DeRose's Attorney Blames Parents For The Tortue Done By His Clients

DeRose's, Ballance's and Berkheimer's attorney representing them in the Medicaid Dental Clinic (Smile Starters) lawsuit filed for preforming 14-17 root canals and caps says it' the parents fault for letting the children's teeth get that bad in the first place and says it's all silly!

What as asshole!

Here is the quote:

James Wyatt, MDC's attorney, called the allegations "silly" and added that all parents have to give written consent for any procedures at the clinics. "The children not only needed that work, it was imperative. The real question is why did the parents let their children's teeth get in such a horrible condition?"

What is silly is that this man would say such a thing and wonder if it were his child he would think it was so silly!!! I'd give anything for one of his kids to be taken back to the dungeon and tied up, and drilled on for hours and see if he thought it was "silly"

Must be a bit more than silly. After all DeRose and Ballance paid 10 million dollars to get out of a federal trail. I'd say it's pretty serious. Wonder how much they are willing to pay to get out of this trail.

We know they in no way want all their back ally dental practices brought out in a public trial. This could lead to an old fashion lynching and there's not been one of those is years!

I just wonder if I did those things to children I would have gotten off so easy, something tells me I'd be in jail, if I lived that long.

Why Dentists Aren't Stepping Forward

I've been asking a lot of question lately about why more dentists, assistants and hygienists have not come forward to expose, Small Smiles, Kool Smiles, Smile High and other medicaid dental centers.

What I've discovered is that:

1. There are hundreds out there! I mean hundreds!

2. They signed confidentiality agreements under the guise of HIPPA laws but in reality Corporate wants them to keep their mouths shut.

3. Some employees who left these torture chambers and struggling to move on, some even suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome themselves.

4. Some even have hard documented evidence of abuse to the children but once again, due to HIPPA laws only the parents of the children involved can make use of it.

5. The employees still there are between a rock and a hard place. They need the job. And now that they have associated themselves with these places will find it extremely hard to find other employment as well as impossible to get malpractice insurance.

6. And I don't know if this one is factual or not, but wouldn't be surprised. There is a black list of sorts kept on all dentists who have worked at Small Smiles, Kool Smiles, Smile Starters and others that is maintained and shared among state dental boards. (if this is not happening, it sure sounds like a wonderful idea)

So, if our law makers, our policy makers or state dental boards can't seem to find current regulations to end this, or are not going to quickly pass regulations to end this then at least do something to discourage dentists from finding employment with these clinics.

April 2008 Small Smiles VP in Virginia

4-11-2008
Virginia Dental Advisory Commitee Minutes

Media Coverage of Medicaid Dental Clinics

Mr. Finnerty introduced Todd Cruse, Sr. Vice President of Small Smiles who addressed the Committee about the recent negative press events around the clinical treatment provided at the Small Smiles Clinics. Mr. Cruse referenced several news stories that ran on local and national television stations on the operations in several of his clinics around the country. He reported that some of the televised reports were false and misconstrued the facts.

Claims of misconduct by clinic dentists were investigated. Audit results were positive and Small Smiles has been reinstated by affected managed care organizations. Free care was provided to children during the period of network suspensions. Small Smiles has a new Chief Dental Officer, Dr. Steven Adair, who will work to ensure quality dental services in the clinics. The use of protective stabilization occurs in approximately 4% of the children treated in the clinics.

A hotline has been established for parents to call if they have any concerns about the dental treatment provided in any of the clinics. Dr. Chema reported DMAS had performed site visits and determined that the clinical operations in the three Virginia clinics appeared to be within acceptable standards of practice.

Well what did they think Todd Cruse was going to say? Did they invite, introduce or ask for statements for all the children or parents of children who Small Smiles has tied down and done unnecessary work on, well no!

Just more hogwash!

The above mentions a hotline for complaints... where is that number exactly and who gets that call, Small Smiles office!? Yes, as we can see from past behavior they police themselves very well.

What really kills me is that Todd Cruse, Mike DeRose and even David Meyer make all these blanket statements and fail to address the real issues.


Todd evidently failed to discuss the "training manual" that devotes a full page on how to separate children from their parents.

Todd didn't address just how many papoose board they have in each clinic.

Todd didn't mention the daily emails that go out telling each clinic the days quota they were expected to make.

It amazes me that when an "board" or "agency" investigates they ask the criminal instead of the victims!

How many victims have been invited to speak in front of these dental boards? Yet, Todd can get an audience with them... Just friggin amazing!

