As air quality has been a major headline topic lately in the eastern U.S. and Canada, it is a major consideration for the dental practice as well. The scientific community has made a committed emphasis on indoor air quality of medical and dental facilities since the 1960s, and now with airborne infections becoming a critical focus, there have been new developments in ensuring that your practice’s air is clean and healthy for both the patients and its workers.

As of May 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) entered into a Voluntary Resolution Agreement with a Florida healthcare clinic to resolve a disability discrimination complaint based on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

There are several social media scams where hackers gain access to your social media accounts, remove your business name, and you from it altogether. If you see a message sent from a friend that seems unusual or "phishy" with titles such as "Did you see this?!" or "Look who died," do not open the link. Make sure your passwords are updated and difficult to crack.

Most practices maintain a website. According to the Office of Civil Rights, if you maintain a website, you are required to make available your Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP). According to 45 CFR 164.520(c)(3), "(i) A covered entity that maintains a web site that provides information about the covered entity's customer services or benefits must prominently post its notice on the web site and make the notice available electronically through the web site."  

You can likely recall an experience where a patient forgot to tell you they had a heart attack or other major illness since the last time they visited your office. Good thing you took the time to make an inquiry of any changes in their health history! 

This is a great question. We appreciate anyone willing to serve in compliance capacities in a practice. First, let's establish that the role and designation of the HIPAA Privacy Officer and the role of the HIPAA Security Officer may be combined into one designation as the HIPAA Compliance Officer in smaller practices.  However, compliance with the Privacy Rule versus the Security Rule is a bit different. 

Are you planning to travel with your practice laptop this year? Here are some interesting statistics for you to take into account.

Are we required to conduct annual fit testing if we wear N95s?

It depends. If you require the use of respirators, you must provide annual fit testing.

Household products are excluded from the Hazard Communication Standard providing that these items are not used in excess of household use, used in a different form or concentration or manner generally used by the average consumer.

Ever notice how jammed packed Dollar General Stores can be? Dollar General faced $1.68 million in fines after safety inspectors found violations in stores located in AL, FL and GA. Fire hazards were noted, such as failure to keep exit routes and electrical panels clear and unobstructed and failure to mount fire extinguishers. 

Over ordering can result in pushing the practice over budget and risk expiration of products prior to use. Not having enough supplies leads to frustration especially when you reach for a product only to find an empty shelf. How do we implement good inventory control?

If a pregnant dentist, dental assistant, or dental hygienist must take patient radiographs, it is recommended that you provide a personal dosimetry badge to track her exposure to radiation, according to the ADA. Provide barrier protection while operating radiographic equipment.

The law requires that we ask the patient to acknowledge receipt of the Notice of Privacy Practices. The law does not require the patient to sign the “acknowledgment of receipt of the notice.” Signing does not mean that the patient agreed to any special uses or disclosures of the patient’s records.  Refusing to sign the acknowledgement does not prevent you from using or disclosing health information as HIPAA permits.

Is your HR policy discriminating employees based on hair style and hair texture? Years ago, it was common for HR policies to include a provision prohibiting extreme hairstyles. Perceived as “extreme” hairstyles included afros, dreadlocks, cornrows, braids and twists.  

Are you aware the FBI warned of search engine ads when you search for your bank online? 

Quite a number of support calls and cases have come through with the problem of RDAs and RDHs licenses lapsed. This results in fines and penalties for both the RDA, RDH, and the owner/dentist.

Olivia has personally been a fan of the Hufriedy IMS cassette system for many years. Why? Number one, the cassette system promotes safety. By handling the contaminated instruments less, the assistants and hygienists are less likely to have a sharps injury.  If we can minimize the risk of an exposure incident, we have accomplished two things: 1) employees feel safer, and 2) we minimized the added costs of post exposure management.

Have you received these mailings?  Poster companies indicate that you can get into labor law posting compliance by buying their posters. They also indicate there is a "new" federal EEOC poster.

Depends. Check with the manufacturer because the information may vary among brands. 

According to CDC, all items to be sterilized should be arranged so all surfaces will be directly exposed to the sterilizing agent. Loading procedures must allow for free circulation of steam around each item.

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 last year and to assess the areas to improve during this year.