Concerns About Small Smiles Raised By Nevada CUSP in 2006

(CUSP)

Minutes

February 22, 2006 

Health Access Washoe County 

1055 S. Wells Avenue 

Reno, NV  89502

Small Smiles Dentistry of Reno: Mike Rodolico, Mike Roumph

At the last CUSP meeting, Mike Rodolico asked if anyone had any information about the new pediatric dental clinic in Reno, Small Smiles.  No one did.  Dr. Rodolico offered to go on the Internet to research the parent organization and report back at the next meeting.   Dr. Rodolico located several video news clips from a Colorado news station which he played for those present.  The primary concern raised in the video clip included injuries to children who had been restrained in papoose boards and the provision of excessive amounts of treatment during appointments.  

Mike Roumph, who was in attendance representing Small Smiles then made a PowerPoint Presentation about Small Smiles and played news clips from television stations in Oklahoma and Georgia.  The Small Smiles practice in Reno is owned by a Nevada licenses dentist, Dr. Adolph Padulla.  

( I wonder if Mike told them Dr. Padula also owned FORBA, was part of the problem, didn't live in Nevada and didn't practice dentistry.  Had they googled Dr. Padula they would have known he was also licensed in about 15 other states at the time.)

It is managed by Forba Management Company, LLC.  Forba is the largest provider of children’s dental services in the United States.  They manage 40 clinics in 13 states.  The clinics managed by Forba saw over 700,000 children last year.  

The Reno clinic had over 1,100 appointments scheduled when they opened their doors.  It has a staff of 25.  According to Mr. Roumph, papoose boards are only used on 6% of their cases.  (Bull Crap!)

He stated that dentists receive training in dental school on behavioral management.  (Really?) 

If those techniques are not adequate, then it is up to the provider to make the decision to refer the child for treatment under general anesthesia or to use the papoose board.  

Parents are counseled regarding the use of papoose boards and the parent, the dentist and a witness must all sign a consent form prior to a papoose board being utilized.  In terms of the amount of treatment provided at one appointment, that decision is left to the individual provider.   (Lying like a dog, but it sounds good!)

According to Mr. Roumph, their clinics have a policy (albeit unwritten) that no more than six teeth can be crowned at one appointment.  They are able to provide this amount of dentistry during each appointment because they practice six-handed dentistry (one dentist and two dental assistants).  

(Don't ya love it, Six Handed Dentistry.  One Dentist and two assistants, tying down a child, pinching his nose, scaring the living heck out of him, and doing 6 root canals and crowns, and somehow they thought this was doing something good and just)  

Chart audits are performed on a monthly basis.  Between 10 to 20 charts are randomly selected each month for the chart audits.  Clinic staff meet and review the findings of the chart audits. The findings are used to develop policies and procedures for all Forba managed clinics.  

(Randomly selected, huh?  By whom? and who did those audits?, the finding were used to develop policies alright, like how can we get more done in a shorter amount of time, and what kind of incentives can we use, Super Bowl Tickets anyone?)

Twice a year a physical audit is made of each clinic.  This includes a review of HIPAA and OSHA compliance, billing practices, personnel and additional chart audits.  

(CHOKE AND GAG)

A Forba regional manager, who is also a dentist who has been employed by Forba for five years, participates in the physical audits.  These audits are benchmarked against other Forba managed clinics. 

(Yes, they sure are.  And if one clinic is under producing, heads roll!)

The question was raised as to what Small Smiles is doing to comply with the community’s standard of care which is that children who need extensive dental treatment are hospitalized and the procedures are done under general anesthesia.  Mr. Roumph stated that Small Smiles is trying to get hospital privileges for at least one dentist in each of the clinics they manage.  

(OH DEAR GOD!  How did that work out!)

They also have a policy that appointments will not exceed one hour in length (no new procedures will be initiated after one hour).   

(One Hour!!!  Hell NO, they sure won't/didn't or shall exceed one hour, 20 minutes max, for those 6 root canals and caps, that's why the papoose board is needed, heck after shots it takes 10-15 for those to kick in doesn't it, by that time, 99% of those 6 teeth have been derooted and capped, the rest of the time is used to clean the puke and pee up.)

Parents are not encouraged to be in the treatment room; however if the parent wants to be present, the dentist and parent meet and the dentist can make a decision to allow the parent in the treatment room.  

(you guys just never did get your lies lined out on this one did you)

Mr. Nowak was asked if the DHCFP has thought of implementing policies/guidelines related to length of appointments, number of procedures done at each appointment, use of papoose boards and allowing parents in treatment rooms.  Mr. Nowak stated that Forba and the DHCFP have had discussions regarding these topics. 

(During these discussions I wonder if they talked about how to get FORBA to back the hell off, Colorado had to pass a law to get them to cooperate?)

The DHCFP has informed Forba that they will support them in the event that a parent wants more treatment performed at one appointment than a dentist in a clinic managed by Forba deems prudent.  

(Well, I'm sure that was never a problem, nor would I think it would be, but a nice try at spinning it anyway.)

Mr. Nowak also stated that the DHCFP will be utilizing an external quality review organization and their findings may provide additional guidance.     

(Where can a person get a little 'look-see' at those reviews and provided guidance?)                  

Mr. Roumph finished his presentation by issuing an invitation to CUSP members to come by the Small Smiles clinic in Reno to visit at any time. 

He also asked if Dr. Ashley Angaran, who is a Reno native, could be placed on the e-mail distribution list to receive agendas and minutes.  He would like Dr. Angaran to start attending CUSP meetings as a representative from Small Smiles.   

(How's that working out?)

 You can read the minutes of the entire meeting here

Colorado's HB 1175 Aims To Fast Track Licensing Out of State Dentists; Some Could Just Be Interviewed

This doesn't have "Ft. Carson" written all over it.  It's got FORBA and other dental mills written all over it.  How fitting for the state who is home to the company who refined the practice and trains more dentists how to tie up children, pull, drill and cap teeth in the quickest manner to optimize medicaid reimbursements,  home to the company who literally wrote the book on how to separate parents and children in order to torture and abuse children, and invented dental assembly lines.  It's a damn disgrace is what it is.  

FORBA Small Smiles was born in Colorado.  Kool Smiles came from two doctors who trained at Small Smiles as did Adventure Dental/Captain Smiles. 

Not long ago Dr. Ed DeRose, Dr. Michael DeRose and Dr. William Mueller were sanctioned by the state Dental Board for bring dentists to Colorado and let them 'practice' on underserved children, now it's open game.  I suspect we shall see a grown in 'train for gain' labs springing up across Colorado.  Citizens beware! 

Licenses by Interview...WOW!  Wonder if it will just be a phone interview.  I've got another question, just exactly how many Ft. Caron does this really effect?  Anyone got any numbers that justifies this act.  Why didn't they include Real Estate Agents and other licensed professionals?

DENVER — The Senate on Tuesday granted final approval to a bill that makes it easier for professionals in certain regulated fields to practice their occupations in Colorado after moving from another state.

State Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, sponsored HB1175 in the Senate. Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Colorado Springs, was the House sponsor. Tapia said it's aimed to help military families transition to the state.

The bill calls for streamlined processes for licensing chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, nursing home administrators and physical therapists in Colorado when they move from other states.

