If you have a Kool Smiles near you, I’d very much appreciate if you would stop by and take a picture of their front door and send it to me.
Thanks!
If you have a Kool Smiles near you, I’d very much appreciate if you would stop by and take a picture of their front door and send it to me.
Thanks!
By Darrell Smith
dvsmith@sacbee.com The Sacramento Bee
By Darrell Smith
Published: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 - 12:00 am
Last Modified: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 - 11:20 amA Sacramento dentist has been suspended by the Dental Board of California on allegations of performing unneeded root canals and fillings on the healthy teeth of at least 17 of his patients and collecting insurance payments for work he did not do.
David Milton Lewis was barred by the state board from performing dentistry until the case against him is resolved, officials said.
In addition to causing damage to patients' healthy teeth, the board alleged Lewis submitted numerous bogus insurance claims and offered cash rewards to United Parcel Service employees for referrals.
According to allegations filed by the dental board, Lewis targeted UPS employees because Delta Health Systems, the firm's dental insurer, covered 100 percent of dental treatments with no maximum payment or co- payment.
According to board filings, insurance investigators believe Lewis began performing the unnecessary work as the recession worsened in 2008, with claims soaring from an average of $154,000 a year before 2009 to about $870,000 per year afterward.
A hearing is pending against Lewis, who has a practice at 4350 Marconi Ave.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/29/4299094/board-accuses-sacramento-dentist.html#storylink=cpy
Parents Complain About Kool Smiles
By KGNS News
Story Created: Feb 28, 2012 at 10:12 PM CST
Story Updated: Feb 29, 2012
A dental office with a local branch could be in a lot of trouble.
Parents complained about what they call ‘unprofessional treatment’ their children received at Kool Smiles.
They described their kids having their hands covered with socks and tied up while a dental procedure was being done.
[I suppose this is somehow deemed better than Dr. Steven Adair’s Superman Cape idea!]
Some even complained of having procedures done without the proper sedatives.
[I’ve been told over the years, when giving nitrous, they only turn on the oxygen to give the appearance of giving nitrous to parents, bill for nitrous but save on nitrous. I’d like an audit of amount of Nitrous billed and the amount of Nitrous purchased at each clinic!]
Now a San Antonio law firm says all Kool Smiles locations in south Texas are being investigated.
By BOBBY CERVANTES amarillo.com Copyright 2012 Amarillo Globe-News. All rights reserved.
February 29, 2012 - 12:18am
Feds link orthodontist to Medicaid fraud scheme
bobby.cervantes@amarillo.com
Patients and former employees likened the Amarillo Medicaid fraud scheme to “herding cattle.”
Amarillo orthodontist Dr. Michael Goodwin scheduled up to 400 Medicaid patients a day and frequently billed the government for work he never performed, according to court records.
In late May and early July, authorities seized $244,235.67 from five JP Morgan Chase commercial and personal bank accounts associated with Goodwin, his wife and his business.
Goodwin billed the government a total of $1.67 million in fraudulent claims from April 2008 to April 2011, according to a federal forfeiture complaint the government filed Monday seeking to keep the seized money.
Goodwin, who also has an office in Indiana, has not been charged with a crime. His Amarillo office at 3629 Wolfin Ave. was closed Tuesday and messages were not immediately returned.
Goodwin and his wife, Patricia, did not file a claim to the seized money, according to the complaint.
WILMINGTON -- Prominent Wilmington dentist Marieve O. Rodriguez admitted to 10 misdemeanor counts of filing false Medicaid reports on Monday in exchange for state prosecutors dropping 19 felony counts of health care fraud.
Rodriguez will also pay a $100,000 fine, repay $72,000 to the state's Medicaid program and $50,000 to cover the costs of prosecution.
The case against the operator of Gentle Care Family Dentistry on Gilpin Avenue in the city had been scheduled to go to trial this week.
Shortly after the charges were filed against her in August 2010, Rodriguez was allowed to keep operating her practice, though her ability to prescribe medications was suspended by state regulators. Under the terms of the plea deal, Rodriguez will now have to close the practice and will lose her license for at least a year.
EDGEWOOD PA (KDKA) — The KDKA Investigators have uncovered charges against a local dentist.
Police arrested 52-year-old Dr. Anthony Monteleone on Wednesday in the back parking lot of his office.
