Friday, April 17, 2015

Dental Practice Office Managers Making Dental Treatment Decisions Should Be Shaking In Their Boots.

The news about the arrest of Valbona Yzeiraj, an office manger at a dental office in Bronx, NY for performing root canals on patients seems to have people in 2015-04-17 09.01.01shock and awe; it even landed in the Wall Street Journal today. 

Yzeiraj is charged with assault, reckless endangerment and unauthorized practice as well as a charge of larceny. 

To the public it appears they are shocked, to those of us who have been watching this for years are not. 

Yeah this office manager pulled teeth and performed root canals; allegedly.  But, office managers make dental treatment decision that put patients health at risk every day in the corporate-owned branded dental chains.  I can’t tell you how much evidence there is or how often I’ve heard dentists tell me they feel like they are working for the office manager in the branded clinic they mistakenly decided to practice their profession.

Heck, why aren’t the corporate heads who are sitting in their plush offices and flying around in their corporate (and privately owned) jets getting arrested for the same?  They make treatment decision endangering patients as well; many with severely more negative outcomes. 

I guess the line between it being acceptable to the public, dental boards, and law enforcement and it being criminal must lay somewhere between, “Dr. you will practice dentistry they way we tell you” and physically touching the patient. Blurred lines? You bet!

Dr. Jeffery B. Schoengold says he hired Yzeiraj through Craigslist in 2009; it’s 2015! And he stated to the press, “This is a gross betrayal of trust to me and to the community,

According to reports, Yzerifaj’s husband brushed off the charges calling them “absurd”.  Saying, “My wife, operate on people? It made me laugh,” said Petrit Yzeiraj, 49. “She absolutely did not do it.” (Hope she doesn’t now try to say she’s trained, because her husband just blew that defense.. lol)

 

News 4 NBC New York (video)

New York Daily News (video)