"It was really a military-driven bill," Tapia said. "It's for people coming to Fort Carson and their spouses. For years people have been assigned there, and their spouses had to work six months or a year toward a certificate or a license. In some cases, these are people who've been competent professionals for 20 years before they came to Colorado."

Tapia said the Department of Regulatory Agencies, which grants credentials in the fields named in the bill, is agreeable to abbreviated processes for issuing certificates and licenses for new residents to the state.

Depending on the experience the new residents bring with them, they could be issued certificates or licenses to practice in Colorado based on interviews, testing or truncated periods of work in their field here.

  In committee hearings on the bill, lawmakers heard from witnesses who said strict licensing requirements for professionals can sometimes separate military families, when a spouse doesn't want to leave their field or take a professional step backward.

Tapia said he hopes this bill will rectify that.

"A lot of families coming to Fort Carson, and some of them to Pueblo, will have a much easier transition because of this."

Having earlier been passed by the House and by the Senate on Tuesday, the bill is awaiting the governor's signature to become law.

 Maybe a close look into the sponsors of this bill is in order.

Big Red Bookshelf Align With Controversial Dental Clinic; Small Smiles

I don’t understand why communities keep opening their arms to Small Smiles.  Until they are rejected they will continue to slither through communities spreading abuse to the most innocent of Americans, the children.  That’s my opinion anyway.
A few weeks ago I noticed I kept having this person from Ithaca, NY spending lots of time on the site.  Well, just this week the name of this city in NY has popped up twice.  One directly related to FORBA’s Small Smiles and another time, more indirectly.
The more indirect is from Greenville, SC who is trying to get books to children in low income parts of the community.  The project is called “Bright Red Bookshelf”.
Leadership Greenville Class 36 is assisting Ready 4 Reading in launching the Bright Red Bookshelf program.  (pretty confusing isn’t it, like why so many organizations?)
A big dedication ceremony for the launch of the program is set for March 24th and the very first “bookshelf” will be dedicated at…  Drum roll please…  Small Smiles Dental Clinic!
What on earth is wrong with Leadership Greenville’s head, Flavie Harton?  I realize money is being thrown at them.  But it coming from  FORBA, that money is from the blood, sweat, puke, and rivers of tears from tiny children. 
In this program, Bright Red Bookshelves are place in public waiting location…and the very first one for Greenville, SC is in Small Smiles waiting room. 
Dr. Sara Mansbach, executive director of Ready 4 Reading said many more sites are needed.  “The challenge is to find community partners that will adopt a bookshelf on an ongoing basis and continue to restock them with gently used books.”
One thing we know for sure, is that ‘reading’ is NOT something FORBA’s Small Smiles heads support.  ie.. the consent to tie up my child even though it might lead to death form they pressure parents to sign.
So what does this have to do with Ithaca, NY.  Well, The Bright Red Bookshelf” originated in Ithaca, NY by the Family Reading Partnership.
Now the second time Ithaca has come up this week is what I shall now deem, the Big Red List, the much anticipated list of professionals who associate themselves with FORBA’s Small Smiles clinics.

Small Smiles Quality Initiatives Are Rubbish

FORBA’s 3 page statement released  Jan, 18, 2010 entitled:

Safeguarding Children’s Dental Health:
FORBA Quality Initiatives Since 2006

…is nothing but rubbish and says little more than they have said time and again.  The only part in the whole statement that is note worthy as being honest and factual is “since 2006”, that’s pretty much it.

You would think by reading it they had put all kinds of great new policies in place but you would be mistaken. The pledge, the hotline, the Advisory Board, etc, all that is R & R (Rinse and Repeat) bull!

At their own website there is a press release, dated March 7, 2008 (over 2 years ago) where they had put Dr. Steven Adair on the payroll, opened the ‘not line’, posted the “Pledge” and admit they have 70 clinics, not 69.  (and note that it was only after Roberta Baskin’s explosive expose’ before they even gave any thought to pretending to clean up their act.

(a company with out these serious allegation of fraud and abuse wouldn’t really need a hotline, advisory board, a pledge or a Quality Initiative statement would they?)

Then there is the November 5, 2008 press release where they talk about their new “Compliance Officer”, Allison Luke.  She was really gonna whip things into shape, according to them.  I’m giving her a big fat F.

By reading the ‘quality initiatives’ BS you would come away thinking they had put a new Advisory Board together too, but that would be a wrong assumption as well.

March 7, 2008 - Dr. Steven Adair was put on the payroll to send out memos on occasion and completely ruin his reputation among his peers. There are reports as late as February 2010  of the same treatment happening.  So, Dr. Adair is not new and he gets a big fat F as well.

2007- FORBA established it’s Pediatric Dental Advisory Board with;

Dr. Paul Casamassimo, Dr. Arthur Nowak, and Dr. Joe Bernat.  Other than adding Dr. Anupama Rao Tate to the mystery board, there is nothing new here either. If the dentists on this board can’t do any better than they’ve done in 3 years, they need to turn in their dental licenses.  So each one of them get a big fat F too!

The only thing ‘new’ they have done is move Angela Newberry from Keystone Education and Youth/Universal Health payroll to FORBA payroll and finally admit to being associated with several clinics they previously denied having anything to do with, like the clinic in Gary, IN, the clinics in Oklahoma and Kansas, but they still continue to lie like junkyard dogs and say they don’t “own’ the clinics.  But we all know that is the biggest lie of all.  Anyone seen a clinic for sale lately?  

On November 6, 2007, FORBA’s CEO, Michael Lindley issued a statement to Good Morning America mentioning:

“Small Smiles has no policy that prohibits parents in the treatment area. Allowing a parent in the treatment area is up to the treating dentist in collaboration with the parents based on their belief of the best way to treat the child. Such a family-friendly policy encourages our dentists to allow parents in the treatment area to be part of the patient's treatment experience.”

(choke and gag) Even though a memo entitled Tips From Others In The Field had been issued on October 12, 2007 by Lisa Mullinix (3 weeks earlier) stating the following:

Unsure how to tell parents we do not want them in the back, here are some suggestions from others:

"For your child's safety and your safety, we do no allow parents in the Hygiene and OP room. We want your child to focus on the dentist, hygienist, and assistants directions." 

You can also go on to say:

"We promise to come and get you if your child needs you."

You also can continue to say the following:

"Usually when parents are in the room with their children, they tend to cry and get upset and look at you to save them. That usually places you in a difficult position because your child won't understand why you are not taking them away. We have found that when they are alone they focus better and normally don't cry." (larger view of memo)

or what about the bottom part of page 4 of the Small Smiles Dental Clinic Manual!

He also said FORBA;

“has no reason to believe services were needed that actually were not” and that they take seriously ANY allegations which calls into question our commitment to deliver quality care.  That is why we are taking such extraordinary steps to share with you our values, our commitments and to do so in as transparent a way as possible”
See Statement from Michael Lindley here.

(choke and gag) I guess the 10,000 reports phoned into that ‘not line’ didn’t raise any red flags worth looking into, did they?  This so called ‘hot line’ is nothing more than a ‘gotta cover our ass fast’ line.  As a parent, the only phone call you need to make is to any attorney, ASAP.

And we can't forget that just a little more than a month after Lindley made this statement, they updated the bonus program so employees in the front office could get bonuses too, they were being cheated out of the 'production' bonuses. 

