On May 23, 2012, Rick Workman breaks ground on a HUGE expansion for their corporate headquarters in Effing-no-where, IL. Part of the new facility will be for “training” purposes and I’m sure the psychiatric department will have new offices. Psychiatric department you ask? Yes, that’s what I’m told. If you can’t maintain your production numbers, they actually have psychologists come for a little chit chat. A little couch time, so to speak.
Now,less than 4 months later, Workman has put Heartland up for sale, asking price… a mere $1.4 BILLION dollars.
To here him tell it, he just leases the use of some appointment scheduling software, that he doesn’t even own, and does some payroll services for independent dental clinics. (liar, liar, pants on fire…)
I’m sure the folks of Illinois are tickled pink to give Workman his $3 million dollars back for his “expansion”. ( $3 mil is the EXACT amount Heartland had to pay to settle fraud allegations in 2008.) Did anyone hear the “Kennedy” tone in the voice?
HOMES
In Effingham, IL Richard Eugene and Angie Workman’s home is located at 16130 Hildene Drive, Effingham, IL 62401
FLORIDA
These next two pictures are of the larger of the three Windermere, Florida castles. It comes in at 23,666 sq. ft. – 9800 Walzer Ct. Windermere, FL 34786-8907
Below is the “medium” sized home in Florida - 19,406 sq. ft. – address 5180 Vardon Dr. Windermere, FL 34786-8960. Appears it was built by Workman in 2008 and 2011 assessed value was $6 mil. UPDATE – thought to be SOLD December 2011. Also owns a $2 mil lot around the corner on Blanche Cove Dr.
Properties can be searched here.
JETS
Looks like Rick purchased a bigger jet, which in turn cause the airport to have to build a bigger hanger for it. Oh, yeah and longer runway. Gee, thanks Rick.
See: Airport Commission in Market for Jet Tenants – June 2012
COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS
From Topix forum – Discussing Dekalb Dental Group – part of Heartland.
LISA – Canton, IL - Before going to seek a new dentist.. PLEASE check and see if they are a part of HEARTLAND DENTAL CARE.. If they are run the other way. They are only trying to take your money. They diagnosis unnecessary treatment. Do not take me wrong,there are a FEW good dentists that work for Heartland, but a majority of them are not. The corporation is all about numbers/money and not about patient care!!! Trust me I used to work for them..
SOPHIE – Champaign, IL - You are exactly correct! Heartland Dental appears to put on a good show but it is only a front to extract the most amount of money from each patient. I worked for Heartland in Champaign, Il and it was a nightmare. The whole idea is to upcharge as much as possible on the insurance. I only wish that these Dental corporations are discovered to be the frauds that they are. It is no wonder the medical care in this country is in such bad shape when there are places like these that deceive the consumer and the insurance companies.
ANOYMOUS Saint Peters, MO - I am a past employee of Heartland Dental. I've worked in the field for quite a number of years and left on my own a little over a year after I took the job. I was having problems sleeping at night! There were too many unethical things happening. I was constantly reminded by superiors that "this is a business". Patient care WASN'T priority but "the bottom line" was!
ANONYMOUS – AOL - I too am a former employee of Heartland Dental Care. I too have had many sleepless nights over the lack of ethics. Though it is in a weird way, comforting to see similar stories, I find it a very hard pill to swallow to see such similar stories! The public in general have no clue the lack of care from this company. Heartland encourages offices to treatment plan only based on money and nothing else. They do not have the patient's best interest at all. The doctors are not qualified to do most of the procedures ie; Root Canals, Implants. That's why there are so many failures and lawsuits. A good dentist would either refer out to a specialist for those procedures or continue their education to learn how (and not a weekend course). Most of the time the patients do not figure this out until it's too late and thousands of dollars later. The doctors are pushed to produce and collect at all costs. What's scary to me is this is a blog about just a few practices in Illinois, but I'm sure there are similar stories in every town, in every Heartland owned dental office. I personally reported a doctor coming to work under the influence, as well as insurance fraud and theft. I was warned by my immediate supervisor to keep my mouth shut if I wanted to keep my job. The "big wig" in the HR Dept. has sent me several threatening letters since my resignation. Heartland thinks they can bully their way through anything. I feel it's my obligation, at the very least, to let as many people know as I can to please RUN away as fast as you can from any Heartland office. As for the employees like myself, do the right thing and report Heartland to your local Board of Dentistry and tell anyone and everyone you know about them!FORMER EMPLOYEE – LOUISVILLE, KY - Actually, Rick Workman ALSO has a mansion in Effingham, IL that is on an estate...w/two gymnasiums ALONG w/his home next to Tiger Woods. He also owns either a custom Rolls Royce or Bentley, not to mention private jet. What "Sunshine" wrote is true, he lives off the money he has scammed. I would like him to look a 90 year old sweet little woman in the eye and tell her she could not have a refund for a $3000 denture made by an impaired dentist she can't wear. Maybe Pat Bauer could tell the elderly gentleman with rampant untreated gum disease why he can't get his $6000 refund for the two failed implants and denture he can't wear. Or the woman with five failed root canals w/in one year. It goes on and on. I would like Chad Thompson to explain how he can sleep at night.
I speak from experience, because I expressed my concerns straight up to my RDO and a Vice President of Operations when they visited our office. I was fired five days later. The impaired dentist was transferred out of state to another Heartland office, where he remains a high producer.
He is presently being sued by a former patient who suffers damage from a nerve he severed. I assure you I have made reports to appropriate Boards; however, some states are behind in coming to terms with how to deal with corporate dentistry. This is one story that spans just a 9 month period.
FORMER EMPLOYEE – HUNTINGBURG, IN I just have to say I am also a former employee that quit because I had several sleepless nights due to the unethical practices with this company. After I brought my concerns up with management I was wrote up for a"negative attitude" In response to that I told my office manager if u were expected to work off the clock and rip people off u would have a negative attitude.
There appears to be a common thread among the coporate dental clowns, and it’s referred to as Id: you have the DeRose bunch and their “Thunder Bowl along with the city of Pueblo, Colorado, then you have Six Flags Over Malouf and Malouf's WaterPrik Park and Workman seems to need 1000 sq. ft. of living space for ever inch in height.
I don’t have a clue why we any dentists at all working on teeth – treating cavities, gum disease, and other malformations. The money is in the managing of the clinics. And according to these jokers, it’s the one thing no one want to do.
Hey, future dentists, screw the practice of dentistry, it’s the management of the practice of dentistry… that’s where the loot is found! And you don’t need a college degree to do it!
Related:
If you’re interested in another 9 minutes of watching Workman stutter and clamor when talking about exactly what Heartland Dental does, check this video out.
