About Our Practice

03/09/2010

QUESTION:  How does our profit sharing plan work?

ANSWER:  There are two components to the Health Consultants of Virginia, Inc. Profit Sharing Plan.  To be eligible for either component you must have been employed for one year, must have worked 1000 hours in that year, and be 21 years of age.

1.  Profit Sharing:  3% of your wages, after you are eligible for the Profit Sharing Plan, will be contributed to the Profit Sharing Plan.  These funds are administered by the Trustee of the plan.  You receive a statement annually that explains how much you have in that plan.  These contributions may not be made until August of the year following the end of the previous year.

2.  401(k):  You may elect to contribute to a 401(k) plan that is administered by you once you are eligible.  You may choose between a traditional account and a Roth account, or have a combination of both.  There is no company match for these contributions.  If you choose a traditional account, your taxable wages for income tax are reduced by the amount contributed.

This brief description does not take the place of the documents that describe the plan.  Please CLICK HERE to review the Summary Plan Description and find all of the forms necessary for enrollment and distributions.  All questions pertaining to the Plan should be directed by Cynthia Lowry, Administrator of the Plan.

12/14/2009

QUESTION:  Are we opening a new office in Woodlake?

ANSWER:  Yes, we will be opening a new location early 2010. 

11/11/2009

QUESTION:  HIPAA - sign in rosters being open for all patients to see names signed in.  Is this appropriate?

 ANSWER:  The following reply is posted by the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Office of Civil Rights - the entity that receives HIPAA complaints.

May physicians offices use patient sign-in sheets or call out the names of their patients in their waiting rooms?

Yes. Covered entities, such as physician’s offices, may use patient sign-in sheets or call out patient names in waiting rooms, so long as the information disclosed is appropriately limited. The HIPAA Privacy Rule explicitly permits the incidental disclosures that may result from this practice, for example, when other patients in a waiting room hear the identity of the person whose name is called, or see other patient names on a sign-in sheet. However, these incidental disclosures are permitted only when the covered entity has implemented reasonable safeguards and the minimum necessary standard, where appropriate. For example, the sign-in sheet may not display medical information that is not necessary for the purpose of signing in (e.g., the medical problem for which the patient is seeing the physician). See 45 CFR 164.502(a)(1)(iii).

10/27/2009

QUESTION: Why can't we do split night studies on all OSA patients?

ANSWER:  Most patients scheduled for poysomnography with a diagnosis of suspected OSA are scheduled for a split-night study, but this is always a tentative plan.  A split-night PSG is the most efficient use of our resources because severe OSA is usually evident in the first few hours of the night, and we can then use the rest of our time initiating treatment with CPAP.  However, we cannot always do a split night even if it was tentatively scheduled for several reasons:

1.  OSA may not be present, and CPAP is therefore not indicated.

2.  OSA is present, but it is not clearly "severe" (apnea/hypopnea index > 40/hr of sleep) soon enough to allow at least 4 hours for CPAP titration.

3.  Severe OSA is present, but the patient has not slept at least 2 hours, the minimum time for a valid diagnostic study, in time to allow at least 4 hours for CPAP titration.

4.  The patient refuses or does not tolerate CPAP.

In any of these situations, a full night diagnostic PSG should be performed instead, and a second night PSG with CPAP titration from the beginning will be scheduled if indicated.  You may be interested to know that split-night studies have not always been accepted by sleep medicine specialists, and some experts still believe a full night diagnostic and full-night CPAP trial is the "best" way to get patients diagnosed and treated. 

Reply written by Richard Parisi, Medical Director

10/13/2009

QUESTION:  When is open enrollment for employee benefits?

ANSWER:  The official open enrollment date is 12/01/2009.  Informational meetings will be held in November so everyone has a chance to learn about the different options and costs.