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.
Ransomware hits 400 dental offices. Cybercriminals are now demanding ransom directly from the patients according to one Florida plastic surgeon who had to post a notification on his website. Cybercriminals seek hundreds of thousands of dollars to decrypt your data held at ransom. HIPAA fines and penalties can be millions of dollars. Do you feel like you are losing your sanity trying to stay cybersane. There are effective methods to maintaining your office’s cybersecurity and HIPAA compliance.
Have you experienced bullying in the workplace? “Bullying” and abusive conduct may include persistent, multiple, unreasonable incidents that offend, degrade, intimidate, or humiliate a person.
The key to having confidence in your compliance program is preparation for OSHA audits. This article is designed to help you prepare for an OSHA visit. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. Tennessee OSHA is an agency of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In addition to Tennessee, there are other states who have OSHA-approved State Plans. (1)
Numerous dental offices across the state of Tennessee have been randomly audited. There has been much confusion and quite a bit of stress resulting. This article explores common violations TOSHA will look for, that we commonly see in dental offices in Tennessee. We hope you will find this information helpful in closing the gaps in your compliance program.
Millions of dollars are spent on costly HIPAA settlements due to violations and a lack of compliance. Overlooking risk can result in a security breach. Maintaining computer logs for HIPAA compliance is important.
Has your dental office received a phone call stating:
“My name is XX. I’m calling your office today to conduct your mandatory HIPAA Security Risk Assessment that’s required by the Department of Health and Human Services…” Learn how to avoid HIPAA marketing scams and protect your practice from misleading tactics designed to sell unnecessary services.
Modern Practice Solutions, LLC receives many calls about how to dispose dental anesthetic carpules and other pharmaceutical waste. Recently, the American Dental Association published “Stericycle Contracts: Read the Fine Print – Dentists Question Business Practices” in the June 20, 2016 edition of ADA News. Dentists now search for affordable waste disposal options to avoid costly contracts.