of the quality and safety of these programs. The work builds on a longstanding partnership between KECC and CMS and reflects the center’s continued role in applying expertise in kidney disease data, analytics and quality measurement to support health care programs nationwide.

“This five year, $28M contract will allow us to continue our work in supporting CMS in the oversight of the ESRD, and Transplant and OPO programs,” said Jonathan Segal, M.D., KECC director. “It is a privilege for me to lead such a talented group of faculty and staff, and the renewal of this contract is a testament to the trust that CMS places in KECC.”

Turning data into information that supports oversight

Through the Oversights contract, KECC creates detailed reports on ESRD dialysis facilities, transplant programs and OPOs for CMS, states, health care providers and the public. The reports include information on patient and facility characteristics, patient outcomes and facility practice patterns, along with comparative statistics at the state, network, regional, and national levels.

These data and reports provide an important foundation for CMS oversight of the quality and safety of ESRD, transplant and OPO programs.

The work is part of KECC’s broader portfolio of projects supporting kidney health and health care quality. The center also works with CMS on kidney disease quality measurement, including developing and maintaining technical specifications for ESRD quality measures and calculating measures publicly reported through the Dialysis Facility Compare platform.

Together, these efforts reflect KECC’s longstanding role at the intersection of kidney disease research, health care data, and quality improvement, helping generate information that can be used to understand and improve care for people living with kidney disease.

Continuing a longstanding partnership

The contract continues KECC’s longstanding partnership with CMS and provides an opportunity for faculty and staff to build on years of expertise in kidney disease data, analytics and quality measurement while supporting national programs serving people with kidney failure.

“It is a privilege for me to lead such a talented group of faculty and staff,” Segal said.

The contract will be led by Drs. Jonathan Segal and Joseph Messana, faculty leaders for the work, with Griffin Reames serving as KECC’s chief operating officer.