Bonus page 1
Bonus page 2
Bonus page 3
Scale

Even more scary..  the “Community Partnerships” they want to create.  God Help Us All.

In conclusion, no there is nothing new to FORBA’s Small Smiles clinics or the quality of care and quality of their work.  

All these so called initiatives have been in place for a long time, some for 3 years and look at all the reports of torture than has been reported in those 2 years!  They still have not had their ‘come to Jesus moment’. .. but it’s coming, rest assured, it’s coming.

I’m not so sure the Federal and State governments should not also be on the hot seat here, for allowing the doors to remain open, knowing full well what they are doing.  At the very least state Dental Boards have let the public down!

What’s going to happen when the next child is hurt or another one dies from being treated at one of these clinics?  What then? 

Medical Practitioner's Mandated To Report Abuse

Heath Providers are mandated by law in most, if not all, states to report abuse.  That means the abuse that takes place in the offices of these dental mills.  

Here is a snippet from Connecticut's law:

Pursuant to Section 17a-101 of the Connecticut General Statutes, certain health professionals regulated by the Department of Public Health are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline or a law enforcement agency.

 

Reports must be made within twelve hours of the moment the practitioner suspects the abuse/neglect has occurred.  Suspected child maltreatment of any kind, regardless of the identity of the alleged perpetrator must be reported.   The Hotline can answer questions regarding these laws. 

Here, medical practitioners have but 12 hours to report the abuse. I would think not reporting what is happening at these clinics is a criminal act in and of itself.  Am I wrong?

Nothing Has Changed, Dentist Still Keeping Children and Parents Separated at Small Smiles

All the 'settlements' in the world are not going to change a thing FORBA owned Small Smiles Dental clinics. Don't go there, don't work there, don't drive in front of the place, don't say it's name,..I can't be more clear.

Nothing has changed, whether this took place yesterday or last June.  FORBA has known it was in trouble for two years, it's made statement after statement that they are continuing with their quality care for the underserved and they certainly are doing just that.  I don't know why we don't believe them.  They ARE continuing with the same kind of care they have given to children since the very beginning!  LISTEN TO THEM!!

Here is another parent who was separated from her child, told the child had several cavities, saw another dentist who told her they child needed none.  FORBA spokesman says on review of the child's file, the work indeed need to be done and they are 'clarifying' letting parent come back with their children.  What the hell is there to clarify, it's either a yes or a no!  No gray area that I can see.  Anyway, here's the latest story:

This one involves Pennsylvania Dentists Dr. Mark (too many sanctions) Toncini and Dr. Michelle (I'll lie to you in a minute) Hershberger. 

Read it here.


You can download and read all the documents about Dr. Mark Toncini here. 

Team 4 Investigates Small Smiles Dental Clinic

Paul Van Osdol Reports

POSTED: 6:07 pm EST March 11, 2010
UPDATED: 10:07 am EST March 12, 2010

PITTSBURGH -- Imagine being told your young child has seven cavities -- but when you get a second opinion, you find out he really has none.
Team 4 investigative reporter Paul Van Osdol digs into some questionable practices. The following is a transcript of his report that first aired March 11, 2010, on WTAE Channel 4 Action News at 5 p.m.

The Pittsburgh clinic where this allegedly occurred is called Small Smiles -- part of a national chain that specializes in treating children on Medicaid.
The Tennessee company that manages the clinic and almost 70 others across the country recently paid a multi-million dollar settlement after being accused of billing taxpayers for unnecessary procedures -- even root canals -- on children.Talisha Taylor got a surprise when she took her 6-year-old son, Royce, to the Small Smiles Dental Clinic in East Liberty last June.

She was told that he had seven cavities that should be filled, but she could not be in the room with Royce when he was getting his fillings.Talisha Taylor: "I was just thinking, 'Why wouldn't you want me to go in the back with my 6-year-old son?' He's not a grown man. He's 6."Washington, D.C. -- This is video inside a different Small Smiles clinic -- a 4-year-old boy being restrained. Taylor found videos like this one online and immediately got a second opinion about Royce from another dentist.The new dentist told her he did not have seven cavities. In fact, he didn't have any that needed to be filled.Van osdol: "And what was your reaction to that?"Taylor: "Crazy. I could not believe. I was completely livid."Dr. Brian Martin is the chief dentist at Children's Hospital.Martin: "That is a significant discrepancy."Team 4 tried to talk to Dr. Michelle Hershberger, because records show she's the Small Smiles dentist who evaluated Royce. But she did not return our calls, and a spokesman for Forba Holdings -- the company that manages Small Smiles -- said he would speak for her.

The Forba spokesman said, "Our review indicates that the treatment recommended was appropriate, given Royce's level of evident tooth decay."Forba also said it "clarified" its policy, so now parents are allowed to stay with children during procedures.In January, Forba agreed to pay a $24 million settlement after the Justice Department accused the company of billing various state Medicaid programs for "medically unnecessary dental services," including fillings, crowns and baby root canals.Tony West, Assistant Attorney General: "We have zero tolerance for those who break the law to exploit children in need."He was speaking in Washington, but Team 4 wanted to dig deeper into the clinic itself in East Liberty.

The lead dentist here at Small Smiles is Dr. Mark Toncini. Team 4 has learned his license has been fined or suspended multiple times by the state dental board. In fact, he got off probation only four months before Small Smiles of East Liberty was incorporated and Toncini was listed as a corporate officer.At various times from 2002 to 2007, Toncini was penalized for writing prescriptions with "no documentation" that they were needed, failing to provide patients copies of their records and practicing dentistry without a license.

Van Osdol: "Dr. Toncini? Paul Van Osdol from Channel 4."  Team 4 tried to ask Toncini about Small Smiles and his disciplinary history.

Van Osdol: "Should patients be concerned because you were under suspension?:Toncini: "Let me get you a phone number."

But when Toncini returned, he did not have a phone number. In fact, he wasn't talking at all to us.Talisha Taylor says she's happy she never went back to Small Smiles.

Taylor: "I feel like we just missed a bus."She says she has filed a complaint against Small Smiles with the state dental board.

A spokesman for Forba -- which manages Small Smiles -- tells me the clinics meet the highest ethical and quality standards.As for restraints, Forba says they are used rarely and in compliance with national pediatric dentistry guidelines.Team 4 doesn't have any specific information that links Dr. Toncini to the government allegations against Forba.

One thing we know for certain, they still have the same dentist working in the Pittsburgh clinic.  If all of this was caused by rogue dentists, wouldn't they be gone already?  I hope Dr. Toncini and Dr. Hershberger aren't fools enough to think FORBA will protect them, that is not going to happen.  Was that a slapt I just heard of a bus running over something.

National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Files Suit Against FORBA

Looks like FORBA's liability insurance doesn't want to cover their slimy business practice.  Evidently FORBA warned them of coming suits ie, the class action filed in Ohio and now National Union Fire wants out.  Who would blame them.  But...in my opinion, they couldn't have been blind to the FORBA shop of horrors, it's been on the news for two years!  They should have bailed a long time ago.  This should be interesting.

National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh has filed suit.

Read the Complaint here.

Toledo Blade April 2006-Small Smiles Comes To Town

The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio
Dental Clinic Opens On Broadway
Luke Shockman
Staff Writer

Here's a raving article in the Toledo Blade when Small Smiles opened there. 

