New Mexico Dental Board takes it easy on “Comfort Dental”- yet nails their employees. Same for Perfect Teeth and Birner Dental Management

New Mexico Dental Board takes it easy on “Comfort Dental”, yet nails their employees.

Note in each of these it mentions that the “Comfort Dental” clinic is “owned” by the dentist who is being sanctioned. We know that is pure crapola!  The New Mexico Dental board knows it’s crapola too, but does nothing to the corporation, nothing, nada, zip. 

The dentists are always going to take the fall until you guys get off your asses and speak up! Quit taking an oath to tell the truth and lie about your clinic ownership?  I do NOT understand this! I’m baffled every day by it.

What more can I say that will convince you are your screwing yourself, and your colleagues in the ground! Your chosen profession is going to hell, do something for God’s sake!  Do something for the public’s sake!

Comfort Dental Employee Sean S Phelan, DDS Stipulated Agreement with New Mexico Dental Board

Dr. Thomas Corcoran-Topeka Kansas Small Smiles Dental Clinic Owner-No longer with Small Smiles. Did he sell? Of course not, you can’t sell something you don’t own.

 

In November 2010 I wrote about the Kansas Dental Board sending a “prove-it” letter to Dr. Thomas Corcoran.  The Dental Board was questioning the true ownership of Topeka Dental Clinic, LLC and another CSHM dental clinic.

Dr. Corcoran forwarded the letter on to Church Street Health Management’s headquarters.

[If he owned the clinic I’m not sure why he would forward this on to a company who just provides billing, payroll, human recourses, and other mundane office related services, if that is truly all they do for their “associated” clinics.]

Church Street Health Management had him listed as being the owner of one of their Kansas clinics.

Bye Bye Birdie
CSHM must have cleared the issue off their to do list.  According to information received, Dr. Thomas Corcoran’s has not seen a patient since early October 2010.  Dr. Corcoran had been with Church Street Health Management since May 2004, almost 7 years. 

Over the next 5 years, beginning January 21, 2010 Kansas is to receive approximately $1.2 million of the $24 million dollar settlement Church Street Health Management agreed to pay so the DOJ would not look into their operation any further.

Evidently the Dental Board is involved in those payments.  I say this because in a letter to Dr. Corcoran, Dental Board Director, Betty Wright said, “ Since this amount is substantial and is being paid by a corporation and not by yourself, it is evident that although you have indicated  in the past that you are the owner of the Topeka Dental Clinic, LLC and previously Small Smiles of Wichita, that in fact the owner of the clinic in not yourself, but instead a corporation.”

Originally, Dr. Corcoran had 10 days to answer several questions that Ms. Wright brilliantly asked.   Any person who owned a business would be able to answer the questions with ease.  A sample of the questions she asked were:

1.  A copy of your purchase agreement or ownership documents of the clinic.
2.  An employee handbook
3.  A copy of advertisements published to hire dentists
4.  A list of member of your LLC with ownership interests.
5.  An Operating Agreement between yourself and FORBA
6.  Attach your personal and business FEDERAL income tax returns with attachments, including Schedule C with W-2’s or 1099’s.  If you are a PA or LLC include returns for you personally and for the business entity.
7.  Attach five payment reimbursement forms from Medicaid and five from insurance companies.
8.  Attach copies of promissory notes or loan agreements with amortization schedule used.
9.  Attach a copy of the latest bank account statements for the business.
10.  Do you own the fixtures and equipment?  ___ Yes  ___No  If “No” state from whom it is leased.

[Looks like that 10 day deadline from Kansas Dental board, turned into a 10 day notice for Dr. Corcoran.  I’m told Dr. Corcoran was not officially listed as “terminated” until January 31, 2011]

Can the new “owner” answer those questions presented by Ms. Wright, probably not. 

So what to so?  What to do? 

Oh, lets change the laws in Kansas!  Yes, that’s it!  So much easier!  Let’s use Comfort Dental as a front.  We know they want in the state.  Shoot, they won’t even realize they are being used.  Get franchise dental clinics allowed in the state and it will save our three clinics. 

Then we can say we are a “franchise” too.

Questions:

1. So who “owns” the clinic now? 
2. Sale agreement? (Dr. Corcoran selling to whoever)
3. Should there not be some tax related issues for Dr. Corcoran since he “sold” this business?
4. Is anyone checking? 
   
