The Compliance Divas Podcast
Our podcast covers current topics such as infection prevention and control, OSHA and HIPAA compliance for dentistry. We discuss the latest regulatory information, answer frequently asked questions and give suggestions for dental practices to make compliance easy and sustainable. The Compliance Divas are a trusted source for consistent, accurate information based upon current guidelines, standards, science, and recommendations.
The Compliance Divas Podcast
Episode #127 Could Your Compliance Systems Use More Efficiency?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Whether you are the office manager or the infection control coordinator, it is challenging to keep up with regulatory information and maintain the documentation required to be in compliance with OSHA regulations and CDC guidelines. Creating systems is a key to greater efficiency and consistence in dental practices. This episode will explore the options for creating greater efficiency and enhanced compliance.
- HuFriedyGroup GreenLight Compliance Center
https://bit.ly/48lFyAW - HuFriedy Group GreenLight Compliance Center Brochure
https://bit.ly/48A8OnZ - Top 5 Reasons for GreenLight - YouTube video
https://bit.ly/3Rpb1fL - Pacific Dental Services Eliminates Sharps Injuries - Case Study https://bit.ly/3rjW1VI
- Go Lean! Principles for Making Sure your Compliance is...Compliant - Dental Economics https://bit.ly/46cjirY
Welcome. I'm Leslie Cannum. I'm Mary Gavoni.
SPEAKER_00I'm Linda Harvey. I'm Olivia Wan. And together we are the Compliance Divas.
SPEAKER_02Welcome to the Compliance Divas podcast. I'm Mary Gavoni and I will be the moderator for this episode. And this episode is about the all-important aspect of infection control compliance documentation. We're going to show you some efficiency tools to be able to accomplish that. The compliance divas bring clarity and simplicity to compliance by navigating the regulatory world to keep you on course. You can subscribe to the Compliance Divas podcast through your favorite podcast channel or on our website, thecompliancedevas.com. All of the resources we mentioned during our podcast can be found on the compliancedeivas.com website and also on the show notes in your podcast app. If you have questions, you can submit them by email to support at thecompliancedivas.com. Today we have a special episode with our sustaining sponsor, the Hugh Friday Group. With over 200 years of collective experience in the dental industry, Hugh Fridi Group is a global leader in dental instrument manufacturing, infection prevention, and instrument processing workflows. Hugh Fridi Group helps dental professionals be the best in practice by providing a complete circle of protection in the dental suite, bringing together world-class products and services, education, and communities, friends of Hugh Friday, that can result in superior clinician performance, good clinical outcomes, and safety of clinicians and patients. In 2021, Hugh Friday Group was acquired by STERIS, a leading provider of infection prevention and other procedural products and services, and is now the dental business segment of STERIS. So Jen Sala is our Hugh Friday Group representative that is here with us today as a special guest. And Jen, I'd like to call on you to just give us a little bit about your background and what is it that you do at Hugh Friday before we dive into the Green Light Compliance Portal.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you, Mary. Yes, I am a dental hygienist of over 30 years and have been with HuFredi Group about four now. And I manage our dental, our Greenlight Dental Compliance Center. It's all about infection prevention and compliance. And it is a portal that helps dental practices maintain compliance and understand all things infection prevention.
SPEAKER_02Awesome. Thank you and welcome, Jen. Olivia, I know you have some questions about um how practices can maintain documentation. So take it away, Olivia.
SPEAKER_00Thank you, Mary. Jen, I actually have a two-part question, if you will. First part is how are dental practices even supposed to know what to do? And then how would they document that they are doing it? So whatever it is that OSHA requires or CDC recommends, how do they show that they've implemented it? Can you give us some thoughts on that? Sure.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, Olivia. Uh, great question. Compliance can be very confusing. Uh, there are a great deal of organizations that they need to take a look at. It's not all about OSHA. Um, a lot of practices want to focus on what they need to do to stay compliant with OSHA, but there are the state dental boards, there this the CDC, and you do need to look at all of them and take a holistic view of what you need to do to be compliant. Where the Greenlight Compliance Center comes in is it can help facilitate some of that for a dental practice. And there are aspects of Greenlight that pulls in the OSHA requirements, the state dental board requirements, the state OSHA, if they have a state OSHA plan, those requirements, as well as the CDC requirements. And helping a dental practice kind of pull all of that together. Um, it's almost like a one-stop shop. It's a place that's a resource for a dental practice to be able to say, okay, I can see the CDC requirements, I can see the OSHA requirements, and then they can document all of that aspect in their infection prevention protocol that they create and customize for their facility. Hopefully that covered exactly what you were looking for. Are there aspects that you want me to expand on, Olivia?
