I was over on a dental practice brokerage firm site and wondered how many orthodontic clinics might be up for sale in Texas. Surprisingly there were only two currently listed, however I’m guessing right now you can’t give them away down there… Anyway, I saw this one and thought it amusing.
Specialty: Orthodontics
Number of Operatories:
Active Patient Count:
One Year Gross:
Opportunity Type:
Practice for Sale
DALLAS – 5 locations - Multi-Million Dollar Investment Opportunity! One owner wishes to sell all locations to the next “Dentist – Entrepreneur”. All staff and associates are to stay. Ideal for more than one Doc willing to “partner up” with a colleague or two. If you are an Oral Surgeon, Pedodontist, Endodontist or Orthodontist you can even have all of these offices refer to your specialty practice. Each facility computerized for easy practice management. Don’t go to work today! Let others “bring home the bacon” for you! Be a contributing clinician in this large operation or just the investor owner. Too much information to list in this ad regarding each location.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Fortune CNN Money article on a New Jersey Medicaid dental clinic
I was a bit offended by the attitude of these piece, but isn’t that the case when the press speaks of the less fortunate, poor or temporarily down on their luck.
It was titled Building a business with unwanted customers”, so I guess I had an attitude before I read it.
My first thought was; of all the dental centers out there geared to treat child whose parents have fallen on hard times, why this one?
All the right buzz words and phrases the dental mills use today - “Underserved” and ”Target Patients on Medicaid” for example – were used perfectly. Even the added “nobility” factor was included – “believes that treating the underserved can make for good business.”
By the end of the article it sounded more like a story about a business in the ‘hometown” section of the local newspaper, not CNN Money.
This may be a fantastic dental center, I don’t know. All I know is what I read and it had the sound of a local, one shop, assembly line style dental center. That was until I saw the logo. Continue on and you’ll see what I mean.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Hiring a Compliance Specialist does not Compliance make. Just Saying...
Church Street Health Management is once again looking for a "Compliance Specialist".
Compliant Specialist Wanted
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J3I2D86WBVZR3TMPCNQ&siteid=cb_emailjob_US
I'm beginning to believe they don't understand how Compliance actually works or may they have comprehension dyslexia, where they understand rules, regulations, laws and agreements backwards.
Anyway, just hiring Compliance Personnel does little to actually "comply". You, the company actually have to take part. Compliance does not happen by osmosis.
I don't know how many folks you will find willing agree to possible Federal jail time just so you can continue defrauding Medicaid. I think those have all been used, come and gone.
However, I am willing to come down and show you every compliance issue you have if you are still having problems understanding it, you've only been trying since 2006!!!!
One thing you might want to look at immediately is the x-ray unbundling, upcoding as well as that nasty occlusal or not occlusal problem! Oh and are you returning the 44.00 per straight-jacketed child you are paid from Indiana?
Just saying...
Compliant Specialist Wanted
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J3I2D86WBVZR3TMPCNQ&siteid=cb_emailjob_US
I'm beginning to believe they don't understand how Compliance actually works or may they have comprehension dyslexia, where they understand rules, regulations, laws and agreements backwards.
Anyway, just hiring Compliance Personnel does little to actually "comply". You, the company actually have to take part. Compliance does not happen by osmosis.
I don't know how many folks you will find willing agree to possible Federal jail time just so you can continue defrauding Medicaid. I think those have all been used, come and gone.
However, I am willing to come down and show you every compliance issue you have if you are still having problems understanding it, you've only been trying since 2006!!!!
One thing you might want to look at immediately is the x-ray unbundling, upcoding as well as that nasty occlusal or not occlusal problem! Oh and are you returning the 44.00 per straight-jacketed child you are paid from Indiana?
Just saying...
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Small Smiles Dental Centers Liquidation Sale? That’s the latest word I’m getting
Many fake owner dentists have been removed from service, Dr Chu in Phoenix for example has dropped out of sight. Employees have been asking questions for some time and despite denials from company officials, clinics are closing across the county by February 7, 2012. The Toledo center closed the Friday before Christmas. (employees found out by seeing the emails between corporate and Dr. Olivia Croom-stupid woman)
(Dr. Karen Chu is listed as owning all the stock in the Children’s Medicaid Dental Center, PC in Arizona, with William Nash as President and Chu as Vice-president. Of course, Chu owns all of nothing but if I were her, I’d be demanding some further compensation since this is probably the end of the end for her dental career, all the other fake owners as well, like Dr. Monica Switzer in Oklahoma)
The rest of the clinics are up for sale. Their corporate owner-Church Street Heath Management-Small Smiles Holdings- is trying to pawn the clinics off on individual dentists. Surely CSHM is not stupid enough to offer them financing or management services! Surely any individual dentist is not stupid enough to take it! Ask the one dentist who truly does own a piece of his center’s pie. (Not sure, but I believe that is Dr. Michael Crites.)
Financing should be very difficult for any dentist who might want to purchase any of the clinics since the true income for each center will be difficult to obtain, if not impossible.
