Monday, October 07, 2013
Fortress Insurance Company v. Ocean Dental PC, Dr. Chad Hoecker and Dr. Robin Lockwood
Case Number:
5:2013cv00322
Filed:
May 2013
Fortress Ins. v. Ocean Dental, Chad Hoecker, Robin Lockwood Amended Complaint Filed August 23, 2013
Fortress alleges neither Dr.Lockwood, Dr.Hoecker, nor Ocean Dental complied w/ requests for patient records, as their MP insurance carrier, against terms of their contract. They allegedly never alerted Fortress of pending claims, as required under the insurance contract. IMHO- Fortress makes a good point for Declaratory Judgment. That would leave Dr.Lockwood & Ocean Dental "naked", w/out Malpractice coverage. Yikes!
Dr Lockwood is currently serving time at Federal Medical Center Carswell, in Fort Worth, TX. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Medical_Center,_Carswell
One big issue is the policy time period for Dr.Lockwood & Dr. Hoecker. Some acts were allegedly made outside the time period of insurance coverage. If so, Dr. Lockwood & Dr. Hoecker were operating "bare" (w/out coverage). Depending on terms of employment w/ Ocean Dental, Dr. Lockwood has a potential counterclaim against Ocean Dental, if they neglected to provide MP insurance coverage to her, as defined under her employment contract.
Dr. Hoecker denies knowledge of the terms in the Dr.Lockwood policy. If Ocean Dental purchased this policy, that would be absurd. BTW- a "claims made" policy will not cover for acts filed AFTER the term period of the policy expires. Thus, a "tail" policy would need to be purchased. Obviously, there was no tail coverage purchased.
Seem just serving time for ones sins is just the beginning of a long life of misery for Dr. Lockwood, while ole Chad Hoecker is singing “Free Bird”.
I hope all these dentists are paying close attention!
Here is a link to all the documents found on the case-
http://www.scribd.com/collections/4366323/Ocean-Dental-Stilwater-Oklaho
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Become a whistleblower today. Read why.
Goodwin Orthodontics whistleblowers awarded shares of money
By Jim McBride
jim.mcbride@amarillo.com
September 19, 2013 - 4:57pm
A Travis County judge has awarded more than $22,000 in legal fees to an Amarillo law firm that helped expose more than $1 million in Medicaid fraud at a local orthodontics clinic.
Amarillo attorney Phil Russ, who represented three former employees of Goodwin Orthodontics, credited Kristen De Los Santos, Sandy De Los Santos and Lissa Eason with exposing health care fraud at the clinic that led to the federal conviction of Amarillo orthodontist David Goodwin.
“The money needs to go to those women,” Russ said Thursday. “This is an example of how responsible citizens can help save our taxpayer dollars from being drained away from government programs by fraud. It takes a whistleblower who sees it happening to sound the alarm, because fraud is a game of stealth and concealment.”
On Wednesday, a Travis County judge awarded the state of Texas and the three Amarillo women more than $4.2 million in damages against Goodwin and the clinic in a whistleblower lawsuit.
Russ said Thursday the women could receive some money from the case if the state and federal authorities collect enough restitution from Goodwin and the clinic. If state and federal authorities collect $4 million from the clinic, the women could theoretically split $630,000 to $840,000, he said.
Dr. Thomas Floyd–More than a decade of complaints
Dentist accused of physically, verbally abusing children he treated
Thomas Floyd. (PBSO, Handout )
He developed a reputation over three decades as a champion of dental care for poor children.
But behind the walls of Thomas Floyd's dental practice, some former employees said they heard children screaming in pain and terror.
While his September 2012 arrest for child neglect shocked many in the community, hundreds of pages of records obtained by the Sun Sentinel detail a trail of disturbing allegations that the West Palm Beach children's dentist physically and verbally abused patients dating back as far as 2001.
One father said he took his 5-year-old daughter to Floyd in 2011 and the dentist mistakenly pulled three good teeth. State authorities accused Floyd of confusing the girl with another patient.
"It's horrifying that your daughter goes in for a dental cleaning and comes out missing teeth," said the father, Benjamin Rodriguez. "[Floyd] just didn't care."
Floyd and his attorney have argued he's the the target of false accusations leveled by disgruntled employees and difficult parents.
Among the allegations in state records and police reports:
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Dr. Edward Dove going to be “in and out” of the country, he pays 50% of production.
Opportunity Available 3-18-13 Office Name: Edward E Dove DDS PC
Contact Person: Eddie Dove
Practice Location: Bakersfield and Chatsworth
Address: 3130 Union Ave Bakersfield, CA 93305
Date Needed: Varies
Days Needed: Varies
Telephone: 818 644-7124
Fax: 661 872-9257
Email: pediatricdentist18@gmail.com
Requirements: oral sedation certificate
Information: I am presently looking for part time or on call to cover for me. I am presently going to be out of the country at various times. I do have one associate, but she cannot cover all offices. It is mainly my bakersfield and chatsworth office. I pay 50% of production and have excellent staff. For more info please contact me.Thank you.
Sunday, September 08, 2013
More parents coming forth with complaints about perilous Florida dentists–Dr. Michael Addair Tarver
More critics of suspended dentist come forward
By Austin L. Miller
Staff writer
Published: Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 9:03 p.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 9:03 p.m.
Days after state authorities suspended the license of a local dentist who allegedly mistreated a young patient, critics of Dr. Michael Addair Tarver continue to go public with their own stories.
One of those people is Kristina Pate, a dental assistant who worked at Tarver's Polliwog Dental for two months before she was terminated, she said, for speaking out about Tarver's methods.