Here's a great quote from the article:

“There must be a huge pent-up need here,” said Todd Cruse, a top executive overseeing the office’s opening. “I’ve opened 26 clinics like this, and this one looks to be on track to have the most appointments taken.”

(This was written in April before the so called buy out took place in Sept. 2006.  Mr. Cruse was employed with FORBA then, and Mr. Cruse is said to be Senior VP of Development now.  There are just too many people who were with Old FORBA for New FORBA to really be "New", other than having some office space in Nashville, -where Cruse now lives- and bringing in investors-under the name of FORBA Holding- for the cash needed to expand.)

More Snipits: 

The new office, 1520 Broadway, which opened yesterday, is the 42nd dental clinic opened since 2000 by the Colorado-based FORBA Management Co.

“There’s plenty of business. I don’t regard them as competition at all really,” said Dr. Paul Heinrichs, a dentist and board chairman of the nonprofit Dental Center of Northwest Ohio. “There are 60,000 Medicaid-eligible people in our area, and we’re seeing maybe about 20,000 of them, so there’s really a huge pool.”

In addition, this month the dental center added a state-of-the-art mobile dental clinic in a 40-foot bus that will be used to provide dental care throughout the region.  


The primary reason the dental center has been able to expand — and why the Small Smiles clinic decided to set up shop in Toledo — is few private dentists are willing to accept Medicaid patients, said Dr. Mark Siegal, chief of the bureau of oral health services for the Ohio Department of Health.

So why would Small Smiles want to tackle such a challenge? After all, unlike the Dental Center of Northwest Ohio, Small Smiles is a for-profit operation, meaning its owner expects to make money. To borrow a phrase, treating Medicaid children is all they do, and they do it well, said Mr. Cruse, chief development officer for FORBA.

For example, the six-chair setup for cleanings means they can get by on volume, he said. In addition, by having many exam rooms, a parent can bring all their children in at once for treatment, reducing the need for repeat trips, he said.

Dr. Supreeth Veeranna, lead dentist for Small Smiles, said he hopes the five-dentist clinic will be able to handle 100 patients daily.

Dr. Heinrichs said the fact that Small Smiles is for-profit doesn’t bother him. After all, his own private dental office is for-profit. 

I wish to HELL it had bothered Dr. Heinrichs!!  Wonder if the abuse and torture Small Smiles delivered to the children in Toledo bothers him yet!! (Dr. Heinrichs, you didn't care to have your name in print when you were welcoming them into your city, so don't get bent out of shape since it's mentioned now) 

Mr. Cruse declined to provide revenue or profit figures for FORBA. Small Smiles was built in a vacant CVS pharmacy building. The building is being leased by Dr. Rudy Padula, a Colorado dentist on the FORBA board. FORBA manages the clinic.

Duh!  Of course he didn't.  But he sure made it clear they would make money by volume and in any kind of medical practice, volume for profit is never a good thing!
The lease is in Dr. Edward (Dr. Eddie) DeRose's brother in law, Adolph (Rudy) Padula's name.  Dr. Rudy is Michael DeRose's uncle.

Why am I posting this today.  Well, I'm researching each and every dentist I can find who does or has worked for FORBA and it's Small Smiles clinics.  Today was Dr. Supreeth Veeranna's turn.  Dr. Veerann's been around in the company, Ohio being just one state.  Veeranna turns up in Massachusetts as well, along with Dr. Santhosh Veeranna.  BTW, Dr. Supreeth Veeranna started probation in Massachusetts in April 2009 (cause number 20080530DN168)  and there is no dated entered to show the probation has ended.  There's more info on Dr. Veeranna, but that will come later.  

It's taking forever to do this research.  Since one dentist's name can take me off track and the next thing you know an hour as passed and I've collected enough stuff they have to have their own folder.  ...  clearing throat, Dr. Sean Barnwell, Dr. Nearing... yep, got a file on you guys. 

Small Smiles Promo At Day Care Center

On February 6, 2010 a Small Smiles dental assistant, from the Mahoning Ave. clinic visited the kids at Poland Boardman Child Care Center in Youngstown, OH which on the surface seems completely innocent, right?  

The kids made hats that looked like smiles (small smiles I would guess), and some made hats that looked like toothbrushes.


According to the article, "students were told to brush twice a day, singing the ABC song twice to ensure two minuted of brushing".


There are two things that disturb me here.  The first is the children with their fingers in their mouths pretending to bush their teeth (wonder if they washed their hands first).  

The second thing is depicted in the picture here.  A close up of the picture shows nothing but pictures of the Small Smiles clinic, inside and out, pictures of the staff, and rooms of the clinic with toys and mascots.  They even brought the stuffed mascot with them to the presentation.  On this board there is NOTHING about the care of your teeth.  

Honestly this looks more like a board meeting at an advertising agency, presenting their idea's for advertising to FORBA executives.  Clearly this is NOT about teaching the children how to brush their teeth and keep them healthy because way too much Small Smiles promotion was presented.


(photo by Shaiyla Hakeem)

Passages From Moriarty-Leyendecker Comfort My Soul Today

This morning I've been reading articles over at Moriarty-Leyendecker  and I've found one paragraph that I absolutely loved and just had to share it in reference to FORBA Holding and their Small Smiles dental clinics.

Here ya go:

These are numbers that require more sedation than simple Novocaine.  Perhaps a large dose of Nitrous Oxide?  No, that is laughing gas and this is no laughing matter.  Moriarty Leyendecker and team are preparing to administer a painful dose of reality to FORBA, without medication.

(and to think, FORBA thought I was a bad dose of medicine...lol)

I found it in the article titled "Numbers and Novociane", you should take a minute to read it.

Here are other reports at Moriarty-Leyendecker worth reading:

Tiny Tot Terror

Excerpt:

Moriarty Leyendecker Law Firm has begun assembling its legal team to take action against Small Smiles on behalf of the children subjected to Small Smile's torturous practices. Moriarty Leyendecker is challenging the definition of quality care and compassionate caregivers, as identified on FORBA's web site: "This year, hundreds of thousands of children in underserved and low-income communities nationwide will receive quality care from the compassionate caregivers at our associated dental centers."

For the sake of the children, Moriarty Leyendecker is taking steps to ensure that no child will endure Small Smile's substandard compassion in the future.

When Drilling For Dollars Are More Lucritve Than Drilling For Oil

 Excerpt:

 These stories are like oil slicks on a clear blue pond.  Children so upset they vomit during procedures.  Radios played loud enough to cover up the screams.  Bewildered parents, who are not allowed to accompany the child during the treatments, discover their child with a mouthful of silver crowns instead of a simple filing.  Lifelong anxiety towards dentists and doctors for children and parents are a result.

Legal attention by the firm of Moriarty Leyendecker will begin a cleansing process for this oily and slick operation.  It is time to cap that investment reservoir and protect our children. 

Small Smiles of South Bend, LLC

While taking a look at Small Smiles Clinics in Indians I found the following for the Small Smiles of South Bend, LLC.

In searching the Indiana Dental Licenses I found the following:

Bridget Lynn Merritt-Brooks
Licenses Number 12011081B and 12011081A
(She is licenses to write prescriptions)

Small Smiles of South Bend, LLC
2332 Miracle Lane
Mishawaka, IN 46545-3012

Bridget Lynn Merritt-Brooks is also licensed in Michigan.
Number 2901016675


The Small Smiles dental clinic in South Bend Indiana has been reported to have all the same problems I've been reporting on this site for two years. However, here all kids get nitrous (well pretty much all) since Indiana medicaid pays for that. (Wonder if they pay for 'behavioral management' as well) We've seen in the past that if a state pays for behavioral management, the kids get strapped to a papoose board immediately.

