Did you know that the way your Sterilization Center is set up could save you 5+ minutes per procedure and set your practice apart in infection control? Laying out your Sterilization area efficiently puts your practice in the fast lane on the road to success. Take an honest look at your practice’s Sterilization Center and compare to the layout ideas below:
by Gracie Hogue
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 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.
by Gracie Hogue
The average dental practice is extremely busy with 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. This is why it is vital to have designated officers that can handle these components.
Let’s define these roles and go into detail about what each officer handles.
by Gracie Hogue
Everyone knows that having the right IT company to serve your practice is acutely important, but how do you choose the right one? Asking the right questions will clarify whether or not the IT company you’re interviewing will meet your needs in the ever-advancing world of technology and security threats. Let’s explore some questions that you can use as your framework.
The saying “it takes a village” doesn’t only apply to raising children – there are many other businesses that keep your practice running successfully that cannot be in-house or self-supplied. This is essentially what business associates are. Here’s the more technical version: A business associate is a person or entity who performs functions or activities on behalf of or provides services to a covered entity that involves access to PHI. The HIPAA Rules require that the Business Associate will appropriately safeguard PHI.
Did you know that your policies should include donning and doffing PPE procedures? When it comes to PPE, the sequence of donning and doffing is just as important as the PPE you’re wearing. Following the proper sequence can save you time and aid your efforts in fighting the spread of infection.
Did you know that the way your Sterilization Center is set up could save you 5+ minutes per procedure and set your practice apart in infection control? Laying out your efficient Sterilization Center puts your practice in the fast lane on the road to success. Take an honest look at your practice’s Sterilization Center and compare to the layout ideas below:
Failure to provide access to one patient’s request of access to his/her medical records can lead to a hefty penalty for Health Care Providers (Covered Entities). The Office for Civil Rights settles their 16th case of the Right to Access Initiative enforcement that went into effect at the end of 2019. Sharp Health Care had to pay a $70,000 penalty for failure to take timely action in response to a patient’s records access request.
Has your Practice implemented Workforce Privacy & Security policies and procedures to determine whether a particular user has the right to access ePHI (electronic protected health information) based on his/her particular job duties and responsibilities? Some workforce members may require different levels of access based on his/her job function or role within your Practice. Do you have a technical system in place to monitor inappropriate access such as log in monitoring or other technical safeguards?
I mentioned a bluish stain along my patient’s gingival margin and asked her about her other tattoos. I marveled at the amalgamator while dusting the unused equipment in the lab (aka “the land where time forgot”). In hygiene school, I had requirements to polish them until they blinded the instructor, using Brownies and Greenies. Of course, I had a memory device for the order: “Tree trunks are Brownie, and they grow first. Greenie leaves grow last.” I certainly didn’t worry about where amalgam ended up when the dentist replaced it with composite.