It’s your Call June 2020

OSHA: What should our office do to ensure that we have ample personal protective equipment (PPE) onsite?

Prepare an inventory of items that are currently in the office, calculate the burn rate, and consider the CDC’s strategies to optimize PPE.   A PPE burn rate calculator created by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can be found on the CDC website:  https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ppe/ppeapp.html. Click here to read the CDC’s strategies to optimize PPE:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/index.html.

HIPAA: Can the news media access a COVID patient’s protected health information if the images are blurred?

No. Blurring, pixilation, or voice alteration are not acceptable.  The patient must sign a written authorization before filming occurs.