CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES,
March 2, 2006
Response to:
RFI: MED-06-025
Vendor Information:
FORBA, LLC
719 546 3333
Vendor Business Background:
FORBA, headquartered in
Identification of Services
Expected Outcome: “Medicaid eligible children 12 years of age and under to receive age appropriate dental care by having an established dental home for each child.”
We believe a successful Vendor or provider should provide at a minimum all preventive services contained in the definition of the federal EPSDT standard. In addition to providing the screenings and diagnostics required by EPSDT, a successful Vendor of dental services should have the capacity and experience required to perform restorative services necessary to improve a child’s oral health.
Realizing the geographical challenges within the state of Iowa that a Vendor may encounter when trying to establish a dental home for all children under the age of 12, a Vendor should establish regional general dental clinics and then either establish a mobile dental strategy to reach out to outlying rural areas or establish partnerships with single operating dentists in such rural areas.
KEEP IN MIND, OUR DEFINITION OF A VENDOR IS A PROVIDER AND NOT A MANAGED CARE ORGANIZATION (MCO) OR THIRD PARTY ADMINISTRATOR (TPA) who have to contract with organizations such as ourselves and/or individual dentists to fill out a network.
Local Partnerships
A successful provider of dental services should establish partnerships with local health clinics, school districts, Head Start programs, Title V contractors and other third parties identified as part of the local public health system. The partnerships would require local public health establishments to help the vendor communicate available services by providing mailing lists and prospective patient information to the vendor, in the spirit of access to care, in an electronic format. The Vendor agrees to not share any prospective patient information to ensure confidentiality. The partnership should also encourage members identified as part of the local health system to apply for grants and public funds that would be able to assist with public outreach and awareness of the new services provided by the Vendor.
In addition to any public grant monies made available, the Vendor would be responsible for outreach to the underserved population through direct mailings, social caseworker coordination and on-site periodic screenings in the public school system. Direct mail pieces that would be used to inform the eligible population about the services available would also help to educate parents and children through written oral hygiene information and reminders as to the importance of regular visits to their dental home.
Once a child attends an appointment with the vendor, sufficient time must be invested for an exam, x-rays, prophylaxis, fluoride treatment, preventative education and consultation with parent or guardian regarding further treatment needed. Appointments for restorative work and six month recalls will be made and it will be the Vendor’s responsibility to confirm these appointments and get them rescheduled if the appointments are broken by the patient.
How Service Shows Fulfillment/Progress
The dental services articulated above will fulfill the expected outcome of receiving appropriate dental care by definition of providing preventive, diagnostic and restorative work on the child’s teeth.
The regional dental clinics of approximately 8000 square feet will provide the dental home contemplated by the RFI itself and settle the issue of geographical challenges mentioned above. We know
How Vendor Shows Fulfillment/Progress
In order to measure the progress of a program that includes a network of regional dental facilities and local public health system partnerships, a study of the number of children receiving patient visits prior to the “roll out” of a successful Vendor’s program would need to be conducted by the state of
The actual construction of the dental clinics will show progress toward the expected outcome. Once financing of the dental clinics is put in place and the location is decided upon, ground breaking to opening can happen in less than 120 days. The full scope including the front end work can be done in 6 months, beginning to end. There would be obvious overlap if the clinics were not built all at the same time. If one contractor was used, all four clinics could be built within 12 months.
We realize that we represent a different business model than a MCO or TPA and that any proposal from us ultimately would be different from such MCO or TPA.
Vendor Contact Information
| Todd R. Cruse FORBA, LLC Chief Development Officer 719-546-3333 work 719-546-3334 fax | Kevin G. Reilly FORBA, LLC Director Special Projects 719 546 3333 work 719 546 3334 fax |
My son was seen by the Dentist Dr. Michael Derose in Pueblo Colorado back in 2000.
The dentist went to visit him at the Head Start and said he needed work done at that time which included 5 caps and 2 baby root canals.
I did not understand this. I took him to another dentist who said he needed to be seen in Pueblo by this dentist because my son would not sit still and let him look at his teeth.
I took him to Pueblo for his visit and waited for about 3- 4 hours while my son was taken to the back for work on his teeth.
Before he went in I asked started to follow the dentist and my son to the back and he said that parents were not to go to the back because it made it harder for them to work on the children.
He said we will look at his teeth and if we have any questions we will come back and talk to you.
I was getting really impatient and went to the side of the building where my car was parked to get something from the car.