In cases where Church Street Health Management does hand over the numbers, they will be based on inflated revenue by the corporation's requirements of overtreatment, up coding (x-rays for example) and out right fraud that continues to this day.
To get an accurate idea of what any center's true income is impossible. Not one of the Small Smiles dental centers has ever operated in a honest professional manner, following any guidelines based in anything other than their own greed; first the DeRose family-Eddie, Michael and Dan, then in fall 2006 the Carlyle Group and First Islamic Bank k/n/a Arcaptia.
As for dentist who work there or have worked there in the past, look for lawsuits to follow you for years to come.
For those who did your best to represent your profession well and treated your patients properly , you should have nothing to be concerned about.
For those that fell under the spell and drank the Kool-aid; assisted in the fraud and abused children, you will get what you deserve. People always do.
For the innocent support staff who will lose jobs, get your resume's out now and I would double think mentioning Small Smiles as a past employer and personally I would not be applying at the other mills, Small Smiles is just the first domino to fall.
The clinics include:
Albany Access Dentistry
Small Smiles of Phoenix
Children’s Medicaid Dental Clinics
Texas Smiles
Oklahoma Smiles
Indian Springs Dental Center
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
My secret meeting with Todd R. Cruse of Small Smiles Dental-Church Street Health Management
On September 20, 2010, I received an email from Todd Cruse, Church Street Heath Management’s SVP of Development and Government Affairs.
“I’ll be in Kentucky next month. Any interest in having a cup of coffee and conversation?’
After a couple of days I finally responded, “I do apologize for taking so long to respond. I've been seeing to my daughter and granddaughter. I was about to reply to your suggestion today when I received a phone call from my attorney telling me Thor Urness wanted my attorney to call him. Upon hearing that, I thought I should wait to hear back from this conversation that Thor requested. However, I've not heard back. Until I hear what Thor wanted, I'm not comfortable granting your request for coffee and conversation. However, I do enjoy a good cup of coffee and am open for conversation.”
Thor Urness is the Nashville attorney who Church Street Health Management hired to harass me in the Federal Court system since November of 2008.
Todd responded back, “Thank you for your response. If at some point you become comfortable and would like to have that cup of coffee just let me know.”
By September 29, Thor had never returned the call my attorney had made to him, so I emailed Todd and we made arrangements to meet up for that “coffee and conversation” he so desired.
Todd said in his return email, “I believe that Thor was following up on the posts that you have since removed so I don’t think Pat will be hearing from him. I am flexible as to where to meet. I have to run up to Bowling Green on Thursday to pick something up - Any interest in meeting me there. I believe there is a Starbucks right on 231 off of I-65 (Scottsville Rd I believe?).Thanks for reaching out.” He closed the email with “TRC”.
I agreed and the meeting was set for 10 am Thursday October 7, 2010.
Small Smiles Dental Centers Liquidation Sale? That’s the latest word I’m getting
Many fake owner dentists have been removed from service, Dr Chu in Phoenix for example has dropped out of sight. Employees have been asking questions for some time and despite denials from company officials, clinics are closing across the county by February 7, 2012. The Toledo center closed the Friday before Christmas. (employees found out by seeing the emails between corporate and Dr. Olivia Croom-stupid woman)
The rest of the clinics are up for sale. Their corporate owner-Church Street Heath Management-Small Smiles Holdings- is trying to pawn the clinics off on individual dentists. Surely CSHM is not stupid enough to offer them financing or management services! Surely any individual dentist is not stupid enough to take it! Ask the one dentist who truly does own a piece of his center’s pie. (Not sure, but I believe that is Dr. Michael Crites.)
Financing should be very difficult for any dentist who might want to purchase any of the clinics since the true income for each center will be difficult to obtain, if not impossible.
In cases where Church Street Health Management does hand over the numbers, they will be based on inflated revenue by the corporation's requirements of overtreatment, up coding (x-rays for example) and out right fraud that continues to this day.
To get an accurate idea of what any center's true income is impossible. Not one of the Small Smiles dental centers has ever operated in a honest professional manner, following any guidelines based in anything other than their own greed; first the DeRose family-Eddie, Michael and Dan, then in fall 2006 the Carlyle Group and First Islamic Bank k/n/a Arcaptia.
As for dentist who work there or have worked there in the past, look for lawsuits to follow you for years to come.
For those who did your best to represent your profession well and treated your patients properly , you should have nothing to be concerned about.
For those that fell under the spell and drank the Kool-aid; assisted in the fraud and abused children, you will get what you deserve. People always do.
For the innocent support staff who will lose jobs, get your resume's out now and I would double think mentioning Small Smiles as a past employer and personally I would not be applying at the other mills, Small Smiles is just the first domino to fall.
The rest of the clinics are up for sale. Their corporate owner-Church Street Heath Management-Small Smiles Holdings- is trying to pawn the clinics off on individual dentists. Surely CSHM is not stupid enough to offer them financing or management services! Surely any individual dentist is not stupid enough to take it! Ask the one dentist who truly does own a piece of his center’s pie. (Not sure, but I believe that is Dr. Michael Crites.)