SPEAKER_00No, Jen, that's very helpful to know that the Greenlight program can help keep them organized because you make a valid point that they're juggling not only OSHA compliance, but also complying with CDC's uh infection control recommendations and protocols, and like you mentioned, dental board requirements. So that's a good point that you've added in, and it's nice to know that we can make it more simplified for our listeners. Mary, back to you.
SPEAKER_02Thanks, Olivia. Linda, I know you have a very important question, especially for the Divas who are consultants. Why in the world do we recommend the Greenlight Compliance Center?
SPEAKER_01Yes, Mary, that is a good question. So, Jen, I like the fact that you talked about how Greenlight is a one-stop shop, and it certainly is very comprehensive and it's centralized. Not only can they keep OSHA documentation, but it helps them to be in compliance with the policies and procedures they need from CDC, as well as other guidelines and laws from the state perspective. So, how does it how does it factor in that says it's so comprehensive? Does a practice ever need to work with a consultant after that, or how does a consultant fit in? Because we know there's many dental consultants across the country. Yes.
SPEAKER_03Good question, Linda. We like to think of Greenlight as partnering with your consultants, helping your consultants help you in the dental practice, know what exactly you need to be doing. Um, like I said, Greenlight is a resource. There's a vast amount of information in there, and really having a consultant like you, divas, to really help a dental practice consolidate all of that, wrap their heads around what exactly they need to do to be compliant, having that human touch and partnering with consultants is really a very good resource for them to be able to kind of pull it all together, you know, make sure that they've dotted all of their I's and crossed all of their T's. If they're not pulling in a consultant, you know, they do have to do a little bit more legwork on their own. And it can be cumbersome, it can be confusing, and uh, we really do lean into telling our group practices as well as individual practices that partnering with their consultants and helping kind of wrap a big bow on it with the consultant and the green light program, putting it all together really is the key to um making sure that they are compliant and that they're following all the correct guidelines for their state.
SPEAKER_01I think partnering is your key term, Jennifer. I really like that. Well, I really like that concept. I think that's so very important. Personally, I'm thinking of one of my practices that's been highly successful on the Green Light program. They're a very high-end private practice, four doctors, about eight hygienists. So busy, busy, but yet just beautiful. They've got two separate sterilization centers, just one of those ideal places to work. And I would like to make a mention that I know that Hugh Friedi also just published an article on the lean theory and being organized and comprehensive and streamlined. So I think that would be a good resource for us to have for today's listeners as well.
SPEAKER_03Oh, definitely. We can make sure that we put that in the resources. And as practices, you as consultants, you know, as practices get larger and larger and more complex with employees and different, you know, as many doctors that they have, not having a written protocol, a way of doing things that everybody can follow and be lean, and you know, really having that aspect to their protocols and their procedures is key. And the larger practices get, the easier it is for them to let some balls drop. And we really don't want that to happen. We want them to feel confident in what they're doing as they go through their um processes and procedures with instrument reprocessing or arbitrary teardown and setup, that kind of thing. So it's crucial that they have systems in place and be um lean in their functioning.
SPEAKER_02Great. Thank you, Linda, so much for bringing that up because as we're seeing supply costs and labor costs and things increase, it's more and more important to be lean and efficient. And I agree with Linda what you said about the key point of Greenlight is partnering. This is not meant to take the place of a consultant. You always need that trusted advisor to work with, but a great resource for consultants to use with their clients or clients to utilize and then reach out to. And I know that Hugh Friede does have a list of consultants that can be available to work with practices that need some additional help. So we're going to turn it over to Leslie now when she has some more questions about Greenlight.
SPEAKER_04Well, Mary, that's right. And I just before I go on to asking Jennifer my questions, I wanted to just piggyback on what Linda said. It is important to have a consultant, but I also feel that when I go in and consult with my clients, I want them to be self-propelled. I want them not to depend on someone like me to come in year after year or to write protocols for them. And so there's a product like the Greenlight that Hugh Freedy offers allows them to move forward with confidence. They know what to do. They, I don't have to write protocols for them because that's something that Greenlight offers. And Jen, can you give us a little bit of an idea, sort of a high-level view of how Greenlight works and how our listeners might be able to tap into those great resources?