DeRose and Crew Recruiting New Dentists-Students BeWare

From the looks of the traffic on this blog I would have to conclude Mike DeRose and cronies are visiting Dental Schools across the country trying to round up new recruits to bring to their various "management" camps.

If you are a dental student and anyone from Smile Starters, Small Smiles, Kool Smiles, FORBA, or Access West DO NOT associate yourself with these terrorists.

Take time to read this blog and run for your life!

Can You Believe It Took 5 Years To Decide 16 Baby Root Canals At One Sitting Isn't A Good Idea

You know what I've been thinking?

Since the State Of North Carolina, it appears, is going to let Tish Ballance open up another medicaid dental clinic...

...and Michael DeRose be the "consultant" for Dr. Raf Rivera's new and improved Smile Starters.


....why don't they just save the children years of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and thousands of night terrors and write Tish Ballance, Raf Rivera, and Michael DeRose a check and keep their asses at home away from the children!

I mean, honestly, they haven't stopped them from getting into the medicaid piggy bank, nor has the state pulled their licenses so evidently they want them to have the money....

...cut the assholes a check!

The Smile Behind Small Smiles-Atif Abdulmalik

This is "what's his name" when I first started reporting about Small Smiles as was listed on Arcapita's website.







This is "what's his name" as shown on Arcaptia's website now.






Wonder if this dude's got any kids he would like to take to Small Smiles for some Dental Care?

Here is the press release where Arcapita admits it's in with "existing management"

1-15-2007

ARCAPITA COMPLETES LARGEST US CORPORATE TRANSACTION
MANAMA (January 15, 2007) - Arcapita Bank B.S.C.(c), a leading international investment firm headquartered in Bahrain, announced today that it and its affiliates, together with existing management, have acquired Sanus Holdings, LLC, operating as FORBA, a leading dental practice management company that focuses on providing dental care to underprivileged children in the United States.
Headquartered in Tennessee, FORBA manages the operations of 50 dental clinics across the United States, targeted exclusively at serving the needs of children eligible for dental care benefits under Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP), which between them provide comprehensive healthcare for over 32 million children. FORBA’s innovative business model, delivering centralized buying, economies of scale and operational efficiencies, has allowed the company to build a dominant position in its market, and according to management, during 2006 FORBA had 3 times more patient visits than its nearest competitor. FORBA’s projected revenues for 2006 are $142.2 million.
Commenting on the transaction, Atif Abdulmalik, CEO of Arcapita, said: “We believe FORBA’s experienced management team, with in-depth knowledge of the Medicaid healthcare sector, is well placed to continue the company’s growth strategy which has resulted in the company’s revenues growing at a compound rate of more than 40 per cent over the past 6 years.”
The acquisition was overseen from Arcapita’s US office in Atlanta. Charles Ogburn, head of Global Corporate Investment, commented, “We expect FORBA’s growth to remain robust, as management rolls out their proven strategy of opening and developing new clinics, with an expectation of opening at least 12 to 18 clinics per year over the next five years. FORBA is the leader in an underserved market, where only 25% of a total possible market of almost 40 million customers is currently being addressed. The company has a proven business model of building large, efficiently managed clinics that operate profitably in the Medicaid/SCHIP environment.”
This acquisition is Arcapita’s largest US corporate acquisition and joins other recent transactions such as the $4.2 billion acquisition of Viridian Group plc, the Northern Ireland electricity utility and the €620 million acquisition of Paroc Group, the leading manufacturer of insulation products headquartered in Finland.

Warning For Employees of Smile Starters

Here is a warning posted as a comment from someone:

The “bay window” that someone talked about at Smile Starters is a window looking into the HYGIENE department. If a parent stays there a little too long, they are told they cannot stand there. There are also private rooms for “problem” hygiene patients. AND if a patient is having anything else done but a cleaning, parents cannot watch.

These “current employees of Smile Starters” who are so quick to defend the “owners” — who, by the way, are owners on paper only, since the corporation REALLY owns the practices — should open their eyes and see that they are lied to daily, about who owns the company, who is ultimately in charge, who is REALLY behind the clinic, etc.etc.

They should ALL read this website.

No wonder so many of the employees are leaving to go work for Tish Ballance. HAH !!!!

Like that’s an improvement.

Professionals can’t even get liability insurance because the NC DENTAL SOCIETY and ALL the insurance companies are forbidden to write policies for anyone who works for her.

Good thing she provides insurance for her employees — BUT whenever they leave her employ they are SOL because they can’t get their own insurance.

