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.