HIPAA: Do I need a Business Associate Agreement for the cleaning service? No. A business associate agreement is not required with persons or businesses whose function does not involve the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI) and where any access would be incidental. This includes janitorial service staff whose access is only a […]
When the new president took office in January 2017 these changes to the recordkeeping regulations were stopped. OSHA just announced that part of these regulations will now go into effect in December. Employers who, under the past rules, had to post a copy in their office of their OSHA 300A report (Summary of Work-Related Injuries […]
When can you share protected health information with law enforcement? There are certain circumstances when you can share PHI with the law. You should always keep the “minimum necessary” rule in mind whenever you are giving out information. Coroners/Medical Examiners Information needed to identify a body or determine cause of death can be sent to […]
OSHA Can OSHA cite my office for an alleged ergonomic hazard? Yes. Under the General Duty Clause, OSHA will issue a citation if an ergonomic hazard exists, is recognized, and is causing, or is likely to cause physical harm to an employee. Applying ergonomic principles in the workplace can substantially reduce the number of musculoskeletal […]
Did you know we have TMC OSHA and HIPAA web badges available? TMC OSHA and HIPAA web badges are available for clients who want to have something on their website that shows they have partnered with TMC for OSHA and HIPAA compliance. A web badge is a small image with our link used on websites […]
Congress passed a new set of laws on emergency preparedness and active shooter protocol that will go into effect on 11/15/2017. These laws are part of Medicare/Medicaid. The rule addresses concerns regarding the ability of healthcare facilities to plan and execute appropriate emergency response procedures for disasters, both manmade (e.g. terrorism, shooters) and natural (e.g. […]
(Updated June 2019) Patient safety is at the center of many conversations in the health care community. While many processes may impact the safety of a patient, appropriate instrument processing should rank at the top of the list of safety priorities. In this article, we will address four critical steps in instrument processing, but before […]
OSHA: Your local news has just reported an increase in active TB cases. What employee documents should be in place in light of this information?
It is October, and depending on where you are, there may be a chill in the air and sniffles everywhere! In fact, many states have already reported positive influenza cases which follows the typical outbreak pattern. Influenza cases typically peak between the months of December through February. The time is now to prepare your facility, […]
By Karen L. Murphy, RDH, MAOM It’s sad but true. The lonely eyewash station often goes unnoticed, unappreciated and unwanted. In fact, you may even have wondered at some point if your practice really needs one. Medical and dental offices are laced with chemicals, airborne particles, fumes, dust and infectious materials. We fearlessly rely on […]
