The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared May 5th, 2023, to be World Hand Hygiene Day. As part of a major global effort to improve hand hygiene in healthcare, WHO launched the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign in 2009.…
This is a query that we often hear from our clients. Most waste generated by dental offices falls into the category of minimally contaminated, general solid waste and thus may be discarded in the regular trash. Some examples include used…
Antibiotic resistance is a growing global health concern, and combatting it requires a multi-faceted approach. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dentists prescribe around 10% of overall outpatient antibiotic prescriptions nationally. Up to 85% of…
Under the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA’s) Security Rule, covered entities, including most dental offices, are required to adopt adequate means for safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI. This includes conducting a security risk analysis…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends and the Dental Board of California (DBC) requires standard precautions to be used for the care of all patients regardless of their diagnoses or personal infectious status. Standard precautions in…
Beginning April 3, 2023, patients and non-clinical staff will no longer be required to wear face coverings for COVID-19 protection in California healthcare settings. On February 28, 2023, Governor Newsom issued a proclamation terminating the California’s COVID-19 State of Emergency. Four days…
On December 15, 2022, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board voted to adopt the COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations, to replace the May 2022 version of the emergency temporary standard. The regulation is expected to be approved by the…
On December 14, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) announced a resolution agreement with New Vision Dental, a dental practice in California, over the impermissible disclosure of patient protected health information (PHI) in response to online reviews,…
Beginning January 1, 2023, dentists licensed in California will be required to complete a two-unit course approved by the Dental Board of California (DBC) on the responsibilities and requirements of prescribing and dispensing Schedule II opioids, every two years as…
Friday, November 18, 2022, kicks off ess Week (USAAW), which is an annual observance that raises awareness of the threat of antibiotic and antifungal resistance and the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. The theme for 2022 is prevention. Infection prevention…