From what I hear FORBA hired an associated dentist who just graduated from school as they often do and this dentist is more concerned with her iphone than her young patients. While not totally spending time in the hall ways on her iphone, she also spends a lot of time in the hallway reading her textbook to refresh her memory before she goes it to treat the children.

For Pete's Sake, parents stay away from Small Smiles. Nothing has gotten any better. Of course this is just my opinion, you do as you see fit.

New FORBA v. Old FORBA Dismissed; Mountain Dental and more...

Looks like FORBA Holding v. all the DeRose family and several of it's entities have reached an agreement, 'confidential' of course, and the case has been dismissed with prejudice. 

Crap! I was hoping for an all out war between the sleezeballs.  However knowing what I know, I didn't think FORBA Holding had a leg to stand on, but it sure did shed some insight to the corruption among these people.

Stipulation For Dismissal 

I'm thinking that they figure they better bury the hatchet, even if it is in each other's back, and not give any more ammo to the lawsuits that will be coming their way, via the Class Action in Ohio or the suits that I'm confident will come from Moriarty-Leyendecker on behalf of the children they abused.

I'm just doubting even with all these slimballs sticking together they will NOT be able to find a high moral ground no matter how high they stack attorneys or how many nose bleeds they get.  Even now they are breaking off into EEHC, Inc and moving forward.

And...  AND...  there is a Mike Lindley (really..how many Mike Lindley can there be in the corporate dental world..) who is a Director of ...  drum roll please.....

Mountain Dental, Inc.

Mountain Dental is the western division of Dr. Jeffery Moos's Midwest Dental company.

Officers of Mountain Dental are:
Dr. Jeffery Moos -President
James Myer - Secretary

Directors:
Peter Ehrich of Cressey & Company
Mike Lindley
David Schuppan of Cressey & Company

Yes, Cressey & Company have offices in .....drum roll...

Nashville.

FORBA's Arizona Clinic's Not Doing So Well

Today I've been looking into all the dentists who are or have been connected with FORBA clinics.  Although I have a long way to go, Arizona isn't looking very good.  Five (5) of the 12 I've looked at have either been sanctioned or have had complaints against them.

Tuscon's clinic is Children's Dental Clinic of Tucson, LLC and it's licenses for dentistry is F27, issued 11-28-2007

There is a clinic in Phoenix Children's Medicaid Dental Clinic, PC and it's licenses for dentistry is F124.  It's licenses expired almost 2 years ago. 

 Here's the list of dentists who are or have been associated with FORBA clinics in Arizona:

Dr. Robert F. Andrus #7206

Dr. Amy E. Ash #5741-Dr. Ash seems to have decided Small Smiles wasn't for her.  She went back to school to become a 'real' pediatric dentist and went to work for a more reputable clinic.  Clearly she stood back assessed the business and decided the Small Smiles way, wasn't for her.  She became part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Dr. Karen Leung Chu #5608

Dr. Mark T. Kelly #7183

Dr. Douglas Kerr #6332

Dr. Kenneth E. Knott #5318

Dr. Garrett Lum #7004

Dr. Navreet B. Kaur Luthera #6676

Dr. Mardelle R. Petersen #3591

Dr. Quentin L. Shaw #4764  (he's lic is a bit odd, says he was first licensed in 1997, but graduated in 1981.

Roanoke Virginia Small Smiles Report

WDBJ 7 Roanoke, Virginia
February 25, 2010

News7 has discovered a local dental clinic that caters to low-income children was at the center of a national fraud investigation.

The parent company of Small Smiles recently agreed to a $24 million settlement regarding those allegations.

A former Roanoke Small Smiles employee triggered the national investigation. This employee was one of three whistleblowers that lead to a two-year investigation.

Jan Broetsky believes her son, Stephen, may have been one of the victims.

She was surprised what a Small Smiles dentist recommended for her five-year-old son during a visit in September.

"They told me Stephen had three severe cavities. All three were so severe that they needed root canals and they would also need silver crowns," said Jan.

When Stephen was three-years-old, the same Small Smiles office performed two fillings on him.

"Of course I felt like a bad mom," said Jan.

So, Jan Broetsky decided to get a second opinion just days later from dentist David Bittel, who is not affiliated with Small Smiles. She also brought him Stephen's x-ray from Small Smiles.

"The medicaid was the reason I went to small smiles. For me to get that second opinion cost me 100 plus dollars. But I was just so convinced my son had been intentionally misdiagnosed and it turned out to be true," said Jan

In his report, Dr. Bittel stated, "I see no decay anywhere that can be detected with explore or visually or with dental floss,".

He told News7, he's now been contacted by the Department of Health Professions as part of an investigation into the mother's complaint against Small Smiles.

As far as Stephen's case with the small smiles office in Roanoke, the chief dental officer reviewed his records. He released his findings to News7, which basically agreed with the original diagnosis from Small Smiles.

"There is no doubt in my mind I'm not the only person they are doing this to," said Jan.

The U.S. Attorney for the Western District agrees she is probably not the only parent.

" A lot of cases we documented those procedures were not necessary. Yet they performed them anyway and billed medicaid, "said U.S. Attorney Timothy Heaphy.

Heaphy was involved in the government's investigation of the Small Smiles office in Roanoke and helped negotiate a settlement with the parent company FORBA.

"Children are obviously especially vulnerable. The prospect that children were administered anesthesia that they didn't need or had that invasive dental surgery that was unnecessary, it's shocking and disappointing," said Heaphy.

But Small Smiles Parent company, FORBA has admitted no fault. A statement following the national settlement said, "Despite implications to the contrary in the government's press release, we entered into the recently announced settlement to avoid the delay, uncertainty, inconvenience, and expense of litigation, and did not admit any liability."

FORBA's practices were still concerning to U.S. Attorney Heaphy.

"There were strong incentives in place that the company acknowledged that forced unscrupulous people in facilities like in Roanoke to cheat. To get more of that public money," he said.

As part of the national settlement, Small Smiles' parent company FORBA has to follow some new guidelines. Which includes having a third party monitor its practices.

The government's investigation against individual Small Smile dentists is still ongoing.

We are not sure if that includes any of the dentists from the Roanoke location.

Parents should contact the OIG Hotline to report concerns. For more information click here.

Here are the finding of the Great Dr. Adair after he reviewed the patient's chart, x-ray and consulted with the Roanoke Small Smiles Dentist:

"The cavities on the two upper baby first molars (teeth #B and I) are large and clearly evident on the x-rays. One of them (#B) had been restored previously, and the filling had failed because of the patient's decay rate. Given that failure and the size of the cavities in these small teeth, a stainless steel crown would by an appropriate way to restore these teeth.
"The cavity on the mesial surface (side of tooth facing the front of the mouth) of the lower second baby molar (#K) is smaller, but it is evident on the x-ray as a vertical line in the enamel of that surface, which is adjacent to the baby first molar next to it. This cavity could not be detected without an x-ray. Even though it is small on the x-ray, clinical science tells us that it is larger in the mouth than on the film.
"Given this child's history of decay, and given that other surfaces of #K were also diagnosed with decay, a stainless steel crown would be an appropriate way to restore this tooth. A filling could also be done, but it would have a higher likelihood of failure."