Pate said every child who came into the practice received nitrous oxide, or laughing gas. She estimates roughly 75 percent of the children seen by Tarver also were given Demerol ???.
Some of the children, she said, were strapped onto boards to keep them still. If Tarver felt they were misbehaving in any way, they were threatened, she said.
Those on Medicaid were treated much differently from those who paid out of pocket, she said.
Pate said those who paid up front or had insurance were treated quickly and sent on their way. Medicaid patients, she said, had to wait longer. Parents of those on Medicaid had to wait about three hours before their child was finished.
Saturday, September 07, 2013
Former employee of Dr. Michael Tarver says his wife, Rebecca, is not any better with children
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Polliwog Owner Michael Tarver Still Denies Allegations
Ocala, Florida — The allegations continue to stack up against Michael Tarver, the owner and operator of Polliwog Dental.
The latest developments in this case do not really surprise parents whose children have attended the pediatric dentistry.
Ivy Castillo, a parent who has taken her five year old to the dentistry said, “I have experienced first-hand the ‘Dr. Jekyll’ side of ‘Doctor’ Mike.” Adding, “My son told me a couple days later that during this routine cleaning, they made him drink the ‘icky Spiderman juice’, which I have come to learn was their sedative to ‘control’ my child.”
Ocala Post has been flooded with horrifying stories of less than mediocre dental care provided by Michael Tarver.
In an E-mail we received from an employee who does not want to be identified, she wrote, “Dr. Mikes wife is not any better. She was there when her husband man handled those kids.” She went on to write, “I can understand a wife wanting to stand by her husband, but this is ridiculous.”
Rebecca Tarver, DDS, wife of Dr. Michael Tarver.
One parent, who also does not want to be identified in order to protect her children wrote,
“All 4 of my children went to Polliwog because they took Medicaid. From the get go the staff was rude and unorganized. The biggest issue was my six year old son and nine year old daughter at the time, came home with big cheek bruises and unwarranted work done. My son who has healthy teeth, was told every time I went he needed fillings. It’s funny but my two older girls (12 & 15) never had issues, I think because they were old enough to speak up or tell on them. Every time my kids went for any work, even a cleaning they told me they would need to give them the happy juice. I am so glad someone finally listened to all of us!”
The allegations against Tarver range from, placing his hands over children’s noses and mouths, over dosing children with the “kiddie cocktail“, altering medical records, to actually inflicting physical injuries to young children.
Tarver continuously maintains he is innocent, using Medicaid parents as an escape goat by claiming their children are just misbehaved.
Tarver was questioned by authorities in regards to allegations that he put his hands over a child’s nose and mouth, causing the child to lose consciousness. Tarver’s response again deflects to the child’s behavior. Tarver stated he remembered the “extremely misbehaved” child, passing blame on to the small child.
Friday, September 06, 2013
Thursday, September 05, 2013
Dr. Michael Addair Tarver: Four police complaints filed
Suspended dentist subject of four police complaints
By Austin L. Miller
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 9:52 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 9:52 p.m.
A dentist whose license was suspended Wednesday by the state on allegations of possible child abuse was also the subject of four complaints to Ocala police, but the complaints were determined to be unfounded.
Ocala police detectives investigated the complaints and sent their findings to the State Attorney's Office for review. The criteria for child abuse was not met in any of the complaints, authorities said.
In the four cases, the parents said they took their children — ranging in age from 18 months to 7 years — to Polliwog Dental at 255 SE 17th St., Ocala, for procedures and later said there were signs of abuse, officials stated.
Two of the four cases also were sent to the state Department of Health. That agency ordered the emergency suspension of Dr. Michael Addair Tarver, owner of Polliwog Dental, on Wednesday. Tarver is a board-certified pediatric dentist.
Tarver, in an email to the Star-Banner on Wednesday, vigorously denied the allegations and said he has hired an attorney to fight the accusations.
The DOH concluded that the 33-year-old dentist violated several state statutes and patient trust, and altered patient records. In one instance, the DOH said, a 4-year-old girl stopped breathing during a dental procedure and had to resuscitated, but her parents were never notified about the incident. His actions, the DOH stated, "demonstrates that he cannot reasonably be expected to comply with any sanction short of suspension."
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
Another troubling pediatric sedation dentist loose in Florida–Dr. Michael Addair Tarver
Polliwog Dental Children's Dentistry, is at 255 SE 17th Street in Ocala, Florida 34771
State suspends pediatric dentist in Ocala
By Austin L. Miller
Staff writer
Published: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 7:55 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 4, 2013 at 7:55 p.m.
OCALA, FLORIDA — An Ocala dentist whose office was visited in late July by authorities who removed files and interviewed employees has had his license suspended, according to the state Department of Health.
A report by the DOH ordered the emergency suspension of Dr. Michael Addair Tarver’s license to practice dentistry.
The order, dated Wednesday, states that Tarver is a board-certified pediatric dentist. He’s the owner and operator of Polliwog Dental, a children’s dentistry office at 255 SE 17th St.
DOH officials said the emergency suspension order is directed at the individual, not the facility. Therefore, while Tarver cannot practice in the state of Florida, his wife, Dr. Rebecca Tarver, also a licensed dentist, can practice, and therefore the facility remains open, DOH said.
Tarver disputes the allegations against him.
“I am profoundly disappointed and shocked that the Board of Dentistry would take such action without even reviewing the facts or giving me a chance to defend myself,” he said in an email to the Star-Banner, adding that his attorney is “fighting this decision” and that he expects to have his license reinstated soon.
Hailing his wife as an excellent dentist, Tarver said the office is open and “will continue to provide quality care.”
The 10-page document outlined the reasons for the suspension: