As the human swine flu outbreak continues to grow in the United States and internationally, the first step in protecting ourselves against infectious viruses is to stop them in their tracks, or better yet, their breeding grounds.Human swine flu is most commonly spread person-to-person. Therefore, attacking the “hot spots” that people touch most frequently will help eliminate the spread of the virus.
Be aware! many house hold cleaning agents won’t kill all viruses.Your best bet is a medical grade all purpose cleaning agent.However, providing your front office staff with disinfecting wipes can help keep germs down throughout the day and are quick and convenient to use.
All staff should be wearing gloves for all cleaning procedures.
Wipe and disinfect the front entrance door handles.
Wipe and disinfect all door handles.
Wipe and disinfect all phones.
Wipe and disinfect all cabinet handles throughout the building.
Wipe and disinfect all levers and turn-able devices in the building.
Wipe and disinfect all keypads.
Wipe and disinfect all light switches.
Wipe and disinfect all public press-able buttons.
Wipe and disinfect all computer mouse devices.
Wipe and disinfect all desks and workstation tables.
Don`t forget constant hand washing prior to placing on gloves and after!!
These tips are designed as the first line of defense against cold and flu viruses, such as the Swine Flu.These tips are not recommended to take the place of a proper routine cleaning of your practice.
So you want to blog on your dental website. You understand that a blog is the new newsletter. You have time to blog yourself, and you always made great grades in English, so you don’t need GhostPosts. Only problem is, you aren’t an ideas person. How can you know what to write about on your dental blog? Here are a few tips to help you out…
1. Make it personal to your practice Blog about a case you worked on this week. Did you have huge success with an oral sedation case this week? Do you have photos of yourself (not the kids) speaking at an elementary school? Do you have case photos of a smile transformation? Choose your most fulfilling task or case of the week, and write about it. Be sure to include pictures! People love to see pictures. 2. Rely on your employees You’d only have to blog once a month if you asked your hygienist, assistant, and front office to take over one week per month. This will break up the clinical nature of your blog and diversify the newsletter. It will also make your employees have a more vested interest in the blog, your practice, and your marketing. Give each blogger her own access code, change her permissions so she can post to the blog, and give her a page or category on her topic. 3. Check out news sites If you stay plugged in with these sites, you’ll always have something to write about! Don’t plagiarize, but rewriting is okay. A good rule of thumb is to avoid more than seven words in succession when rewriting a post. The professional blogs will give you ideas on what to write about. The patient blogs will be more directly in line with your audience.
If you still have trouble coming up with a system; if you find that you don’t have the time or desire to write a blog; or if you want to make the most of search engine optimization, call TNT Dental to discuss GhostPosts. For a nominal fee, our professional dental and SEO copywriters will customize blog posts for you, publish them with a graphic or photo, and optimize them to complement your SEO strategy.
That is the million dollar question.MRSA, otherwise known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Auresu, has recently been the hot topic, or should I say “endemic, and in some cases epidemic,” in many hospitals, healthcare facilities, and communities across the United States according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).MRSA whose nickname is known as the “superbug” is a bacterium that is resistant to most common antibiotics; it can survive on any surface and resists certain cleaning chemicals.This “superbug” is what is commonly known to us as staph infections.
These staph infections can appear as a mild skin infection, however because of its resistance to may antibiotics it also can and has become deadly.The CDC estimates that MRSA strikes 31.8 out of 100,000 Americans, making it more common than flesh-eating strep infections, bacterial pneumonia and meningitis combined.In a report by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), in 2005 MRSA had infected an estimated 94,360 people in the United States, of that 18,650 died; making MRSA more deadly than Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
This “superbug” more commonly know in hospitals, recently expanded its reach to community settings.A study published in JAMA revealed that of 8,987 observed cases of invasive MRSA, 58.4 percent were “community-onset” infections.Community-onset refers to having obtained MRSA in a healthcare setting other than a hospital.
Defining “Cleaning” in a Healthcare Facility
What can be done to help prevent the spread of MRSA?While skin-to-skin contact is the most common form of transmission, MRSA also lives on soft and hard surfaces, making no facility immune. The lack of cleanliness, contaminated items and surfaces are a breeding ground for MRSA.MRSA can live up to 24 hours on just about any surface.Generally when we think of “cleaning” it refers to the removal of all visible soil.But in healthcare facilities and in the effort of combating the spread of MRSA, it can also mean sterilizing and disinfecting specific areas to be cleaned.This form of cleaning may call for special cleaning procedures and chemicals. Understanding the difference between sterilization and disinfection is key.Sterilization involves cleaning using powerful chemicals that destroy all known microbial life. Disinfection is killing of specific pathogens and microorganisms.The following are some common practices you should be implementing in your facility to help prevent the spread of MRSA:
·Washing your hands multiple times a day and having hand sanitizer in bathrooms and exam rooms and operatories.
·Pay particular attention to “high touch” areas where pathogens can collect and breed. Most common areas are door handles, bathrooms faucets, counter tops and exam rooms and operatory chairs.If people are touching it on a regular basis, then make sure it is cleaned just as often.
· Use disinfectants that kill the MRSA stain and follow the proper procedures-make sure they are given the appropriate dwelling times.
·Make sure to use the appropriate cleaning agent for the area to be cleaned. When using chemical disinfectants or cleaner/disinfectants, follow the directions given on the product label as some require proper dilutions.
Most importantly, take the time to properly clean you facility.What matters most is that your facility is not only clean but sanitary as well.
So you want to blog on your 
