Public Gated

Happy patients contribute to a thriving practice by referring other patients. Yet, despite the best efforts to provide outstanding customer service and patient care, occasionally something goes awry: patients complain about fees, excessive wait times, unexpected changes in treatment or perceived staff rudeness. How complaints are initially, and subsequently, handled is critical. Among other things,…

Are you ready for the HIPAA audits? Or are you still feeling a bit lost? Patterson Dental recently shared an  important audit update on their blog Off The Cusp, HIPAA Compliance: Next Round of Audits Postponed — but Beware! The HITECH Act of 2009 mandates the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to perform compliance audits. The…

No doubt you’ve heard the metaphor about picking low-hanging fruit first. Picking the fruit from the branches of fruit trees that are easiest to reach involves less effort and is much easier. In business, the expression is frequently used to refer to selecting the easiest targets first, usually the ones that require minimal effort or…

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…

When you think of regulatory compliance think of a comprehensive new patient exam. What’s the connection? A new patient exam includes a thorough assessment ranging from the medical/dental history to full mouth probing, oral cancer screening and more. In other words, it’s quite multi-faceted and so is compliance! Having a manual sitting on a shelf…

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…

You’re having one of your most hectic days when someone who’s not on the schedule walks in. Rather than presenting an insurance card, you are presented with a government identification badge. Your office is about to undergo an unannounced OSHA inspection! What could you expect if OSHA showed up at your front desk? Here are…

No doubt you’ve heard the metaphor about picking low-hanging fruit first. Picking the fruit from the branches of fruit trees that are easiest to reach involves less effort and is much easier. In business, the expression is frequently used to refer to selecting the easiest targets first, usually the ones that require minimal effort or…

Several years ago, the news of the Tulsa, Oklahoma oral surgeon treating patients under unsanitary and unsafe conditions struck horror into the hearts of dental practitioners and patients across the country.  Can you imagine having to send letters to 7,000 patients warning them of a health hazard that was discovered in your practice and advising…