Photo By Kirk Frady | The Baumholder Army Dental Clinic held its Retiree Appreciation Day recently providing...... read more read more
SEMBACH, Germany – A select group of Army dentists, enlisted dental specialists and civilian dental staff assigned to the Rhineland-Pfalz Dental Activity recently took part in specialized training that focused on patient safety and infection control with a special emphasis on COVID-19 protection.
The four-day “virtual” training event, hosted and conducted by the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), a non-profit organization that focuses on improving compliance with safe dental practices and on building a strong global network of recognized infection control experts.
In light of the current global COVID-19 epidemic, health officials say dental safety is even more important, not only to the patient, but for providers as well.
“Infection prevention and control is paramount and requires a team effort,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Aileen Cabanada-Logan, infection prevention and control officer for Dental Health Command Europe. “Quality assurance measures are needed to ensure compliance so we can provide safe and effective dental care.”
COVID-19 forced Army dental clinics to re-look at the way they conduct business and provide care for beneficiaries.
“Focusing on infection control demonstrates our commitment to safety, especially patient safety,” said Cabanada-Logan. “It ensures that we are implementing the most current infection control practices, and that we are adhering to required laws, regulations, guidelines, and standard best practices.”
According to dental experts, OSAP training prepares new and existing dental team members who are responsible for infection control with the basic knowledge and tools to perform their jobs.
“It was very valuable to hear some of the nation’s top experts give the latest on safety developments,” said Capt. (Dr.) Matthew DeJong, a general dentist assigned to the Kleber Dental Clinic in Kaiserslautern, Germany. “There are continual developments in precautionary measures regarding COVID-19 as we learn more about the disease and how it spreads.
“Our dental clinics have done a great job keeping up with the latest developments regarding patient safety,” DeJong added. “Our standard operating procedures and daily routines are closely aligned with best practice recommendations delivered by OSAP.”
DeJong says the training was very important in identifying relevant infection control laws, regulations, guidelines, standards, and best practices.
“Patient and dental staff safety are the highest priorities for any clinic,” DeJong said. “Regular training and updates are important aspects to keeping the highest standard of safety.”
| Date Taken: | 02.11.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2021 02:56 |
| Story ID: | 388831 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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