They say he was caught snorting lines of suspected cocaine and then going inside Katsur Dental and Orthodontics in Edgewood to treat his patients.
Undercover agents grabbed Monteleone after they witnessed him using what appeared to be cocaine.
“There was a police officer observing what appeared to be drug use,” Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne said. “It was outside the car.”
Chief Payne, who made the arrest, asked Dr. Monteleone if he had a problem. The doctor, according to the criminal complaint, admitted to using marijuana, Xanax and cocaine.
“He admitted using various drugs over a period of time,” Monteleone said.
Edgewood police acted immediately on a complaint filed Wednesday morning by a witness who alleged Dr. Monteleone was using cocaine and then going back to work on patients.
“We need to protect those people that are certainly patients coming over and expecting to get service from someone who isn’t impaired,” Payne said.
Police found Xanax and a small amount of Marijuana in Dr. Monteleone’s car.
“People are going to doctors and dentists and expecting to have someone work on them that isn’t under the influence of drugs or impaired in any fashion,” Payne said.
Monteleone is charged with possession of a controlled substance and disorderly conduct. KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin reports a check of Monteleone’s criminal history revealed prior drug charges, tax evasion charges and conspiracy charges.
http://whois.domaintools.com/complaintkoolsmiles.org
Looks like Kool Smiles is preparing for war. Note NCDR,LLC owns approximately 225 other domains!
C’mom…that’s funny!
Funniest part is the contract email address:
Not so, “private registration”…
Dentist arrested after brawl with 80 year old woman!
msnbc video: Dentist charged with fighting elderly patient
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Dental Dreams has opened 3 clinic in SC under the name Family Dental. I suppose they are poised and ready to take former Small Smiles employees and patients, especially since it is right across the street.
Fraud is a renewable resource, I'm reminded. Family Dental is in Greenville, Rock Hill and Columbia. All are staffed with foreign dentist as the other mills. These folks have to go to work somewhere or go back to the mother land. Sad they have gotten into such a pickle.
Family Dental Locations;
6134 White Horse Rd / Greenville
2022 Cherry Rd, / Rock Hill
2941 Two Notch Rd/ Columbia (just across the road from Small Smiles Dental Center)
So who is Martin McGahan, Church Street Health Management’s Chief Restructuring Officer? Well he’s a director with Alvarez and Marsal – Private Equity Services and more.
Here is Mr. McGahan’s bio from their webstie.
Martin McGahan
Managing Director
Martin McGahan is a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal Healthcare Industry Group in Atlanta. He brings more than 15 years of healthcare operations and finance experience to the firm.
Mr. McGahan works with healthcare organizations to drive operational and financial performance improvement. In addition, his expertise in corporate finance, restructuring and the raising of capital-including public, private sources of both debt and equity-enables his clients to strategically re-engineer their balance sheets for long-term stability and growth.
Mr. McGahan is presently advising several companies in both the healthcare services and pharmaceutical / bio-technology industries. He is currently serving as Restructuring Advisor to a major provider of Assisted Living Facilities and Senior Housing. He is also advising a Clinical Research Organization on operational restructuring and capitalization alternatives.
Church Street Health Management
The embattled operator of roughly 70 Small Smiles dental centers in 22 states filed for bankruptcy in Nashville on February 20, listing assets of $895.3 million against liabilities of $303.4 million, according to Bloomberg.
Several years ago, an ABC News investigation accused Small Smiles of mistreating children, something the company vehemently denied. But Small Smiles did reach an agreement with the Justice Department in 2009 to pay $24 million over five years to settle charges that it had billed Medicaid for unnecessary dental procedures performed on low-income children, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
Bankruptcy court filings by Nashville-based Church Street Health Management, the parent company for Small Smiles, show that Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis chair John Tishler ($550 per hour), corporate partner Don Moody ($450), and restructuring partner Kathleen Stenberg ($370) are representing the company in its Chapter 11 case.
Waller Lansden partners are billing between $290 and $600 per hour, of counsel between $150 and $650, and associates between $190 and $335, according to court records, which note that the firm has represented Church Street since 2006 and is thus familiar with the company's operations.
On page 4 of Affidavit of Martin McGahan he starts in about the Sharia Law practices of the Bahrainian billionaire banker and it basically says, we had to set up dummy corporations to operate these dental clinics and dummy corporations to run the money through because of religious beliefs! OMG!