Financing should be very difficult for any dentist who might want to purchase any of the clinics since the true income for each center will be difficult to obtain, if not impossible.
In cases where Church Street Health Management does hand over the numbers, they will be based on inflated revenue by the corporation's requirements of overtreatment, up coding (x-rays for example) and out right fraud that continues to this day.
To get an accurate idea of what any center's true income is impossible. Not one of the Small Smiles dental centers has ever operated in a honest professional manner, following any guidelines based in anything other than their own greed; first the DeRose family-Eddie, Michael and Dan, then in fall 2006 the Carlyle Group and First Islamic Bank k/n/a Arcaptia.
As for dentist who work there or have worked there in the past, look for lawsuits to follow you for years to come.
For those who did your best to represent your profession well and treated your patients properly , you should have nothing to be concerned about.
For those that fell under the spell and drank the Kool-aid; assisted in the fraud and abused children, you will get what you deserve. People always do.
For the innocent support staff who will lose jobs, get your resume's out now and I would double think mentioning Small Smiles as a past employer and personally I would not be applying at the other mills, Small Smiles is just the first domino to fall.
Kool Smiles to Bring PBS KIDS' Award-Winning Content to Dental Patients -- ATLANTA, Jan. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --
I find this hilarious!
Ok, kids, now is your chance to tell the world what happens to you behind those doors at Kool Smiles Dental and why they ever needed “quiet” hygiene rooms!
Kool Smiles Playlist:
Friday, January 13, 2012
Virginia Dental Board to consider stricter medical emergency rules thanks to a petition by the Raven Marie Blanco Foundation
Raven Marie Blanco died during dental treatment on March 9, 2007. Since that time her family created a foundation that advocates much stricter guideline for medical emergency readiness. Virginia has no requirements other than basic CPR, but dentists regularly sedate children for dental treatment.
March 9, 2012 will be the 5 year anniversary of Raven’s death and on that day, the Virginia dental board will present the petition to its members to enlist comments for or against the petition.
The petition asks that the Six Links of Survival developed in 2003 by the Institute of Medical Emergency Preparedness become part of the license renewal process for Virginia dentists.
You can email the dental board your comments at:
denbd@dhp.virginia.gov
The Six Links to Survival are:
- Dentist's training
- Staff training
- Mock drills
- Maintaining a written emergency plan
- Stocking appropriate medications
- Maintaining appropriate equipment
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Dr. Arnel J.Gallanosa facing fraud charges in Indianapolis
Written by Bill McCleery
An Indianapolis dentist faces fraud charges stemming from an apparent scheme to perform unnecessary dental work in order to collect payment's from Indiana's Medicaid program.
In one case, for example, Arnel J. Gallanosa removed 33 teeth from three patients who were residents of Midtown St. George Residential Facility, said Brienne Delaney, spokeswoman for Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry.
The dentist also allegedly paid patients small kickback fees for agreeing to receive dental work.
"In an effort to garner more business for his dental practice," Delaney said in a release, "Dr. Gallanosa paid staff members and a 'runner' to recruit new patients who were eligible for Medicaid benefits. The patients would be offered five or ten dollars and 'free' dental work."
The Indiana Medicaid program reimbursed Gallanosa for the services, Delaney said, and patients would have no out-of-pocket costs.
The man hired as the runner for the three patients named in court documents previously pleaded guilty to felony prescription fraud in relation to this case. The runner, Darnell White, kept Vicodin pain pills that Gallanosa had prescribed to the three Midtown residents. He remains on probation, Delaney said, following his conviction.
"A licensed medical professional, such as a dentist, should inspire trust and respect," Curry said in a release. "It is thus particularly disturbing for a medical professional to abuse the trust of his patients and prey upon some of our most vulnerable citizens. We will vigorously prosecute any such fraud and abuse."
Working with police and prosecutors, the Indiana Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the fraudulent Medicaid claims and alleged abuse of the patients in the St. George institution, Delaney said.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
USDOJ: US Attorney's Office - Eastern District of Virginia
Alexandria Dentist Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud
January 10, 2012
ALEXANDRIA, Va. –Tuan Vu, 43, of Annandale, Va., pleaded guilty today to fraudulently billing insurance providers hundreds of thousands of dollars for dental services that he did not provide to his patients.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States District Judge Liam O’Grady.
Vu was charged today by criminal information with health care fraud, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 4, 2012.
In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Vu admitted to committing health care fraud from at least January 2007 to September 2011. Vu is the owner of Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, PLLC, a dental practice located in Alexandria, Va. During the time of his health care fraud scheme, Vu consistently billed dental insurance providers for services that he did not provide his patients. As a result of Vu’s offense, at least 10 private insurance providers suffered more than $400,000 in losses. Dr. Vu’s conduct also resulted in a substantial loss to the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia, including $87,389 to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program and $180,048 to the Virginia Medicaid program.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Chad Golder is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.