Baton Rouge – The Louisiana Department of Health is issuing a warning to medical providers throughout Louisiana about a false advisory in circulation which states health care providers are required by new state and federal regulations to post hand-washing posters. The advisory claims the Louisiana Healthcare Compliance Center issued the policy that requires these posters be displayed “at all handwashing facilities.”
The advisory is false, and the Louisiana Healthcare Compliance Center is not a regulatory agency.
According to the advisory, the company is located in Baton Rouge. The company, though, could not be found at its listed address in a retail shopping center. In addition, calls to the company’s phone number were answered by a call center in Michigan. The call center operator advised a LDH official that there is no local telephone number.
The notice from the Louisiana Healthcare Compliance Center attempts to sell the hand-washing posters to the recipient of the notice for $14.95 each. The company states these are new hand washing guidelines, and suggests these posters are needed to remain in compliance with the law. Recipients of the notice are warned “they should comply today.”
This advisory is the second such notice to come to the attention of the Department of Health in the past month. The most recent letters are being sent to health care providers in the Lafayette area. An earlier and similar scam targeted food establishments with a similar offer.
While hand-washing posters and signs are encouraged to promote cleanliness, they are not required. If a health care provider wishes to post hand-washing signs, one may be downloaded and printed for free fromhttp://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/?ID=216 .
Similar signs can also be found online from other sources for free.
Anyone with questions concerning this issue may contact their regional Office of Public Health Medical Director.