It’s also interesting I might add, that the very law firm who advised that this scam was completely legit is representing them in the bankruptcy. Wonder whose interest has their top priority. Just saying…
This basically comes down to:
A bunch of us shady people got together, found a couple of bankers, the Caryle Group and a Bahrainian billionaire, gave the DeRose family $435 million to get out of the sandbox and let them in for a while. They tortured hundreds of thousands of children, raided our Medicaid system, and ran up huge bills at various supply companies and law firms. They got caught,and fined and monitored. That cut down on the “take” from Medicaid. Seeing declining profits they scrapped out as much cash as possible thru compensation and leaving creditors hanging, the taxpayer raped and are telling a court in Tennessee that it was their religious beliefs that cause this to happen. PLUS, they want to buy their own company back through more dummy corporations, but not pay their creditors, continue raping the taxpayer and torturing children saying it’s in the best interest of the the children to let them continue raiding the Medicaid coffers.
I about flipped out when Martin tried to say the business plan was good! He more or less blamed it on owning the $24 million in settlement with the US Government. Not sure how he figured that since they’ve only paid back $9M in the last two plus years!!!
WTF!
Comment: MDavis
Again, I'm back to what's really demonstrated in the McGahan Affidavit.
Seemingly, there's a united front of the true owners of CSHM, The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Bank, & American Capital, masking themselves as First Lien Creditors. This powerful Troika shouldn't hold together, because of very diverse interests.
Firstly, Arcapita Bank's Annual Report goes on for page after page, about their corporate ethics & compliance w/ strict Shari'ah Code. Well, since they can't lend money as a creditor & collect interest, they are an OWNER. They bought equity in CSHM. They will be a prime target of Creditors. But, who got Arcapita Bank into this scheme?
Examining the types of businesses Arcapita Bank invests in, those involved w/ swindles of government money aren't too much there. Ahhh... but let's look at The Carlyle Group. Yes, the very same Carlyle Group w/ heroic founder David Rubenstein, who gives so generously. Yes, the same Carlyle Group which "assisted" the government of Abu Dhabi buy into their investments w/ Mubadala Development Company, which one might assume to be Compliant w/ Shari'ah Code. LOL!
The Carlyle Group seeingly loves government money. Yes, Medicaid money from CSHM (d/b/a Small Smiles). Medicare money from HCR Manor Care and Heartland Nursing Homes. And even, state pension money from the NY State Common Retirement System. Unfortunately, these issues all surround alleged fraud & abuse of government Taxpayer money. They also surround multiple civil malpractice actions. Well, at least persons w/in The Carlyle Group are well-connected in Washington circles, to run political & legal cover. This fact alone must have appealed to American Capital & Arcapita Bank.
So, in the most recent Annual Report of American Capital, they reported an elevated equity share in CSHM. Who motivated American Capital to assume this additional risk, w/ a company (CSHM), which had Compliance problems w/ the USIG's Office, and a laundry list of legal problems. Gee, do I again smell The Carlyle Group?
Investors in CSHM got hoodwinked, by other Investors. So no, I doubt this Troika will hold. Besides, certain Parties like Todd Cruse and Dan DeRose have a history of talking to the Feds, as evidenced in the John Ford (Mister 15%- because of his skim of government projects in TN) Federal Case.
So, who is gonna talk to the Feds first, and talk about what, in exchange for what?
Michael W Davis, DDS
Dentists who supposedly own the 67 Small Smiles dental centers that Church Street Health Management says they personally don’t own, could just start selling off your assets, right?.
In the Church Street Health Management-Small Smiles Dental Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filings Martin McGahan, in a sworn Affidavit, stated:
“The dental centers are owned by licensed dentist” (p.2)
He further states CSHM simply:
“…provide “dental practice management services” to 67 dental centers serving low income and underprivileged families in 22 states…”(p1) and have, ..“As of the Petition Date, the Debtors, through EEHC, Inc. (“EEHC”) had
approximately 72 full-time, 2 part-time, and 2 “as needed” employees (collectively, the “Employees”).” (p.3)
I suppose you owners could find another company to do your payroll and other bookkeeping, since Church Street Health Management is a bit pricey:
Not a good week for interstate corporate Medicaid dental mills is it?