SPEAKER_03Absolutely, Leslie. Thank you. So Greenlight is a portal, it is cloud-based, and they at dental practice can go in and create and customize uh infection prevention protocols for their practice. They are easy to do. It's really a template. They can answer questions, fill in the blanks. It takes roughly an hour and a half to two hours to actually complete the full protocol, and they come out with a 200-plus page document. That is their standard operating procedures for infection prevention. And then it can be customized or changed or edited in the future. So they don't have to rewrite the full document every time. They can go in if they change a surface disinfectant that they're using, they can go in and change that. Um, they can have consultants like yourselves review it, edit it, helping them kind of go through the process on an annual basis or biannual, whatever works best for them, to just make sure that it is up to uh the standards that they need to be following, as per OSHA, CDC, or state guidelines. There are aspects of Greenlight where they can keep their sterilization monitoring test results. So it's it is a portal that they can document all of their test results, document their cleaning monitoring test results, as well as their dental unit waterline test results. So it is a portal in that fact that you can maintain those records within the portal and maybe get rid of a binder or two, a three-ring binder or you know, two, if they can house things digitally. Um, I know a lot of practices are going to digital formats of various aspects of their record keeping, and it might be nice for them to be able to maintain those records digitally. So hopefully that answered your question, Leslie. Are there any follow-up points you would like me to touch on?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, well, no, I just want to just uh uh reiterate that many practices are going to electronic records and just don't want to have those three ring binders anymore. And just a quick point of reference in California, where we have over 35,000 licensed dentists, the dental board wants to know that you're looking at those score test results. So just getting those results if you happen to get an online, maybe you mail away, you don't do your on-site testing with the the on-site testing unit. Um, it they they say we want to know if that you have indeed looked. So they may keep those records online, but with Greenlight, they actually have to input the results of those sport tests when they do any kind of a mail-away program or if they're doing on-site testing. So that would be a big uh way to show the dental board here that not only are we doing our spore testing weekly, but we also know what our results are. We are checking and we are inputting that information. Now, um, can you give us an idea of uh where someone might have a little um demonstration of what green light looks at looks like? Is there some kind of a video that they can look out?
SPEAKER_03Yes, there is a demonstration, um, and we have provided that link in the show notes for today. But if you just want to uh go to greenlight dentalcompliancecenter.com, you will find our landing page. And at the very bottom there is a button that says view a demo, and it's roughly 10 minutes long at the most. You can from that uh landing page as well, you can request more information from the Hufridi group rep that represents your state. Um, they will get the lead if you fill out the form on that page and they will get back to you.
SPEAKER_04That is amazing. So it's a great way if you become a member of the portal for Greenlight, you have access to this uh place to document your spore testing, a place for education, a place for monitoring your dental unit water lines and your cleaning monitors for ultrasonic or instrument washers. And uh it's like a one-stop shopping, as we keep hearing. So it really sounds like a fantastic uh way for dental practices to be able to continue their compliance on their own and feel confident that they're not only doing the right things, but they've got templates and all sorts of check sheets and lists to follow as well as education and support. And then if that's not enough, they can always reach out to their own consultant.
SPEAKER_03Exactly, Leslie. Good way to put it. We're constantly improving Greenlight as well. It is not a static uh portal. We are adding things constantly to help our customers maintain compliance. So we're always updating, revising, adding, and making it relevant to the day and age that we are in and to our customers' needs. Thank you. Thank you, Leslie.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Leslie and um Jennifer. I the one thing that sort of theme that's been going through my mind as we're talking about all this is organization. And if there is a practice that is having some transition with employees, organization, as we all know, is key. And if you are undergoing the unfortunate experience of having an OSHA audit or inspection, the more organized you have and the more documentation you have, the better it's going to go for you. So this provides a great opportunity for that. So now that we have talked about how great Greenlight is, how do our listeners become a member of the Greenlight Compliance Center?
SPEAKER_03Good question, Mary. Uh so really the requirement to become a Greenlight member would be to have purchased historically or purchasing going forward uh 10 Hufridi group cassettes. Uh, we do make this the requirement because cassettes help maintain compliance in infection prevention and preventing employees from uh Sharps injuries. So that is an aspect of green light that we've tried to really not force but focus on that uh sharps injuries are a huge aspect of what happens in the dental practice. And cassettes can help prevent that. We actually have a very large DSO that uh reduced their sharps injuries for their employees by to zero by implementing the use of cassettes. And so as a company, we have decided that uh cassettes can really help a dental practice um reduce infection prevention aspects, uh reduce uh cross-contamination and sharps injuries that uh can occur with employees. So 10 cassettes historically, and then you can have Greenlight uh Dental Compliance Center free of charge.
