Of great concern was the adoption of a new filing storage system as a replacement for an out-modeled lateral mobile file system. The old filing system, located behind the reception area, contained exposed end tab files with no provision for locking or concealing the records from view. Staff members thought the antiquated system was noisy and inconvenient to use.

A new system had to provide front-office access to files and ensure security for patient records, while offering room for an adaptable storage and filing system to allow the option of housing items other than patient files. Administrative files, office supplies, mixed media, and personal items needed to be taken into consideration. Although the facility would be spacious; the central records area behind reception had to utilize floor space efficiently.

The solution was to use Times-2 Speed Files – dual-sided, rotating filing cabinets that lock. Units can be closed to provide a clean and uncluttered door front. When a file is needed, one spin rotates the cabinet to the open position; One more spin closes the unit again.

Based on clinic growth projections, the architect suggested a total of fourteen units. Two rows of seven units were to be located directly behind the reception counter, installed into a partial alcove setting.

Chris Gonzalez, Office Manager, noted: “Since the clinic’s opening, staff members have been giving the storage and filing system a workout, accessing the Times-2 cabinets hundreds of times per day. The units are user -friendly and quiet, preserving a tranquil atmosphere that is so important in a busy dental office.

Because the Times-2 are in a back-to- back configuration, reception staff can access front row units at the same time that administrative staff work with units on the concealed ‘back-office” side. This double sided system ensures that both sets of files, active working files and archival records, are within reach at a moment’s notice.

The front row of units exposed to the public can be closed each time a patient record has been accessed, keeping the reception area neat and clean. Now that the HIPPA Privacy Standards have become law, Fairview Dental has also benefited by owning a system of locking units that help them secure patient files for HIPPA compliance.