Posts by Lena Shore

In our previous article, we explored the major 2024 HIPAA Privacy Rule updates, the Texas court ruling, and the February 16, 2026 compliance deadline. One area that deserves deeper attention is how these changes affect the Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) and the way practices communicate privacy rights to patients. Because the SUD/Part 2 updates…

The HIPAA Privacy Rule underwent significant updates in 2024, reshaping how covered entities, including dental practices, must handle sensitive patient information. These changes were designed to strengthen privacy protections around reproductive health information and align HIPAA with the updated 42 CFR Part 2 rules governing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) records. However, a major federal court…

OSHA enforcement is tightening again in 2026. With annual inflation adjustments pushing penalties higher than ever, even a single overlooked requirement can lead to thousands of dollars in fines. For dental teams already juggling patient care, sterilization, infection control, and documentation, understanding OSHA’s updated penalty structure is essential for avoiding costly citations. According to OSHA’s…

The updated September 2025 U.S. Public Health Service guidelines introduce meaningful changes to how occupational HIV exposures are managed. While the core principles remain unchanged, such as act quickly, assess risk, and initiate Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) when indicated, the recommendations now reflect advances in antiretroviral therapy and modern HIV testing technology. Two areas stand…

You may recall the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is required by the HITECH Act of 2009 to conduct random audits of covered entities and business associates. Since that time the audits have been hit or miss—mostly miss. In 2011 and 2012, the OCR conducted Phase I pilot audits. The goal of these audits was…

The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 2015 requires OSHA to adjust its civil penalties annually for inflation. The adjustments are made by January 15th every year. In 2014, OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations were $7,000 per violation. Ten years later, in 2024, OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations increased…

Guest Contributor, Jennifer Venturini, RDH, BASDH, CDSO, Graduate According to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Instructions for Use (IFU) are required written directions which detail how to prepare, use, handle, store, and dispose of a medical device. Basically, the goal of an IFU is to ensure that the operator has clear guidelines on how to…

Amidst all the recent Supreme Court, OSHA, and CDC updates last week, the 2022 annual adjustments to OSHA civil penalties went into effect January 15th. It’s important to note that serious fines went from $13,653 per violation to $14,502 per violation. The maximum penalty for willful or repeated violations increased from $136,532 per violation to…

In previous blogs, we reported that the Phase II random HIPAA audits were underway. If you weren’t one of those chosen so far, you may be wondering what’s been happening. The Phase II audits began in 2016 and included covered entities as well as business associates. They were intended to start with desk audits and…