Dr. Steven Adair, Chief Medical Officer

What I always find telling are the comments after the story has run.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lisa Says: Well GOODIE!! I took my granddaughter there2 times & the last time I was there, I felt VERY uncomfortable about their practice. They do the check up & then tell you to initial here, here & sign there but they DON'T tell you what you are initialing or signing. So, being a nosey old woman, I asked them about it & they told me that she needed 2 fillings & to have a front tooth capped. I didn't see the need since she was almost at the age where she will loose her baby teeth, so I took her to another dentist for a second opinion, he found NO CAVITIES, agreed with me that her baby teeth will come out soon, no capping was necessary!
We had already been through he 77 with two other "cavities" she had to have filled. They restrained her, drugged her & it traumatized her against any other dental visits. I am so glad I took her to another dentist!! This place is fleecing the government & making money off of unnecessary procedures!!!
Most parents are just wanting to do the best they can for their kids & have little knowledge about dental process so they just allow the "professional" to advise!! ASK QUESTIONS!!! ASK FOR PROOF!! Yes, it does make a difference!!

Here is a link so you can read all about FORBA's New Practices, but I thought they were great before paying the government $24 million dollars and being forced to sign a Corporate Integrity Agreement, among other things. Guess they really did SUCK!

Comment From A Parent About Kool Smiles in Vancouver, WA

Eryn said...

Thanks for blogging about this. In December, my son was diagnosed with 4 cavities, one in each of his left 4 molars, at a Kool Smiles in our hometown, Vancouver, WA.

I had a gut feeling that it was just wrong, the Dr. treated me horribly, and that basically I had ruined my son's beautiful teeth. They told me he needed 4 stainless steel crowns.

I went to a new private pediatric dental specialist today, who told me there was no cavity in 2 of those teeth, and the other two were absolutely not in need of crowns. There are cavities, but only need one reasonable filling.

I am shocked and appalled. We plan to contact our local news station in Portland Or. Your blog has been helpful to us in confirming our suspicions about this chain.

FORBA's New Branding

There is a new definition for the word FORBA now. Used to be FOR Better Access, now it's all sugar coated as well;

FORBA "For Better Access, For A Better America"

What the heck ever! Nice try guys.

Since you've come up with a new slogan, wanna take the time to comment on EEHC, Inc, or should I?

Moriarty-Leyendecker Stepping Up To Fight For The Children Harmed

Warriors have arrived to take on FORBA and its Small Smiles chain of dental clinics in the form of the law firm Moriarty-Leyendecker . (Jim and Kevin respectively)

I couldn’t be more thankful!! It’s about time there is justice for the children who had to endure the paid from these dental mills.

As we know the states got their reimbursement for the fraudulent billing of FORBA’s Small Smiles dental clinics as did the Fed’s in the $24 million dollar settlement. (I’m thinking it probably cost more than $24 mil to do the 2+ year investigation)

So far, not one child has been compensated for the horrific mental and emotional damage, imagine the humiliation these children have suffered. Nor have they been compensated for the physical damage that may take years to repair, if it can be repaired at all. Much of the damage done will last a lifetime for these children, and there could be up to 300,000 or more of these injured children.

What about the damage done to the trust these children have in their parents to protect them from harm. Will these children ever trust their parents again? What about teachers, policeman and others of authority? At minimum these abused children will find it harder to form long lasting and loving bonds as a matter of course.

It’s likely the child’s brain development has been impaired and certainly interrupted and redirected. The way these children were abused and treated has changed who they were supposed to be, forever! This is undeniable.

__________________________

Jim Moriarty and his partners are no strangers to medicine gone wild. That’s why I’m so elated to see they are standing up and stepping in.

In 1994 Jim Moriarty took on National Medical Enterprises (NME), later known as Tenet Healthcare. This sleaze ball company was, and I quote from the book Coronary: A True Story Of Medicine Gone Awry:

“deceiving parents into allowing their children to be imprisoned in mental institutions where at best they were warehoused and at worst they were subjected to alleged therapies that resembled torture more than treatment”

Sound familiar?

I encourage you to read the excerpt from Coronary: A True Story Of Medicine Gone Awry, by by Stephen Klaidman here.

As with FORBA, NME signed a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Feds. When the federal fraud case was over NME thought the coast was clear. They were wrong!

Enter Jim Moriarty and “a pack of ex-patients and personal-injury lawyers” Jim is described as, and I again I quote:

“a motormouthed forty-eight-year-old former Marine door gunner in Vietnam. ” (he’s a bit older now, I’m sure)

“Moriarty is not necessarily someone you would like to have on your tail. When he focuses on something — it could be anything from a big, consolidated lawsuit to racing his hopped-up go-cart at 120 miles an hour — it is with the tenacity of a junkyard dog. ”

Jim ran into Tenet Healthcare again when one of it’s hospitals in Redding, California had an usually high rate of heart bypass surgeries. Jim was a bit disappointed the case didn’t go to trial so the story would be told. By settling with the 750 patients for $395 million dollars, Tenent kept the nasty truth off the front page. You can read about this outrageous health care scam online by clicking here: Money Driven Medicine, by Maggie Mahar.

Jim Moriarty and Moriarty-Leyendecker want to hear from you.

Please, contact Jim, Kevin and the crew, tell them your story.

Contact Moriarty-Leyendecker here.

***(BTW, no top management in the NME case went to jail, but others certainly did, something you dentists, hygienists and assistants who work for FORBA and Small Smiles should give a whole lot of thought to-like who is going feed your family when you’re in the clinker? FORBA bobble heads will through you under the bus in a New York minute!)***

Dr. Mark Janosky, Lead Dentist of Small Smiles Myrtle Beacn

And it begins:

MB dentist to offer free children's dental clinics

Posted: Feb 08, 2010 12:51 PM CST Updated: Mar 22, 2010 9:47 AM CDT

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A Myrtle Beach dental center will be offering free dental screenings in honor of "Healthy Smile, Happy Child Day" on Feb. 10.
The free screenings will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Small Smiles Dental Centers of Myrtle Beach, located at 1317 N. Kings Hwy. Event coordinators say the clinic is in part to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy smile during Children's Dental Health Month in February.
"Tooth decay remains the most common childhood disease," said Dr. Mark Janosky, lead dentist at Small Smiles. "Dental problems in young children can lead to a variety of health and developmental challenges including chronic pain, poor nutrition, distractions from learning and self-esteem issues."
Parents who are interested in scheduling an appointment are asked to call (843) 626-5437.

The Rahm Effect

Once again, FORBA and it's Small Smiles clinics are involved in benefit to aid those less fortunate. Why am I surprised, it's their entire business plan. I see it as preying on those in need or as they like to say, 'underserved'.

To me it's the Rahm effect. No, not this quote "I wake up some mornings hating me too"- however that might fit- but this one:

You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.

I guess if I knew they really did have children's best interest at heart I would applaud them.....maybe and that's a huge maybe.

Here they are set up at a benefit to raise money for fire victims. I guess there is no place they won't go to 'patient shop', at least that's the way I see it.

