VIRGINIA BOARD OF DENTISTRY NOTES Dr. Ursula Klostermyer

VIRGINIA BOARD OF DENTISTRY NOTES

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Ursula Klostermyer, DDS, PhD

This Board of Dentistry meeting was held in-person. No public participants were present for a public or formal hearing.

Department of Health Professions Director Dr. David E. Brown was absent and was represented by Lisa Hahn. She stated that under the Governor’s announced state of emergency (due to Covid-19) Dental Board meetings were held virtually, but the state of emergency had ended in June 2021. The September board meeting was held in person. In state government buildings all people are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Ms. Hahn indicated that DHP plans to introduce legislation that would allow some of their meetings to be held virtually going forward.

The term of the three board members expires in 2021 and new candidates were nominated, were seconded and passed. President, Dr. Augustus Petticolas, completed his second term and will be replaced by Dr. Nathaniel Bryant. Dr. Sandra Catchings will become vicepresident, and Dr. Patricia Bonwell will become the new secretary.

All guidance documents, to include the Educational Requirements for Dental Assistants II, Radiation Certification, Dental Practices, the Status Report on Regularly Actions Chart and the Waiver of Electronic Prescribing were unanimously approved by the Board.

The document, When a Dentist Dies Guide, was reviewed and the Board agrees that this could be a valuable guide to assist family members when a dentist dies suddenly. It provides information on how to deal with the situation including the practice valuation, transition and the handling of patient records. Minor changes of the document were suggested. While the surviving spouse has no legal obligation or requirements to deal with the patient charts, as the licensee is dead, this document could be helpful to assist the bereaved/survivors with this task.

The topic about clarification on the use of scalers was deferred to the RegulatoryLegislative Committee to be discussed at the next meeting.

A short discussion came up regarding prescribing antibiotics without holding a valid DEA license for e.g. retired dentists, who volunteer for charity projects. Mr. James E. Rutkowski, legal counsel to the Board, stated that this would depend on the medication prescribed. He intends to investigate the legal aspects of this topic and will report his findings to the Board in due course.

Dr. Dag Zapatero brought to the attendees’ attention that it might be time to modernize the disciplinary case records. The Board could ask the DHP if they can move from an all-paper document system to electronic case files. This would be an easier way for Board members to review records and be more environmentally friendly. Ms. Hahn indicated that DHP is capable of providing files electronically. The Board of Dentistry voted unanimously to work with the DHP to undergo the change to electronic files but at the same time keeping the option open for Board members, who would prefer to review paper records.

Ms. Jamie Sacksteder reported about disciplinary cases received and closed. From January 2021 to August 2021 there were 289 received cases, 270 cases were closed, and 45 cases were closed with a violation. There were 38 closed cases with violations related to patient care. These include standard of care cases, improper diagnosis, treatment planning and delayed or unsatisfactory treatment. There was one abuse/abandonment/ neglect case, one unlicensed activity, and 2 inability to safely practice cases reported. Non-patient related cases included 2 fraud cases with improper patient billing, mishandling of pre-need funds, fee splitting and falsification of licensing / renewal documents. One Virginia Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program (HPMP) case category, dismissal, vacated stay and noncompliance, was also reported.

Ms. Sandra Reen introduced the new executive assistant Glory Milton and stated, at the same time, how difficult it is to find new hires.

The next BOD busines meeting is scheduled for Friday, December 10, at 9:00 a.m.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Klostermyer, a VDA member, practices prosthodontics in Richmond. Information is presented here for the benefit of our readers, and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. All VDA members are advised to read and comprehend all Board of Dentistry regulations and policies.