Published in The Daily Journal print book April 16, 2011
Nicole Leonhardt
nleonhardt@daily-journal.com
Michael Christ, of farming Grant Park, had a toothache so he went to the dentist to put together the problem, but assumingly the caring he received landed him in the crisis room — twice, his doctor told him.
On Mar 18, Christ’s 21st birthday, he went to the appointment his father, Ron Christ, done for him at Aspen Dental, 1501 N. Illinois Route 50, Bourbonnais.
The dentist took X-rays, wrote him a medication for amoxicillin and told him to make an appointment for possibly an descent or base waterway when the infection settled. The subsequent to week the infection had gotten worse so Michael called for other appointment.
This time Christ was then seen by a not similar dentist, a woman. She suggested him to go to the crisis room, since she mentioned Michael had been prescribed the incorrect antibiotic.
Christ went to Provena St. Mary’s Hospital, where they administered a not similar antibiotic, clindamycin.
“She mentioned he should have been on clindamycin when he was seen the initial time. She mentioned it was it was improper to be on amoxicillin,” mentioned Christ’s father.
After Christ was administered the scold antibiotic he proposed to feel better, but struggled to secure an appointment to have the tooth fixed. The infection came back and this time his eye proposed to swell. On April 9, Christ’s parent called Aspen Dental for an crisis appointment for his son. He was told there was no permanent dentist at the trickery and nothing could be done that day.
But that dusk Christ’s parent received a call from Dr. Shamohammadi, a proxy dentist hired April 5 by Aspen. Shamohammadi suggested the parent to ensure Christ went back to the crisis room. The dentist betrothed to see the group initial thing this past Monday.
Christ received a stronger sip of verbal clindamycin and an injection during his second crisis room revisit and the lump subsided.
This past Monday, Shamohammadi saw Christ and endorsed two other area dentists for a base canal. Because Shamohammadi’s location at Aspen was temporary, he would be leaving the trickery on Friday and longed for Michael to be seen by a veteran who could follow by with his care.
Christ’s parent asked the front table receptionist for a return for his son’s two appointments — the first, that cost $19 and the second, that was $50.
Instead of a return being issued, the military were called. Shamohammadi told military the parent had done nothing incorrect and the situation was dropped. Later that day Shamohammadi left the trickery for good, 4 days before his appointment at Aspen was ostensible to end.
Christ’s father, Ron, contacted Fix It! that evening.
He longed for his allowance back since his son had not received proper care. He suggested Fix It! to verbalize with Shamohammadi. Shamohammadi told Fix It! he was essay a e-mail to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Aspen Dental Management, Inc., the Better Business Bureau, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights to inform multi-part instances of bad high quality caring he’d witnessed during his partial time at Aspen, inclusive the Christs’ situation. He sent Fix It! a duplicate of the complaint.
“The military subdepartment forthcoming to a dental use due to your pacifist activities is about as far as we can take it,” Shamohammadi mentioned in the letter.
Present at the rumpus that resulted in military involvement, Shamohammadi told Fix It! Ron Christ had not acted inappropriately — he acted similar to a parent whose son received bad caring that could have lead to serious complications such as blindness.
“In my veteran viewpoint a stronger antibiotic indispensable to be used and a follow-up fast was vital to ensure safety,” mentioned Shamohammadi. Because of that he endorsed a return is to Christs.
Referring to the complaints about Aspen minute in his letter, Shamohammadi mentioned he believed many patients deserved refunds since similar to Christ they received reduction than preferred caring after being seen by multi-part proxy doctors.
Shamohammadi mentioned in his e-mail it was clear at least 8 or 9 doctors had been “providing not similar diagnoses” and modifying and varying treatment plans. He told Fix It! he could not pick out the dentists who saw Christ by his map out since there were “so many scribbled signatures.” The bills the Christs received did not add doctor names.
When Fix It! spoke Wednesday with Kasey Pickett, executive of communications at Aspen Dental Management, Inc., she mentioned both doctors whose licenses are related with Aspen’s Bourbonnais location — Isam F. Hamati and Nadia Z. Chowhan Iqbal — did not work at the location.
“They are seeking for a new full-time dentist,” mentioned Pickett.
To keep Aspen open after Shamohammadi’s leaving a one-time proxy dentist was called back to the location, mentioned Pickett.
Pickett mentioned an scrutiny had been non-stop at the Bourbonnais Aspen location to look in to the problems Shamohammadi spoke of in his letter.
She moreover had great headlines is to Christs.
“We are refunding allowance related with caring at Aspen together with casing the ER bills,” mentioned Pickett. “The studious didn’t have a great experience and that’s what the use is striving for.”
Ron Christ mentioned he received a examine Thursday for $300 to cover Michael’s visits and mislaid wages. It had been sent overnight mail. He mentioned he will send Aspen the crisis room bills when he receives them. He estimated the complete at around $1,200. The Christs mentioned they feel Aspen done its most appropriate bid to pill the situation, but Shamohammadi is not satisfied.
He mentioned he has right away sent the e-mail that includes other complaint from his time at Aspen — a managerial staff that pushes dentists to see too many patients in a day to be able to enlarge profits — to dental regulatory bodies in every state that has Aspen locations since he believes the same problems are widespread.
“I am abashed for my colleagues of the contention that act for your organization. we am moreover abashed of what you have done to my profession. You have managed to take this prestigious industrial specialization and have incited it in to a reason for profiteering,” mentioned Shamohammadi in his letter.
Pickett mentioned whilst the firm will look in to the allegations done about the Bourbonnais location “the things that are summarized are of course not indicative” of how other Aspen offices operate.
