Have you scheduled performance reviews with your team members? This is a great time to conduct your evaluation of the employee’s achievements and contributions made during year 2022 and to assess the areas to improve during year 2023.
On December 14, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a settlement with a dental practice in California over the impermissible disclosure of patient protected health information (PHI) in response to online reviews, and other potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. The practice used social media inappropriately responding to a negative online review that disclosed Protected Health Information. The dental practice paid $23,000 to OCR and agreed to implement a corrective action plan (CAP) to resolve this investigation.
by Gracie Hogue
Not sure what the term “Human Firewall” means? A lot of people don’t. But as the idea and practice of a human firewall gains more and more recognition and effectiveness, now is a great time to implement this in your practice.
One of the things we’ve noticed over the years in visiting different practice’s is the state of their SDS binder. We often see what we refer to as “Frankenbinders.” Those have chunks missing, pieces of unrelated materials added, and an overall disarray of pages. When you look at it, it gives you feelings of dread and procrastination. You definitely wouldn’t want OSHA to see it if they were to drop by unannounced. SDS organization and optimization is important for practices.
The average dental practice is extremely busy in trying to keep up with patient and treatment schedules. So for many practice staff, the thought of keeping up with both OSHA and HIPAA compliance is overwhelming. Safety coordinators and officers provide essential roles to your practice. This is why it is vital to have designated officers that can handle these components.
Over the years, we’ve received quite a few phone calls with desperate and worried persons on the other end of the line telling us that there has been a needlestick incident in their practice and they have no idea what to do next. This is definitely not a fun predicament to be in, but with Post Exposure Management, it’s important to keep your head and take the appropriate steps to ensure that you’re following OSHA’s standards. Don’t be intimidated by the forms and the protocol. You can do this.
Everyone knows choosing the right IT company for your practice is crucial, but how do you decide? Interviewing an IT company helps you make the best choice. Asking the right questions shows if the IT company can meet your needs in today’s fast-changing tech and security landscape. Let’s explore some questions to guide your process.
Two support questions we receive quite often are: what is the difference between an Infectious Spill Kit and Chemical Spill Kit, and what products do we need to maintain those kits?
Every practice needs a person who is in charge of keeping the practice OSHA-compliant and safe. This person needs to be onsite at the practice for most of the time when the practice and/or specific location is open. Choosing a Safety Coordinator can be more efficient with these guidelines.
Corrosive chemicals, debris, and splashes from a patient’s oral cavity can harm unprotected eyes during treatment. That’s why having a nearby emergency eyewash station that meets OSHA standards is vital. If you’re unsure whether your practice needs one, OSHA’s answer is a clear “YES.”