I heard this child screaming from the other side of the wall. He was screaming in pain.
I stopped to listen by putting my ear to the outside of the wall and realized it was my son! You can tell they were hurting him by the crys he was making.
He was screaming. A few times it sounded like they would cover his mouth so that he would not scream. I hurt him gag like he was choking. I immediately went and got my husband to come and listen too.
I went inside and asked the receptionist to check on my son. She came back and said that the doctor said he was fine he was just upset because they had to hold him down.
I waited a little longer and the doctor came out to talk to me and let me know what was done. He said that my son had gotten sick because of the crying he did and the medicine they used.
When my little boy came out he was sweating and could barely talk and said Dr.hurt, dr hurt. My son was still in the process of learning how to talk at that time.
The whole time driving home he cried and said dr. hurt me dr hurt me. He could not even eat.
He was supposed to return to have more work done but I never took him back.
Recently I looked in the paper and saw that this dentist was completing unnecessary work on children with medicaid and hurting them.
I was so upset and angry because my son was being hurt for no reason and I could not be back there for him.
They are making this man pay 10million back to the government.
Why is he not charged with abuse on a child? He hurt these children and traumatized them.
BTW, to those out there that think ffl owns Kool Smiles, that is inncorrect:
Here is what FFL Partners.com says:
Kool Smiles manages dental clinics providing oral healthcare primarily to pediatric Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (“SCHIP”) patients, a niche on which few dental healthcare providers concentrate. This lack of access for children on Medicaid provides an attractive market opportunity to Kool Smiles as it continues to build additional clinics with a mission to provide quality care to this underserved population.
The company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. FFL invested in KoolSmiles in 2004 to provide liquidity to founders and growth capital.
Wonder why Dan DeRose's (right) company, DD Marketing in Pueblo, CO, 415 N. Grand, AV had his website promoting DD Marketing at......
Dan is the original Agent and Incorporator of FORBA, Inc.The Media Center is the advertising division for DD Marketing's projects. Media Center's services include concept & creative development, graphic design, video and audio production, media buying, web, research, data-mining and direct mail. Recently their Beyond The Medal of Honor film documentary received two Emmy awards and four nominations. To learn more go to: www.beyondthemedal.com
Contact The Media Center: brad@mediacentercolorado.com
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2006/10/16/focus4.html
October 2006
News Release From the Department of Labor
Pueblo Children’s Dentistry Company to Pay More Than $343,000 in Back Wages to 523 Employees
PUEBLO -- Forba LLC., doing business as Small Smiles Dental, Pueblo, Colo. has agreed to pay $343,479 in overtime back wages to 523 employees following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. The Pueblo-based firm operates 27 children’s dentistry offices in Colorado and nine other states including Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Ohio and South Carolina.Agreement with U.S. Department of Labor Settles Overtime Pay Violations
“This investigation reflects the Labor Department’s commitment to ensure that employees receive the full wages they have earned,” said Alex Salaiz, Wage and Hour Division district director in Denver. “Employers must make sure they pay their employees for all hours worked and that the exemptions allowed under the regulations are properly applied.”
The employer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by failing to pay for all hours worked and by erroneously classifying non-professional employees and clerical staff as exempt from overtime.
The company agreed to future compliance and payment of all back wages.
Enforced by the Wage and Hour Division, the FLSA requires that employers pay covered workers at least the federal minimum wage for all hours worked and time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours worked more than 40 in a single workweek. Employers also must maintain adequate and accurate records of employees’ wages, hours and other conditions of employment.
For more information about the FLSA, call the Department of Labor's toll-free help line at 1 (866) 4US-WAGE (487-9243) or contact the Denver District Office at (720) 264-3250. Information is also available on the Internet at www.dol.gov/esa/whd.
SmileStarters is a general practice focusing on access to care for underserved children and young adults in North Carolina. We have seven locations throughout NC including Charlotte, Raleigh, Winston Salem, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and Asheville with plans for expansion. We offer excellent guaranteed salaries beginning at $144,000 and up with comprehensive benefits including health, life, disability, and malpractice insurance, paid vacation, 401K, CE time and fees and much more. If you have a desire to work in a modern, team oriented, positive environment, come help us to make a difference a smile-at-a-time!! New graduates are encouraged, a great place to begin your career.
Contact: Roger Walters-704-395-6000, walters.rdm@gmail.com
Owner listed as Michael DeRose, 2211 E. Executive, Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28208