Fire victims aided by Holyoke event

Sunday, February 21, 2010

By LORI STABILE

lstabile@repub.com

HOLYOKE - A benefit for Lyman and Beech streets fire victims was held Saturday at the War Memorial, featuring services available for the displaced tenants and information for the public.

A box for monetary donations for the fire victims also was at the event, which was sponsored by Centro de Restauracion Emanuel Church.

A fire relief fund has been set up at New Alliance Bank for the 15 families affected by the Dec. 23 fire at 103-105 Lyman St., and the donations will be split evenly among them, said Felicita "Nina" Lopez, outreach coordinator for the church...read complete story here.

Excerpts From "The American Way of Dentistry" by June Thomas

June Thomas from slate.com has been writing a multi-part article titled "The American Way of Dentistry".

Here is an excerpt:

Part II: The Disappearing Dentist (9/28/09)

• As the US population is increasing, less people are becoming dentist.
  • Dental schools are closing because of the extremely high cost of training dentist.
  • More and more dentists are becoming specialist
  • More dentist are working less (which helps control overhead)
• Because of supply and demand, the cost of dentistry is going up.

I'm not so sure about this and would like to know where she got her facts.

Here is another excerpt:

Part IV: How Dentists Think (9/30/09)

• 80%-85% of American dentists practice as owner-operators, as compared with only about 20 percent of physicians.
• Unlike medicine, dentist must bear the full cost of the patient care such as:
  • Equipment, supplies, utilities, x-ray machines, several kinds of insurance, rent, equipment loans, and the biggest expense…salaries of a large staff (appointment maker, billing person, dental assistants, hygienist, office manager,…).
• Most dental offices are only open 4 days a week.
  • This helps control staffing costs.
• Many people are afraid of the dentist.
  • Approximately 45 million people in the US are nervous or terrified of the dentist.
  • 23 million people avoid dental care because of fear.
  • Improvements in dental technology has taken a lot of the pain out of dentistry.
• Dentists are a trusted profession.
  • 2003 poll showed that 61% of people rated honesty and ethical standards of dentists as “high” or “very high”.
    • Only nurses, physicians, vets, and pharmacist ranked higher.
• Dental health in America has improved, but Americans’ satisfaction with their teeth has declined.
  • This has helped bring on the increase in cosmetic procedures such as teeth whitening and veneers.

Look at item 5 above, don't suspect all those numbers are quickly on the rise?

Note item 6 above. They need to take that poll again!! With all the children who have grown up in the age of dental mills I bet that rate has dropped. If it hasn't dropped it certainly will in the near future.

FORBA ads on Craig's list

FORBA has ads for Dentists flooding Craig's list and looking for recruits in just about every state and are will to pay your 'relocation' fees. Most of the ads want canidates to contact Jacob (Jake) Kochenberg. I believe daddy DeRose's (Eddie) daughter is married to Jake's brother. Keeping it "All In The Family" ya know.. I really need to put a little time into the 'family tree'.

Here is an ad for Dentists:


I see the phone number to call in interested is at the Pueblo Office.

Funny how New FORBA, who is suing Old FORBA, is allowing the Colorado office (Old FORBA) continue run the show, do the hiring etc. Maybe New FORBA is just the venue for capital after all.

You would think if there was this horrible breach of contract between New FORBA and Old FORBA as is alleged in the complaint, New FORBA would still allowing Old FORBA to control things. New FORBA says they own all the clinics, and Old FORBA just provided the management of the practice. In fact the idea that New FORBA is still allowing Old FORBA to run things tells me that New FORBA must like the way Old FORBA is doing things. Oh, wait! Maybe, just maybe it's not Old FORBA still running things. Maybe it's EEHC, LLC, who amazingly has the exact same employees as Old FORBA.

Here is another ad and I see their starting pay has dropped $20k.

A New New York Reader

I get visitors to this blog from all over the world. Some are regulars and some are one time visitors. But I've seen a visitor from Ithaca, New York here a whole heck of a lot lately, and they are spending quite a bit of time. Anyone know who is in Ithaca, New York

Corporate Dentistry Pitfall number 101–Floating dentist filling in where needed.

Hi,

I was working with a chain practice for a year right after I graduated.  In this type of practice, the management asks of their employee to cover another office in another location, if the dentist at this location has a day off. I was asked to cover one such office. That means, I would be seeing new patients to determined treatment.

I saw this patient in May07. I inserted a PFM on #3 ( the tooth was endodontically treated. The crown prep was not done by me. I inserted the crown after I took  a BW x-ray and checking for occlusion and contacts. (Unfortunately, I forgot to document in her chart)

Now I no longer work  for the company. I received a letter from the board stating that this patient has a complaint against me. In march 08, this patient complained that #3 has been hurting. The treating dentist examined her and determined that nothing was wrong and adjusted the occlusion.

She still complained of pain.

She was told that it was her wisdom teeth that were the reason of her pain, so she got her wisdom teeth extracted. #3 was asymptomatic each time it was been examined, patient stating that pain was a "5 out of 10".  

In the meantime, she saw another dentist who said that the crown was big. Again the dentist got #3 out of occlusion totally,. Patient still complained of pain..............

Now the case is with the board.

I have no clue what would happen. How  should I proceed. I am very very scared as they could take any action.

There were different providers involved here.

The one who did the prep quit (management told me he was on vacation....but had actually quit).

Also the patient saw a different provider next time she came in to the center (after 10 months) who checked her crown and found nothing wrong). Then after she had her wisdom teeth out with an OS, she saw a different provider the next visit (this provider saw her at all her subsequent visits)

This provider recommended other options (re treat endo etc) but he told her nothing wrong with the crown.

She went to another local dentist, who told her that crown was not good. This is when she complained to board.

I got a letter last year and they asked me what had happened. I wrote the letter myself ...did not contact malpractice. I told them hat had happened during that brief half an hour appt. I did not hear from them until nearly after a year and now they tell me that case is with the board. I do not know what to expect.

Any advice would be helpful

Please help,

Scared out of mind new grad dentist

 

update:

How it ended -

After being advised to contact his malpractice insurance carrier and gathering all the information and documentation he could, which was NOT easy!  His attorney fees in this were astronomical just trying to obtain the patients treatment documentation.

He ended up getting nailed by the dental board.  A black mark on his record remains.

Missouri Hit With Disgraced Dental Chain; Small Smiles?

Is it possible Small Smiles has moved to Missouri?  No, not  according to Jeslyn Schillinger, who says the West Edgewood Small Smiles dental center in Jefferson City is not affiliated with FORBA/Small Smiles in any way.  That's good to hear.  She says it's a great place and Dr. Marchack is great with children.  I'll let her tell you:


Here is her email:

I was absolutely shocked and mortified to read the Feb. 16th article on your site. I have been taking my children to this clinic since about that time and have always had great experiences. The staff is friendly and comforting with all of the children I've seen on each of our five visits to date.
I was appalled to see our dentist's name and practice dragged through the mud with no apparent investigation. After my own investigation, I have found that Small Smiles at West Edgewood Dental has absolutely NO affiliation with the Small Smiles/FORBA in other states. Small Smiles in Jefferson City, MO, is a private practice where Dr. Marchack treats each child and parent with the utmost respect. On each visit, we have been welcomed to accompany our children in the exam rooms and have been with them through the entire visit.
During a routine sealant visit, one of my children began telling the Doctor about his toothache, Dr. Marchack looked at it and scheduled him to come back at the end of the day to have the tooth filled and another capped. (We had already been through the antibiotic regiment as a precaution prior to the visit.) I was moved to tears that there our children's dentist would volunteer to stay late on a Friday afternoon just so my child wouldn't have a toothache for another three weeks, until his next scheduled appointment.
I have recommended this clinic to every parent I know, as I am sure you would if you ever went there with your children.   I appreciate the magnitude of the allegations regarding the other Small Smiles/FORBA clinics, but some true investigation should be made before you publicly slander another clinic and doctors for merely having a similar name.

