Showing posts with label Heartland Dental letter writing campaign opposing DSO regulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heartland Dental letter writing campaign opposing DSO regulation. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Ontario Teachers Union Pension Fund takes over My Dentist Complete Care Dentistry

 

My Dentist Complete logoAccording to reports, including the one at The City Wire, Heartland Dental has taken control of My Dentist Complete Care Dentistry, founded by the late Dr. Rodney Pat Steffan in Oklahoma City, OK. What reports fail to mention is who actually “controls” Heartland Dental.  That would be Ontario' Teachers Union Pension Fund.  According to Business Week, the union pension fund took over in December 2012, to the tune of $650 million.

 

city wire logo“Heartland Dental’s vision and values align perfectly with the principles on which Dr. Steffen founded My Dentist,” stated Kevin Offel, My Dentist president and CEO said in a statement.

That is a scary statement for any and all My Dentist patients! 

city wire logoThe My Dentist locations will continue to use the same branding and signage now used.

 

This is what makes it so shady and hard to determine the ownership and control of these corporate mills. 

city wire logo“Through our affiliation with Heartland Dental, I am confident we will continue operating My Dentist with the integrity and same caring heart we have always demonstrated,” Dr. Jennifer Chambers said. “I am personally excited as both a Clinical Director and a practicing dentist to carry-on the values and practices instilled in us with My Dentist while enhancing our capabilities going forward with our Heartland Dental affiliation.”

There is that word, ‘affiliation” again!  Jot down Dr. Jennifer Chambers’ name, I’m sure someone will need this information in the future.

 

city wire logoThe transaction is subject to certain regulatory and other approvals and is expected to be completed within 60 days. Upon completion of the transaction, My Dentist will be affiliated with a company that provides dental support services to more than 500 dental offices in 26 states.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Reports of Heartland Dental letter writing campaign opposing DSO regulation

Texas legislators are attempting to regulate the operation of Dental Service Organizations (DSO’s), currently operating secretly in the state.  At the very least lawmakers want them to register as doing business in their state. 

At public hearings in March 2012 lawmakers were shocked to hear members of the TSBDE say they didn’t have a clue how many dental clinics were operating in the state. The TSBDE also admitted they were oblivious as to who owned any dental clinics in Texas.  That’s right, the same clinics where licensed (or not) dentists perform medical procedures on Texas citizens, the TSBDE didn’t know who owned any of them – be it an actual dentist, a group greedy investors or a teacher’s union in Canada, i.e. Heartland.  Further, no one seemed to care until it was pointed out the hundreds of millions of dollars being stolen from the Medicaid program. 

HB 151 attempts to change that, but HB 151 hasn’t moved since February 21, 2013 – has rigor mortis set in?

During at least 2 hearings since last March – the last earlier this month - the DSO’s have sent stooges to testify.  Under oath, they have declared there is nothing shady going on.  The most laughable happened last Fall, when Diane Earle of NCDR/Kool Smiles was nearly laughed out of the chamber. Ok, few actually laughed out loud, but she did receive a “bless her heart” type dismissal.  NCDR/Kool Smiles Dental is owned by FFL Partners in San Francisco. see video.

In an attempt to keep the bones buried, NCDR/Kool Smiles seldom misses the opportunity to remind employees (past and present) of confidentiality agreements they signed when they began their employment with the company.  i.e. letters of intimidation and threats of lawsuits.

The DSO’s are fighting back. They don’t want any government agency to know they are doing business in any state, let alone the degree of shadiness.

Wonder why that is, exactly? I’ll tell you why, because they know they are operating multi-million dollar illegal businesses. When you have nothing to hide, you hide nothing, right?

The latest report of DSO’s fighting back is Heartland Dental “requesting” their dentist send letters to lawmakers opposing any regulations requiring DSO’s to register with any government body.  So lawmakers – in any state or in Washington - if you are suddenly receiving letters from dentists opposing DSO registration, take their name and address, they work for one!