SPEAKER_02Fabulous. And so if there's no time limit on when they bought or when they're planning to purchase those in the in the near future, uh that is a great way to get this resource um to have it available to them. And in the resources in the show notes and on the website, we have that um study that you just talked about with one of the largest DSOs and the reduction of Sharps injuries and several others, so that if someone is really not sure this is what they want to do, there's a lot of good um information about folks that have used the cassettes and improved safety, but also used green light to help streamline efficiency. So, um, Jennifer, is there anything else you would like to add today?
SPEAKER_03Just want to, you know, let your listeners know that compliance and infection prevention doesn't have to be a scary thing. And we really have helped, we want Greenlight to help practices kind of take the unknown or the fear out of uh compliance. And the main aspects of Greenlight that we try to focus on is infection prevention and in helping reduce employee injuries as well as reduce infection um cross-contamination with patients. So it's all about patient and employee protection. Uh, and like you said, Mary, having processes and procedures in place, having everybody know how to do things in the same manner, repeatable, um, is really an aspect of uh great aspect of infection prevention and what Greenlight can help a dental practice do. So um that's why we make it free. We really uh as a company want to focus on that aspect and helping practices get the information they need and as well be compliant. Absolutely. Divas, anything else to add or any other questions?
SPEAKER_01Linda? Right. I just wanted to mention that, you know, when we talked about the efficiency and the comprehensiveness, when we think about the stress, if you will, that a dental practice is under today with staff turnover, shortage of qualified talent, and our population of applicants, that just makes sense to be compliant by making it easier because technology has transformed the delivery of dental care as well as the quality of care. So technology can transform how we're managing compliance. Less finders and offices don't lose their compliance memory.
SPEAKER_02Very good, Leslie.
SPEAKER_04Well, on top of that, Linda makes some very good points about the high turnover we sometimes find. And I like to mention that sometimes we have team members who would be very willing to be the infection control coordinator. They just don't know where to start. And if they have a plan and a path and these templates for protocols, how much easier can it be than that to fill the role of the infection control coordinator and be confident that you are doing the right things, that you're looking at the right things, and that you have uh the right systems in place? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03Amazing that you mentioned that, Leslie. And in Greenlight, there is actually a resource specific for the infection prevention coordinator. There is a template, there is a success guide so that they may not know what they don't know and they can lean into that educational resource within Greenlight and help them be the best infection control coordinator that they can be.
SPEAKER_04That's an incredible resource.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Olivia, any parting comments from you? I I just want to mention, Jen, that I appreciate that you have a dental background. So much like the divas, that we all have dental backgrounds, it's nice to know that uh the people like you are associated with the Hugh Freedy group and are able to impart your wisdom and understand what takes place in dental offices and that it really was built into the program itself, having uh the dental knowledge from the working field. So we we appreciate those tools and how they're presented.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, thank you. We work hard to really know what our clients and our customers are doing, boots on the ground, right? I mean, I lived it for almost 25 years full-time, right? Hygiene, and I I've been in the trenches, I know the time crunches that you're under, I know that you're stressed, you you don't know where to go, you're you know, you're trying to do the best that you can, and things change rapidly in the infection prevention world, right? And having a resource that can really just be that tool in your tool chest to help you uh have peace of mind as you go forward and you treat patients. I mean, it's all about patient care, right? Let's let's do what's right and what's best for the patient. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Well, Jen, thank you so much for joining us today. We so appreciate you um giving your time and and explaining about the Green Light Compliance Center. And again, we will put those resources on the show notes and on our website for this episode. And we so appreciate the uh support of Hugh Freed Group. We hope that our listeners will tune in to our next podcast. And remember that we bring clarity and simplicity to compliance by navigating the regulatory world to keep you on course. If you have questions, submit them by email to support at the compliancedevas.com. Even if you have questions for Jen about Greenlight, we can forward those to Jen if you have any questions. And again, the resources will be on the show notes and on our website. So thank you for joining us and we'll see you next time.
SPEAKER_03Thank you for having me, Divas.