Does Your Cell Phone Comply with HIPAA Guidelines? More and more healthcare professionals are using smartphones, laptops, and tablets at work. While the portability of such devices offers advantages, one disadvantage is the security of such devices. To help with…
With the flu season upon us, it is important to manage patients with potential aerosol transmissible disease (ATD) properly. In August 2009, Cal/OSHA’s new Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Standard (Title 8 CCR Section 5199) Aerosol Transmissible Disease Regulation (Title 8 CCR…
Monitoring of sterilization procedures includes a combination of process parameters to evaluate the sterilizing conditions and the procedures’ effectiveness. Regular sterilizer monitoring using biologic indicators has become the standard practice, and when properly implemented, is an important part of infection…
Surface Disinfection is the process that eliminates, inactivates, or destroys pathogens on a surface or item to the point where the surface or item is no longer capable of transmitting infectious pathogens, thereby rendering the surface or item safe for…
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE: Volatile Organic Compound Standards for Consumer Products Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted into the air from consumer products and other sources (motor vehicles, stationary sources, etc.) react with other pollutants and sunlight to form ground-level ozone and…
Notice to Consumers of DBC Licensure Effective November 28, 2012, Section 1065 of the California Dental Practice Act will require licensed dentists to notify consumers that they are under the jurisdiction of the Dental Board of California. The new regulation…
In March 2012, Federal OSHA revised its Hazard Communication (Hazcom) Standard to align with the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The GHS is an international approach to hazard communication, negotiated by hazcom experts…
Conflicts of interest (COIs), defined as individuals who have both a financial relationship and the opportunity to affect educational content and information, unfortunately are very prevalent among medical and dental faculty, researchers, and educators. Because of the nature of the…
In July, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) reported that that a Colorado oral surgeon, Dr. Stephen Stein, is being investigated for improperly reusing contaminated disposable needles and syringes on patients during oral and facial surgery procedures…