Kool Smiles facing claims of alleged mistreatment, excessive... | www.kfoxtv.com
I’m thinking this list is the very very short list and will grow!!
Church Street Health Management Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
List of Potential Parties In Interest
[Doc-19-3]
ACAS Equity Holdings Corp.
Adventure 3 Properties, LP
Advocate Networks, LLC
AlA Limited
Al Smith
Morgan Joseph TriArtisan LLC has been hired by Church Street Health Management to oversee the sale of assets it claims to not own-referred to herein as “mystery assets”- remember, CSHM has always maintained it is simply a management company hired by independently owned Small Smiles dental centers to “manage” the day to day operations. LIE LIE LIE
In the Affidavit of Martin McGahan, he lied like a dog on page 2. The dental centers are NOT owned by individual dentists and CSHM has admitted as much.
CSHM will pay Morgan Joseph-referred to as “Investment Banker”-$75,000 a month, plus expenses, to provide financial advice, assist in capital raising, and/or the sale, of CSHM’s “mystery assets”. This should be fun to watch!
I’m thinking that is far from a fair fee; David Copperfield demands much more to perform magic tricks.
I believe the last company to assisted in the sale of this illegal operation (the DeRose’s sale to Arcaptia and the Nashville crooks) failed to do their due diligence.
Here is an excerpt from the Retention Agreement between CSHM and Morgan Joseph- (link to the full agreement at the end)
[FYI-employees weren’t told until this morning. But told there was nothing to worry about, money would be coming soon. LMAO! ]
Some of the highlights of the Top 20 Creditors are:
Creditor | Amount Owed |
US Govt toward $24 settlement | $10,714,233.36 |
Michael G. Lindley | $859,955.27 |
Alfred J. Smith | $674,545.81 |
Henry Schein, Inc | $568,478.11 |
Shary Retail, Inc, | $542,125.00 |
Seeway Asst Mngt | $326,162.00 |
Shearman and Sterling, LLP | $310,700.20 |
So, has this captured the attention of the other Interstate children Medicaid dental mills? You bet! Visitors to this site today come from several other corporate mills, including Ocean Dental out of Stillwater, OK.
Comment MDavis:
Yes, the Affidavit of Martin McGahan is particularly troubling in its veracity, or lack there of.
"In many cases, SSHC or CSHM has guaranteed the dental centers’ performance under those leases or assumed obligations under existing guarantees." That is the action of an OWNER, not a distanced management service organization (MSO).
On page 2, "The dental centers are owned by licensed dentists." Sorry, that simply doesn't pass the smell test either. These bogus figurehead dentists were paid an addition sum, to pose as "Owners" for State Regulatory Boards. We also realize from Case Law in Orthodontic Centers of America, Inc No. 07-30430 (Fifth Circuit (Texas) 12-30-2008) that the Court found these typical management services (from MSOs) constituted the practice of dentistry.
On page 3, "The Debtors do not own any real property." Even if the real estate is leased, the dental equipment has a tangible value, and dental equipment doesn't come cheap. This dental equipment is no longer owned by the former owner "Old FORBA" (the DeRose, et.al. group). The bogus "Lead Dentists" don't own it. It's an asset of value to Creditors.
On page 4, there is mention of Shari'ah Law. This was to conform w/ the investment of Arcapita Bank. Well guess what? Under Shari'ah Codes one can't make loans, and generate profits though interest payments. An investment banking firm, i.e. Arcapita Bank, may buy into a business, then later sell off the business, hopefully generating a profit. This makes the Party buying in, a Partner in the business. They share risks, liabilities, & potential profits. So, we're now talking about potential fiscal liabilities of Partner, Arcapita Bank, and not simply CSHM.
Page 4 & 5 get more into the "dance" of compliance w/ Shari'ah Codes. Ever read the Annual Report of Arcapita Bank, & the pages directed to their strict compliance w/ Shari'ah Codes? It certainly looks like they go to lengths, to avoid issues which they seemingly hold highly ethical. Does it break w/ Shari'ah Code to be involved in business, which harms small children & defrauds the taxpayer? Heck, just read the Release of the US Justice Department, w/ the $24 Mil Settlement.
