In the past week the American Dental Association has confirmed that they fell victim to a cybersecurity event. There is a banner posted on the home page of the website alerting their members of this continuing situation and asking for their patience as the issue is resolved. News outlets are consistently reporting the following information related to the incident: Web-based chat, email and telephone services were all impacted. Some other state association services have also been impacted While not confirmed by the ADA, many cybersecurity experts have reported the ransomware attack was execute ..read more

In the past week the American Dental Association has confirmed that they fell victim to a cybersecurity event. There is a banner posted on the home page of the website alerting their members of this continuing situation and asking for their patience as the issue is resolved. News outlets are consistently reporting the following information related to the incident: Web-based chat, email and telephone services were all impacted. Some other state association services have also been impacted While not confirmed by the ADA, many cybersecurity experts have reported the ransomware attack was execute ..read more

The HIPAA Privacy Rule grants patients the right to access their health information in a way that is easy and affordable for them. Providers are required to give patients access to their health information. There are some exceptions, of course, so getting the process right can be as confusing as being in a house of mirrors. Patients are entitled to receive all information a provider maintains about them in one or more designated record sets. A designated record set is any information the provider uses to make decisions about a patient and includes medical, dental, and billing information. It a ..read more

Preparedness is the first step in preventing violence at work. OSHA outlines five core building blocks which when implemented should reduce the chance of a violent event. Check out this great white paper on Preventing Workplace Violence: A Road Map for Helathcare Get Your Free Copy of Preventing Workplace Violence: A Road Map for Healthcare Facilities ..read more

Let’s be honest here; most Compliance Officers are chosen because they are the ones on the staff with the most time, and that’s usually the newest people.  While this idea seems logical it can cause a lot of problems in the long run.  There are drawbacks in choosing a new employee or a low-level worker to be a compliance officer. They aren’t familiar with your set-up or your policies and procedures. They lack training, knowledge, and experience. It takes years for compliance officers to really absorb the laws and understand their duties. They do not have the authority to change or e ..read more

Numbers of new cases of COVID-19 infections are at the lowest they have been in months. In fact, many states, as well as counties, are easing restrictions such as mask mandates indoors. These decisions are based on new tools created by the CDC to reduce risk of exposure and possibly infection and to reduce the burden this pandemic has placed on especially the hospital system.  This comes as a welcomed relief for many but may be a source of confusion for those in healthcare because the recommendations included in this new tool do NOT apply to healthcare facilities. Discussed below are the ..read more

First impressions count. Do you know what is the first impression patients have of your practice? Does it include safety? Hopefully your office appearance says well-organized, efficient, and safety centered. As a challenge, the next time you enter your office, walk in the front door and visualize the space as a patient, potential new employee or even an OSHA or public health inspector. Now, ask yourself the following questions: Is the waiting area clean and organized? Do the silk plants have dust bunnies? Is the carpet in good repair? How old are the magazines? Are the clinical areas filled w ..read more

Your practice has received a subpoena for client records. What do you need to do? Don’t panic. This is not unusual. There are several things you need to know up front. Read the entire subpoena carefully to determine who is asking for the information and, exactly what information you need to send. Never send more information than is required. Always send the information securely (e.g., mail, encrypted email, fax). HIPAA allows a release of information for a valid subpoena. Failure to respond in time could put you to be in contempt of court and be fined. You can notify your patient of the subpo ..read more

Dealing with a minor’s medical records can be a minefield when a child is from a blended family or the parents have a contentious divorce going. Things get especially sticky when you add in stepparents and grandparents, and when a minor controls all or a portion of their own records. It’s a good time to review the basics. Custody versus Parental Rights: Don’t confuse custody with parental rights. Both parents of a minor have access rights to a minor’s record unless the minor can consent to their own treatment. If one parent wants to block the other parent from the records, there is only one wa ..read more

OSHA CITATION PENALTIES A lot of our clients ask us what the OSHA penalty is for a particular violation. OSHA citations and the accompanying penalties do not work that way. There is no schedule that says an overfilled sharps container is $900 or failure to provide appropriate protective equipment is $2500. OSHA citations are based on failure to comply with a regulation, any OSHA regulation. The same fee schedule applies to all regulations. OSHA can also cite a practice using the General Duty Clause for things that effect the safety and/or health of an employee but do not have a specific OSHA r ..read more