Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Staffing shortages are a significant challenge in healthcare and represent a preeminent concern for organizations of all types and sizes. Lack of qualified staff to fulfill clinical and support roles can erode the quality of care, threaten patient safety, and lead to liability exposure.

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Meticulous hand hygiene is a best practice and standard precaution for patient and healthcare worker safety in healthcare organizations of all types and sizes, including dental practices. In fact, hand hygiene often is recognized as the single most important step that dental providers and staff can take to prevent the spread of infections.¹

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Diversity is a cornerstone of American culture that is reflected throughout our society, including our healthcare system. Healthcare workers interact on a daily basis with people of varying backgrounds and experiences. Although patient populations might differ based on the type of healthcare facility or other factors, the need for culturally competent care never diminishes.

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Altering documentation in patient records can have serious consequences, including allegations of fraud and professional misconduct — and it also can make malpractice claims difficult to defend. Yet, mistakes happen and situations undoubtedly will occur that require healthcare providers to make corrections, addendums, or late entries in patient records.

Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM

Medication errors are common in outpatient settings, and research suggests that half of all avoidable harm in healthcare is related to medications.¹ Taking steps to minimize medication errors and adverse drug events (ADEs) is a worthwhile goal for healthcare practices, and they should have processes and procedures in place to guide medication safety.