Page 7 gets into who they want to establish as First Lien. In other words, CSHM goes bankrupt, and the real owners, the investment bankers of Arcapita Bank, The Carlyle Group, and American Capital are first in line to collect. That doesn't pass the smell test either. Do you believe a Bankruptcy Court would buy into that? Representatives of these Investment Companies openly sat & served on the Board of CSHM. They were involved in business decision making, or were positioned to do so, even if they attempt to pass the responsibility.
Page 10 "The Company is party to a Management Services Agreement (“MSA”) with each dental center for which the Company provides management services (collectively the“Dental Centers”). Pursuant to each MSA, the Company provides the Dental Centers with management services such as billing and collection, bookkeeping, accounting and tax services,dentist and staff recruitment, payroll services, human resources, information technology support,equipment and supplies procurement, leasing, repairs and capital improvements, and assistance with compliance, legal issues, governmental affairs, and licensing and permitting. In exchange for providing these services to the Dental Centers, the Company receives a management fee from which it funds its operations." This is all the activity of Practice of Dentistry, and OWNER of a Dental Practice. “Dental Centers”). Pursuant to each MSA, the Company provides the Dental Centers with management services such as billing and collection, bookkeeping, accounting and tax services, dentist and staff recruitment, payroll services, human resources, information technology support,equipment and supplies procurement, leasing, repairs and capital improvements, and assistance with compliance, legal issues, governmental affairs, and licensing and permitting. In exchange f r providing these services to the Dental Centers, the Company receives a management fee from which it funds its operations." This is all the activity of Practice of Dentistry, and OWNER of a Dental Practice. They spell it out, in attempt to circumvent reality.
More later.
The attorneys will have fun over this nonsense.
Michael W Davis, DDS
Comment Debbie:
Just think, there is 35 more pages of this BS for this document. Ole Martin failed to mention, at least so far as I’ve gotten through this, that it’s management services are in exchange for 100% of the profits, and we give the owners of the clinics a flat fee of $1250 for each clinic! It’s that just a upside down and backassward way of saying, we own and operate dental centers and the dentists are our employees! Guess, the word management has taken on an all new meaning…. No, I just mange that car in the driveway for the bank. Yep, that works for me if any liability issues were to come up. LOL
Comment: MDavis
If I were a Creditor, I'd also do serious background check into real estate assets, especially the early clinics established in CO, NM, & AZ, by the DeRoses. I would not assume, at face value, all the real estate is leased. It may be leased through yet another dummy corporation, of The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Bank, & American Capital.
Yes, this takes the effort of going to County Records & Deeds. Anyone familiar w/ this blog will soon recognize certain names & titles, to have an eye open for.
In my time, I've met certain Judges, who've presided over Federal Bankruptcy Court. IMHO- they won't broker liars or BS. And, they've seen every scheme in the book. They've got a HUGE case workload, and have no time for manipulators & cheats.
The Martin McGahan Affidavit is a HUGE risk, by The Carlyle Group, Arcapita Group, & American Capital. If right from the get-go, these parties appear the schemers, which they are, the Judge is likely to get POed. And believe me, one doesn't want to be on the wrong side of a POed Federal Judge.
Michael W Davis, DDS
First off, it doesn’t look to me that all these children need free screenings. Second, it’s not free… nothing is. Rest assured the taxpayer is picking up this dime, which is all well and good, IF… and that is a HUGE if… It’s needed. Looks to me like at least one of these children were regular patients. Just saying..
SAN ANTONIO -
A trip to the dentist is a visit that's often dreaded by children and their parents.
For children, a dental checkup can be a pain in the mouth. For parents, it can be a pain in the pocketbook.
"It's expensive," said Hilda Calderon, mother of 7-year-old Crystal Calderon.
Calderon got a break on Monday morning when Texas Smiles Dental Center offered free dental screenings in recognition of National Children's Dental Health Month.
They called it "Healthy Smile, Happy Child Day".
EL PASO, Texas —
Kool Smiles Dentistry for Kids is the target of San Antonio attorneys who are soliciting claims against the dental offices for allegedly using force on children or providing unnecessary treatment.
KFOX14 took a look into the claims.
TV ads sponsored by the attorneys are dark and allude to dental nightmares for children.
They are attention-grabbing and prompted KFOX14 to ask parents via Facebook about their own Kool Smiles experiences.
We received nearly two dozen positive responses, including Penelope Alba, who has been taking her two children, Greg Diaz and Ada Alba, to Kool Smiles for years. She said her kids love Kool Smiles.