 I would suggest whoever owns this clinic change its name ASAP.  The name Small Smiles and Dental is only going to get worse.

One thing for sure, FORBA is registered to do business in Missouri.  The actual name of the clinic is West Edgewood Dental Small Smiles.  It used to be named West Edgewood Dental Group.  

Over at the Missouri Department for Health and Senior Services showing Cole County it clearly refers to this clinic as 'Small Smiles".  Checking the SOS site, it appears the dentist may have been there for a while, so its highly likely this Small Smiles is NOT affiliated with FORBA.

Here is an ad:

http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/West.Edgewood.Dental.Small.Smiles.573-638-3897

West Edgewood Dental Small Smiles

www.smallsmilesjeffcity.com

3306 Emerald Lane
Jefferson City, MO 65109-6877
(573) 638-3897
Get directions
.

I searched for all dentists in Cole County and 5 popped up. I looked at their names and immediately they appear just like so many of FORBA Small Smiles dentists. 

Here they are:

SIVARAMAN, SUJATHA S., DDS

MARCHACK, CORBIN M., DDS

GANZ, JOSEPH R., DDS

Over at dexknows.com it give another address for West Edgewood Dental Small Smiles, but the phone numbers are the same.

West Edgewood Dental Small Smiles

(573)638-3897

Jefferson City, MO 65109

Here is even another phone number (660) 638-3897 I found here. Both area codes are Missouri codes.

Park West Dental; Padula ring any bells?!

Will this never end. Is this horrible family and their offspring going to spread their deceit, fraud and mistreatment of children for ever more. We are now into the 3rd generation with no end in sight. Dr. Ed DeRose and his wife, Neta's neice, Juliann and her husband are now dipping her hand in the medicaid pan.

There's a new DeRose related dental office opening in Pueblo, and yes, they take Medicaid. Awe, hell you follow the links and check it out, I've got a headache! Don't forget the Secretary of State site to search for the corporation papers, and check out the property and who owns it. And note in all your looking around, you'll see N. Grand Street, Pueblo, Colorado! Let me save you a bit of trouble. Click here, and as we are so accustom to finding, Dan DeRose's name it's associated with 409 N. Grand Pueblo, Colorado!! No big surprise there! Oh, there is another company on the horizon...I'll talk about it later. I have come to loath these people, every last one of them.

Park West Dental

John Millea D.D.S, Juliann Padula Millea D.D.S.

parkwestdentaloffice.com

3470 parker Blvd
Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 543-4022

Here, they will introduce themselves.

Just how damn many generations of DeRose and Padula's are citizens going to have to suffer through. Will one of you PLEASE get fixed and stop procreating!!!

Have any of you thought about a new line of work, honestly you're wearing this dentist thing out! Have you ever thought about Park Ranger or something???

Ear, Nose and Throat; But Not Your Eyes or Teeth

I'm looking for an answer as to why a person's mouth, specifically their teeth and a person's eyes are treated more like your car than part of your body. So much so, that separate insurance is needed to cover the needed treatment.

I understand the need for specialist in those areas of the body, but I consider the care and treatment delivered to the teeth and the eyes to be no more or less important than to a person's finger, knee or ear.

Speaking of ear, many times it is difficult to determine an earache from a toothache. I'm sure this has happened to many here. At what point in medical history did this separation take place, and why?

Find Dentists Who Accept Medicaid In Your State At Insure Kids Now Website

Finally there is a .gov website that I personally find useful. I'm sure many parents can as well.

It's called Insure Kids Now (insurkidsnow.gov). Wonderfully designed to find SCHIP health or dental providers for children. You can find providers, again, be it health or dental, in all states. It's searchable by your address, by your plan, provider and more.

It's super easy to navigate and extremely user friendly.

If you happen to be searching for a dental provider for instance NOT associated with FORBA's Small Smiles Clinics, then search for a provider and check the name of the dentist against the address of any of these places in your area; Small Smiles, Children's Medicaid Dental, Oklahoma Smiles, Indian Springs Dental, or Wild Smiles

You can also check the address of Kool Smiles, Ocean Dental or Adventure Dental and Vision.

I think parents will find there are several dental providers in their area who will accept Medicaid without resorting to taking your child to a so called 'dental mill'.

Heartland Dental Invades Nevada and Kansas

Heartland Dental invades Kansas and Nevada. Kansas isn't paying attention to who it lets practice dentistry I see. Corporate dentistry is spread like the swine flu these days. The places do NOT deliver the care and treatment you are used to receiving from you local family dentist. Please stay away from them and do your homework before making that appointment. A simple google search for complaints will do the trick.

Here is the latest breaking news Heartland has put out. Take it as a warning.

From HealthNewsDigest.com
Dental
Heartland Dental Care, Inc. Continued Its Growth in 2009 Adding 32 Dental Practices
By
Jan 14, 2010 - 5:59:38 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - EFFINGHAM, Ill., -- Heartland Dental Care, Inc. brought its total number of practices to 253 in 2009 with the acquisition of 27 established practices and the creation of five de novos.

Several of these practices expanded Heartland's presence into two new states -- Nevada and Kansas - increasing the Company's footprint to 14 states.

"We are glad to welcome these practices and team members into the Heartland Dental Care family," said Rick Workman, DMD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Heartland Dental Care, Inc. "These acquisitions and new practices strengthen our commitment to provide quality dental care in hometowns all across the United States."

"At the beginning of 2009 we set out to add 25 practices, and that's just what we've done," Workman said. "Plus these practices have brought substantial value to our company especially through the innovative ideas of their team members."

Besides a healthy and managed growth in 2009, the Company also experienced several other major accomplishments:

-- Increase in Same Store Sales over 2008
-- Addition of 96 dentists and an overall reduction in team turnover
-- Expansion of education and clinical training programs into regional
settings
-- Integration of digital x-ray technology and other cutting edge tools
and techniques
-- Substantial cost savings on supplies and laboratory fees
-- Implementation of Patient Satisfaction Surveys

"Everything we do works toward our goal to be a world class company and the leader in dentistry," said Patrick C. Bauer, President and Chief Operations Officer of Heartland Dental Care, Inc. "We will continue to work toward this goal in 2010. We will further this vision by helping our doctors and practices be the best they can be. Whether it's through advanced clinical education or simple communication skills - it's all about giving our patients personal attention and professional excellence."

About Heartland Dental Care

Heartland Dental Care, Inc. is one of the leading dental practice management groups in the United States with more than 250 dental practices located within 14 states. Based in Effingham, Ill., Heartland provides its dentists and team members with continuing professional education and leadership training along with a variety of management services which include staffing, human relations, purchasing, administration, financial, marketing and information technology support. For more information, visit www.HeartlandDentalCare.com.