WA Emergency Grant, Workers’ Comp Grace Period, DentistLink Signup, HPI Poll

On April 7, the ADA recorded answers to questions submitted by dentists regarding the ADA’s interim guidance for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission while performing emergency and urgent dental care. 

The Q&A discussion covers a range of topics including the use of personal protective equipment, coordinating care with other members of the medical community and the future of infection control in dentistry.

Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grants: Apply for Up to $10,000 in Emergency Funding

Separate from the SBA EIDL loan, Governor Inslee is offering a new Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grant program to assist small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak.  

• Businesses with up to 10 full-time employees (FTEs) may apply for a one-time grant of up to $10,000.
• Grant funds can used for operational expenses including rent, supplies/inventory, utility bills, etc. as well as consulting, marketing, and training.  
• Note that payroll cannot be reimbursed via Working Washington grant program. 
• Due to anticipated volumes, it may take 4 to 6 weeks for processing and disbursement of grants. 

Directory of Dentists Able to Provide Urgent Dental Care

During the COVID-19 crisis, Arcora Foundation and the WSDA are partnering to ensure people can receive urgent dental care. Dentistlink.org is a referral service that is currently being utilized to connect patients seeking urgent dental care with dental providers in their area who can provide this care. Dentists who are able to provide urgent dental care can add their name to a directory on Dentistlink.org. 

Directions:

• Step 1: Visit Dentistlink.org and click Login (top right corner)
• Step 2: Click Sign Up
• Step 3: Click Dentist Sign In
• Step 4: You should see a pop-up in the top right of the screen that says “Check your email to activate your account”
• Step 5: You will receive an email to complete your registration (this is currently from a Gmail account)
• Step 6: Set up a new password
• Step 7: Sign in using your email and password
• Step 8: Update your profile for your practice upon login

Any questions regarding this directory or issues signing up should be directed to DentistLink@ArcoraFoundation.org.

Workers' Comp Grace Period

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is providing emergency relief through the Employer Assistance Program to help employers struggling to pay their workers’ compensation premiums during the COVID-19 outbreak. L&I is now offering a grace period for premium payments, along with payment plans for employers facing financial difficulties during the pandemic.

HPI Poll: COVID-19 Impact on Dental Practices 

The ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) launched an ongoing biweekly poll the week of March 23 that shows 76% of dentists surveyed had closed their offices to all but emergency patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 19% indicated their offices are closed completely. HPI initiated the poll to track how dentists are handling the COVID-19 pandemic. ADA News reports on the initial findings, and the complete results showing breakdowns by state, age, practice size and more are now available from HPI online in an interactive web page. Dentists who wish to be part of this panel can sign up using this HPI form.

Please continue to check wsda.org/COVID-19 and its Clinical Guidance and Business Impacts pages for additional resources and updates.

Sincerely,