DQAC’s COVID-19 Statement, Licensure & BLS Extensions, Exemptions for Small Businesses
DQAC Statement on COVID-19 Pandemic
WSDA strongly encourages our members to follow guidance provided by public health officials and other local, state, and federal authorities regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the DQAC COVID-19 statement here.DQAC COVID-19 Statement
The ADA has developed treatment flow charts to assist dental professionals providing urgent and emergency care.
Flow Charts
DOH License Renewal Extension
The Secretary of Health has extended expiration dates for licenses of health professionals. The extension is for renewals due between April 1 and September 30, 2020.This extension will allow health professionals to focus on patient care and promote continued patient safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. Because renewal payment won’t be required until September 30, 2020, it will also reduce the economic burden on providers not able to work during this time. More information is available on the License Expiration Extension FAQ webpage.
American Heart Association (AHA) Interim Guidance on Card Extensions during COVID-19 Outbreak
For AHA Provider Cards expiring beginning in March 2020:
- AHA Provider Cards will be valid for 120 days beyond their recommended renewal date.
- Management of this extension, and any record-keeping, will be the responsibility of the Training Center.
Department of Labor Issues Regulations on Exemptions for Small Businesses Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
The ADA and other dental organizations, including WSDA, sent a letter to the Department of Labor (DOL) asking that small dental practices be exempt from the requirement that they provide paid sick leave and extended family medical leave when the child’s school or place of care has been closed if “such requirements would jeopardize the viability of the business as a going concern.” The ADA also asked that the Secretary “not require each dental practice to apply for an exemption.”
On April 1, the DOL issued a rule implementing H.R. 6201. This rule says that a small business with fewer than 50 employees may claim the exemptions if:
- The leave would cause the small employer’s expenses and financial obligations to exceed available business revenue and cause the small employer to cease operating at a minimal capacity;
- The absence of the employee or employees would pose a substantial risk to the financial health or operational capacity of the small employer because of their specialized skills, knowledge of the business, or responsibilities; or,
- The small employer cannot find enough other workers who are able, willing, and qualified, and who will be available at the time and place needed, to perform the labor or services the employer or employees requesting leave provide, and these labor or services are needed for the employer to operate at a minimal capacity.
An authorized officer of the business has to determine that the business meets one or more of these criteria, and the business must document that it meets those criteria. That documentation should be kept on file by the business for four years but it does not need to be sent to the DOL.
The ADA has checked with the DOL and they have confirmed that dental office owners are not required to pay paid sick leave or extended family leave—if the employee has a child whose school or daycare is closed due to COVID-19—as long as they meet at least one of the three criteria above.
The DOL has additional information for employers and employees on COVID-19 that can be found here.
Please continue to check wsda.org/COVID-19 and its newly created Clinical Guidance and Business Impacts pages for updates.
Dr. Dennis Bradshaw
WSDA President
