Yes, good people will take over, once the people of the community and the Federal, State and Local governments get the criminals out of the way. Dr. Wilson would have been there to begin with, if everyone had not been blinded by the greed, and BS they were being told by the gangsters. I like that this guy cut all ties with Church Street Health Management and Small Smiles, he makes that clear. Go Dr. Wilson!
Binghamton dentist takes over former Small Smiles clinic for kids on city's West Side
Published: Thursday, August 30, 2012, 2:01 PM Updated: Thursday, August 30, 2012, 2:27 PM
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A controversial Medicaid dental clinic for children on Syracuse’s West Side that closed in March has a new operator.
Wilson Dental, which established a practice last year at 610 S. Salina St., opened a second office last month in the former Small Smiles clinic at 220 S. Geddes St.
Small Smiles, part of a national chain, closed shortly after its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The chain had been accused of bilking Medicaid — the public health insurance program for the poor and disabled — out of millions of dollars by performing unnecessary work on children.
The clinic also was sued last year by 10 area families who claimed children treated at the practice were subjected to root canals, tooth extractions and fillings while physically restrained in a dental chair and without sedation or general anesthesia in some instances.
Dr. Michael Wilson, who also practices in Binghamton, said he didn’t buy the Small Smiles practice because he did not want to become liable for any of its problems.
“We didn’t accept any of their old patient records or hire any former employees,” Wilson said. “It was a clean break.”
He said the 6,000-square-foot clinic is a “heck of a facility.”
Wilson will continue operating his South Salina office.
Wilson said after Small Smiles closed his South Salina office saw a big influx of young patients.
“We were booked out for three months and we really needed more space to see the kids,” he said.
Most dentists in Central New York do not accept Medicaid because the program’s fees are so low. “The need in Syracuse is so huge,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s practice has several specialists including a pediatric dentist, an oral surgeon and a pediatric anesthesiologist. “A 3-year-old who comes in with a mouth full of cavities needs to be put to sleep,” Wilson said.
He said about 20 general dental offices and clinics between Syracuse and Binghamton refer patients to Wilson Dental because it is difficult to find other specialists in the region who accept Medicaid.
Wilson, who went to dental school at New York University, moved to Binghamton in 2008 to set up a practice after discovering few dentists there accepted Medicaid.
He expanded into Syracuse after seeing some Medicaid patients drive 70 miles to his Binghamton office because they could not find a dentist here.
On July 1 the state began requiring Medicaid patients to get their dental care through the same private health insurers that handle their other health benefits. Prior to July 1, the state administered Medicaid dental benefits. The state made the change in an effort to curb Medicaid spending.
Dr. Wilson’s approach is unlike Andrew Loomis-Pueblo Small Smiles, now Family and Kids Dental. Dr. Loomis has been at Small Smiles CSHM since May 2011 and Jeremy Hodge-Manassas-now Kids and Family Dental. Hodge is fresh meat out of Idaho who came on board back in March 2012. I doubt ANY ties have been broken with these two. Well, unless some “reties” with the DeRose’s. After all Pueblo is their baby.