   Hello  IRS!
   We are loosing out on some tax dollars folks! 
   
   

Related:
KWCH Investigation into Small Smiles and Church Street Health Management ( known then as, FORBA Holdings)
Kansas Dental Board Asking Dr. Thomas Corcoran To “Prove It”
Kansas House Bill To Allow Expanded Functions for Hygienists Appears Dead
Look Out Kansas – Say it ain’t so
Gates of Hell opening For Kansas citizens; Corporate Dentistry

Kansas About to Open Gates of Hell with HB 2241

 

Update March 16, 2011

HB 2241 is before the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee – Tabled until Thursday March 17, 2011.  Originally, the Kansas Dental Board and the Kansas Dental Association objected, however deals were cut and it passed the house. 
Contact the following to express your concerns and stop the opening of the doors for abusive dental mills from entering Kansas:

 

Chair - Sen. Vicki Schmidt

Vice Chair - Sen. Pete Brungardt

Ranking Minority Member - Sen. Laura Kelly

Members
Sen. David Haley
Sen. Terrie Huntington
Sen. Dick Kelsey
Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook
Sen. Roger Reitz
Sen. Chris Steineger

 

 

February 15, 2011

Kansas Health Institute reports on Kansas HB 2241 and it opening the doors to Corporate Dentistry.  Not that Corporate Dentistry is not already there in the form of torture chamber and child abusing clinics, called Small Smiles, but now it wouldn't be with special top secret deals with the dental board giving a wink and a nod.

 

Kansas lawmakers are not doing their due diligence and allowing themselves to be feed a line of bull.  Request to check some corporate records before you decide to allow these dental mills in your door.  I urge Kansas lawmakers request current and former employees of these dental mills to testify.  They will tell you like it is, not what they want you to know.

 

Kansas HB 2241 is opening the door to the devil.

 

The dental board sent out "prove it" letters to pretend owners of the Small Smiles there, and the answers to those questions were NOT answered to show the clinics were owned by individual dentists. 

 

That didn't matter, in fact that was used to prove corporate dentistry was already there and thriving inside the state boarders, now welcome to corporate dentistry hell.

 

Here is the rolling on the floor laughing my ass off portion:

Independent decisions
Testifying Tuesday, a dental board spokesperson said that the board had concerns with HB 2241 but could support it given two, last-minute revisions by the Kansas Dental Association and with assurance that dentists working for Comfort Dental or a similar chain would be able to make independent clinical decisions.

Has Kansas missed all the KWCH reports on Small Smiles?  No, of course not.  They will go ahead, let this happen to the people of Kansas and plead, we didn't know when sloppy dental care is delivered to the citizens. The Kansas Dental Association knows, the Kansas Dental Board knows, the only ones who don't are the ones who will be ripped off, and received care based on production numbers, and not quality of care.  Everyone one of these mills operate on "production" not "quality of care".  It's production, folks.  They don't use the words care, only production! 

 

 

 

Here is a report from a person who used to work at the Topeka Kansas Small Smiles, we shall call her Emily:

As a former employee of a dental clinic managed by Forba, I can honestly say that I'm not surprised by this article. As sad as that may sound, I was witnessed upspeakable acts by the dentist and dental assistants that I worked with/for. I've witnessed a Dr. hit/punch a mentally handicapped patient. I've witnessed another Dr.
tackle a 3 year old girl to the floor, all of which Forba knew happened. I tried to report these and the countless other incidents that I witnessed, but nobody at Forba took me seriously. I left there over a year ago and can say that I sleep just a little better at night knowing that I don't have to get up to go to work for these terrible people.
I'm deeply sorry to the Kingery family. Forba is nothing but a money hungary company that only cares about production. I would NEVER recommend taking your children there. If you have to, make sure that you go back with them and are present for everything that happens. It is your right as a parent to go back with your child, it
is your right/duty to ask questions. If you see something that doesn't look right, question it!

 

When asked by committee members whether the franchise’s business model would result in more dental service in rural and underserved areas, he said that’s where the types of patients Comfort Dental seeks tend to be.

Of course they will bring dental care to low income areas of Kansas, defrauding the taxpayers is what lines their pockets.  I suppose Kansas lawmakers are somehow brainwashed into thinking any care beats no care at all.  I beg to differ!