Course Description: This two-part continuing education training will fulfill the CDE requirements for abuse regulations and HIPAA needed for licensure renewal.

Abuse - Most dental health care providers report that they have never encountered an abused patient; however, data indicates that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys in the United States experience some form of sexual abuse. For both children and adults, approximately 60-75% of injuries from abuse occur to the head and neck area. Often, we see these patients every six months, providing opportunities to identify and screen for abuse. During the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics for abuse have increased while in-person visits have decreased. It is imperative for the safety of our patients to review updated guidelines and methods for identifying abuse in the age of Tele-dentistry and limited contact. This program discusses childhood, elder and intimate partner violence (IPV) as well as Human Trafficking. The Maryland laws and regulations and the American Dental Associations’ Code of Ethics regarding cases of abuse and/or neglect are presented. Sample techniques and questionnaires for conducting interviews and examinations for alleged victims are provided. This program meets the requirements for the ADA Abuse credits for licensure renewal.

HIPAA - “HIPAA Top 10 Violations” outlines the common pitfalls committed by Dental Practices today. And the front page of the ADA News cautions dentists that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (OIC) and has increased audits for small practices. If audited, a practice may only have from 10 -14 days to respond to the requested information for items such as security risk assessments, policies and procedures, training records and business associate agreements. “We want dentists to be aware that is happening and to take HIPAA compliance seriously. There are steep consequences for health care providers that don’t comply with the law and we don’t want to see any dentists having to pay tens of thousands of dollars in a penalty.” It is vital to be prepared for these challenges and stay current with HIPAA. In addition, a Federal Regulation mandates HIPAA training. The American Dental Association Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct states, it is the “primary responsibility of the dentist to safeguard the patient’s privacy and maintain the confidentiality of the patient’s records”. The program discusses these topics and reviews the evolving Privacy and Security regulations. Numerous sample HIPAA documents will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review for comprehension the scope of abuse and neglect in America, and the impact on these statistics in light of COVID-19.

2. Identify how to interview and examine victims of abuse.

3. Review sample resources and referrals that can be implemented into practice for victims and identify the format and timeframe for reporting.

4. Discuss how to develop office policies for the management of patients suffering from abuse and/or neglect.

5. Review the evolution of HIPAA regulations.

6. Identify how to: produce a training for new employees on the office HIPAA policies and procedures within 30 days of hire; create a review for current staff as laws change; and record all training in the HIPAA manual.

7. Review sample HIPAA documents for: Staff training, Sanctions for Non-Compliance, Compliant, Notice of Privacy Policy, Acknowledgement of Receipt, Access to Records, Risk Assessment, and several others.

8. Discuss how to incorporate the HIPAA recommendations and sample documents into dental practice.

Registration Information:

Registration closes at the end of the day on May 3rd. Select the "register" button on the left panel of this screen, select whether you are a Community Provider or a Dept. of VA Employee, select the "Myself" button, and complete registration form accordingly. Department of VA Registrants MUST be current employees; retired VA would register as a Community Provider.

Community Dentist - $165.00

Community Hygienist - $129.00

Community Dental Assistant/Office Staff - $115.00

Dept. of VA Employee - $35.00

Evaluation and Certificate:

All attendees are required to sign in at the registration desk prior to the start of the program. Sign-in sheets will be available starting at 7:30am and will be removed at 8:30am. If you arrive later than that time, you are welcome to stay for the program, however a certificate will not be issued and no refund will be available. At the conclusion of the program, an access code will be provided, you will need this access code to claim your credits. Evaluations will be emailed no later than close of business on the following Tuesday. Certificates will generate upon submission of that evaluation. CHEP does not and will not issue partial credit certificates.