I’ve heard that a million times from all the professionals who were smart enough to distance themselves from Tish Ballance, Mike DeRose, Ryan Root, and EVERYONE else who is and was associated with these people. What a tangled web we weave…

DeRose's Own Football Stadium-Give Me A Break!

photo by: Chris McLean

Colorado State University-Pueblo's Thunderwolve's new 13 million dollar stadium, named the "Ed and Neta DeRose Thunderbowl" in honor of the major contributor and local dental clinic duo. (choking on using the word, DeRose and honor in the same sentence)

Honestly, where do these people get off anyway. At times, these people seem to be legands in their own minds. You would think they were some kind of oil sultans to see the money they spend and donate. You read the glowing bios (they probably wrote themselves) and you will hear how they, well, really Ed then Michael, donated their lives to providing dental care to the poor children in Colorado and 17 other states.

Reading that crap one would expect to see them dressed in drab missionary ware so to speak, not having this honor or that stadium or living in 3+ million dollar homes and such. Really!

Has anyone not ever asked how that was so profitable!

Where's The New Mangement @ SmileStarters?

At the Link Below there is another ad place in February 2008, listing Roger Walters as the contact to SmileStarter Dental Clinics in North Carolina. The ad says Michael DeRose is the owner.

http://ratemds.com/social/?q=node/28873&did=148374

It give Roger Walters email address as walters.rdm.gmail.com.

rdm stands for Root Dental Management as in Ryan Root.

Type the name google Ryan Root Colorado and you want to take guess what you get... just click here for the surprise...............

It's clear that Ryan Root has been in business with Michael DeRose and still is in business with Michael DeRose.

So where's the new management SmileStarters keeps talking about. As far as I can tell back in February it was Root Dental Management and it currently Root Dental Management. Now maybe they are claiming that BBJ Dental Management isn't in charge anymore, but that isn't saying a whole lot now is it?

Just because Brad Bryson and Johnson Enterprises (BBJ) isn't there anymore doesn't mean much. Not that I'm sure Brad Bryson and Dan Johnson aren't still getting money out of this whole venture anyway. Hard to believe DeRose would throw his cousin and brother in law out of the money pool. (I believe Brad Bryson is DeRose's Cousin, Dan Johnson-married DeRose's sister, but I could be wrong.)

Think maybe they are just going to say that Michael DeRose is a "Consultant" with SmileStarters?

It's a question worth asking, but since he never actually physically practiced dentistry in North Carolina, nothing changed there either did it. Just replace Tish Ballance's name with Dr. Rivera and it's the same ole crap isn't it.

4-23-08: Parents Still Complaining About Dentists Abusing Children at Small Smiles

The Below comment was posted on 4-23-2008 from a parent in New York.

It appears despite all the rhetoric the FORBA/Small Smiles Public Relations machine is putting out saying things are 'achangin'. Not one thing has changed as I've been saying all along.

Daily across the country, Small Smile's is continuing to abuse children, nothing can be more clear.

Even after numerous investigative reports from people such as Roberta Baskin, with WJLA'sDeborah Sherman 9News' Investigative Team in Denver, Karen Schideler in Wichita, Kansas and Stewart Watson with WCNC in Charlotte, NC exposing Small Smiles and other DeRose Dental Clinics they refuse to change their ways.




4-23-08

I-Team in Washinton, DC,

kayleigh said...

i took my kids to small smiles last week and it was the worst experience of my life. I went in with my 3 year old son and he screamed through out the entire procedure. he was strapped down and by the time he left he had broken blood vessels all over his neck and face from screaming. the only time they stopped was to restrap him down. their grandmother went in with my daughter and when she came out she has broken blood vessels in her eye from screaming. i've been sick to my stomach over this since i left there. i feel as though i let these people violate my kids.

To Kayleigh:

I understand how terrible you feel. You put your trust in these people to give your children the care they deserves and you were violated. They clearly advertise in such a way to get your confidence in their ability to give children the utmost in care and treatment yet they continue everyday to violate that trust as well as several ethics, and probably a few laws.

It's up to you and people like you to put a stop to this. Recently (April 1, 2008 as a matter of fact) there was a story on WRGB in New Albany about this very thing. For people to think these stories are isolated cases would be a huge mistake.

I hope you called the 800 number I have posted as well as file complaints with your state's dental board and attorney general.

I urge you to step forward and to take action, write to everyone you can about this, post where ever you can about this and file formal complaints to the places mentioned above, as well as your state legislators and call the PRESS!