Practice Management 9th refusal to undergo such cancer screening tests and examinations. 8. Document all referrals to specialists to rule out potential risks or conditions, and document all communication with these specialists: a. If no referral is made to a specialist, the record must contain the rationale for not referring, including whether this resulted from the patient’s informed refusal. b. Document the notification to the patient of a positive result, even when the specialist or consultant has also received that positive result. 9. Failed efforts to bring about compliance in a noncompliant patient should be handled with a discharge from practice letter containing a warning of the potential risks to life and health due to the patient’s noncompliance. 10. Retain medical records of adults (18 years or older) for at least ten years from last payment or date of last service, whichever is longer. 11. If a patient declines a recommended test to rule out a potential cancer due to a lack of, or denial of, insurance coverage, the dentist must: explain to the patient the importance of the test and the risks of not undergoing it; assist the patient to appeal the decision with the insurance company; offer the patient the option to self-pay; and document this discussion in full. A copy of the denial for testing to rule out cancer must also be scanned into the patient’s dental record. There are many risk management strategies that healthcare providers and practices can implement to decrease the potential risk of liability and improve patient safety. Adopting these recommendations into a well-rounded risk management program will help reduce the risk of patient injury. In the event that there is litigation, detailed documentation will contribute to a strong defense. The Risk Management Department of MLMIC Services, together with the attorneys at Fager Amsler Keller & Schoppmann, LLP, offer educational programs and presentations that specifically address Lavern’s Law. These programs are provided to MLMIC policyholders throughout New York State and offer guidance designed to manage the risks and reduce the exposures presented by this law, all at no additional cost to our policyholders. For additional resources, please contact the Risk Management Department at MLMIC Services and/or the attorneys at Fager Amsler Keller & Schoppmann, LLP.  This article has been reprinted with permission from: MLMIC Dental Dateline® (Spring 2018), published by MLMIC Insurance Company, 2 Park Avenue, Room 2500, New York, NY 10016. Copyright ©2018 by MLMIC Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, or otherwise, without the written permission of MLMIC. About the author: MLMIC is endorsed by the Ninth District Dental Association. For more information please contact MLMIC at 800-2759800 or https://www.mlmic.com/dentists. Desperately needed: Dentist with a lot of patience for his/her patients (please pardon the pun). The patient in question is extremely fearful of various aspects of dentistry. She has had several false starts and had been unable to follow through with a treatment plan. Resultantly, she needs a significant amount of dental work that runs the gamut (restorations, extractions, endodontics, crowns, implants, etc.). Use of STA wand not imperative but a plus. This is not a charity case, the patient has sufficient funds to pay for services rendered. If you, or a colleague of yours, is kindhearted with a lot of patience in addition to a high level of skill, and would be interested in potentially treating this patient, please send an email to Sandy at: nsl1710@aol.com Thank you. NOVEMBER, 2018 39 Classified Ad