HCD Headlines 6-27-2024
- Rachael
- Jun 26, 2024
- 6 min read
We are excited to meet with everyone at Alaska Radiation Therapy. They have multiple names and it might be confusing if you try to Google them. This is the map they sent to us for your convenience. It starts at 7:30AM. They will have breakfast food for us there. Please come dressed nicely as we are representing HCD.
We will finish the tour around 9:30, so there will be no extra time for meeting as a team afterwards. With that in mind, we will use the headlines today as a meeting of sorts including setting up our next goal for HCD Healthy Habits Reboot.
July Schedule
Please review our schedule for July. Per usual, we have lots of moving parts including fill-in hygienists, Crismae going to 5 8's, and Toni going part-time. The other sad note is Toni's last day will be July 31st. Her farewell potluck is tentatively scheduled for July 23rd, but we'll confirm that at our next team meeting.
Infection Control Training
Now is the time for us to review Infection Control as a team. We are going to use the Compliance Training module on our HCD-Employees website. This is a 20 minute webinar with questions that you are required to complete by July 31st. If you do not have time to do this at work, you can do so at home. Since it is required, you will be compensated for your time at home. Just make sure I am made aware by a note on your timesheet.
You can do this on your phone, but I strongly recommend using a computer to complete this training. The consult room is a great place and even the operatories will work so long as you have speakers or headphones.
Directions:
Start HERE.
Scroll down to the bottom button or square that says "ENTER TRAINING HERE" and click it.
Scroll to the bottom of this page and you will see my name under Infection Control Training. Click LAUNCH TRAINING to get started.
You can step away and pause as needed. I wouldn't close the window as you will wind up with multiple openings just like I did - thus my two names on this training.
Once you've completed it, please print your certificate and bring it to me.
Scrubs
Two new sets of scrubs was purchased per everyone's size and color request from our last meeting. I appreciate everyone helping with inventory and retiring scrubs as needed. Let's move forward with this over the next few weeks. If we still see some problems with sizes, please let me know and we'll do another order.
Stacey has been helping with the actual order - thank you! - and right now, the XL black top is on backorder. We will continue to try to get those in as soon as we can.
Treatment Plan Clean-Up
As a general reminder, please review your patient's treatment plan every time they are in the chair. This includes watching out for these:
Amalgam Removal Code: If they are scheduled to do treatment removing an amalgam, ALWAYS use our in-house code for amalgam removal. This will ensure the operatory and team are prepared appropriately for their SMART needs.
Set Amalgam Removal Complete: If they completed the treatment, but this is still on the treatment plan, please set it complete to the date it was completed. Do not delete it unless it was treatment planned in error.
Watches/decay/fractures: Any CONDITION in Dentrix is indicated in black on the Patient Chart. If treatment has been completed by our providers or a specialist, please invalidate the condition in order to remove the black from the chart. Do not delete as it is part of their history and needs to stay in their chart.
The best time to invalidate is when treatment is completed.
Hygiene Treatment Plans: The hygiene treatment plan should only include what is going to be done within one year. This will allow us to print one treatment plan showing what is left for the rest of the year without causing confusion about too many hygiene or exam visits.
The best option is to have this according to the patient's insurance renewal date. Typically this is January or July. We don't always have time for the best option, but it definitely reduces confusion.
If you're on the last appointment for the year, then treatment plan for a new year with all necessary hygiene and diagnostic codes.
Alternate treatment: Move to an alternate treatment plan and label it accordingly. Make sure to link any alternate cases to the recommended case to reduce confusion when scheduling and with our treatment plan acceptance reports.
Rejected treatment: If you've asked about treatment that the patient doesn't want to ever do, such as a night guard, move to a separate file and mark as rejected. Never delete as it is part of their diagnosed recommendations.
If they reject recommended treatment that will have a dire effect on their health, such as extractions, SRP, etc., do not remove from their recommended file. To do so would be neglectful and setting the patient up for a future emergency situation. Leave these where they are and review with every appointment as needed.
Consent Forms Treatment Plan: This is a carry over from a previous protocol when we Dentrix didn't have all the capabilities it has now. Please set these files as complete and move to the bottom of their treatment plan file list.
Please let me know if I missed anything on this list. I know it's a lot, but the more you keep an eye out for it, it will become part of your routine in no time!
New Patient Bags
We have ordered a rack to help us keep the new patient and retainers bags organized at the front desk. That will be installed in the next few weeks. Until then, I hope you've been able to give each new patient and existing patient that does a comprehensive exam one of the bags at the beginning of the appointment. This helps us stay true to the reputation we put out in the community regarding being holistic and different from other dental offices.
And don't forget the NP postcard! We should be up to order more of those cards if we've been sending those out as we should. That personal touch goes a long, long way! And thank you for going taking that extra step!
HCD Health Habits Reboot
Let's review where we've been so far!
Dedicate time to your mental health
We are going to draw tomorrow for those who have complete their 2 round of mental wellness goals. You can still be working on the first one or maybe you changed to a new one! Just so long as you're working on one, you can be included in our drawing!
Here is a great video regarding burnout and how to overcome it: HERE
Cardio (3x week) & Strengthen (1x week) Training
This is our first round for this habit. Hope you've been able to do an extra rep or walked more often than you had before! We will have our 1st drawing for that tomorrow!
Here is the video from Te's presentation at the last meeting: HERE.
We are moving into our new 3rd habit introduction which is Stay Hydrated. Video HERE.
What is proper hydration?
Some calculate it based on your body weight . (your weight x .67 = ounces of water to drink per day. + 12 ounce for every 30 minutes of exercise)
Harvard Medical says most people need 4-6 glasses a day. It IS possible to drink too much water so it should be individualized and medical conditions that can cause water retention such as thyroid, kidney, liver or heart problem should consult with their MD when setting their hydration goals.
You could keep it simple and just make sure you drink enough water to urinate every 2-4 hours and that urine should be clear or very light.
Water has many benefits.
Helps us maintain a healthy steady body temperature
Helps carry oxygen and vital nutrients to your cells
Helps you lose weight/maintain weight
Lubricates your joints, making it easier to move around
Keeps tissues in mouth, eyes and nose moist
Set your goal! How much water do you plan on drinking every day or every hour? Remember when you first start drinking more water, you will have to take more bathroom breaks. Don't let that discourage you though! Stick to it, and your body will adjust and appreciate the higher levels of water intake!
I will place new goal forms in your inboxes to help you set your goals. Continue to add your mental wellness and cardio/strength goals on your existing forms. We'll return and report on this habit at our next team meeting on July 11th.
For today, please send your team the way you're going to STAY HYDRATED over the next two weeks!
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