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Will CareCredit be the Next ADA Subsidiary to Fail?
I saw a warning sign last week.
By Darrell K. Pruitt; DDS 
My aggressive writing hobby has understandably brought me in hard contact with public relations people whose job is to insulate good ol’ boys from accountability – even if it means taking hits for the team and staining their reputations. Let’s face the fact we all of us involved in public relations know but don’t dare discuss: Depending on the ethics of one’s employer, PR professionals are sometimes used up like expendable pawns. And avoiding bylines for press releases no longer shields anyone from accountability.
I often silently stalk PR employees (Gasp!) on the Internet who work for sleazy companies just to better understand them. I’ve discovered that it is not hard to find and exploit the weaknesses of those whose heart isn’t behind selling their employer’s product. Sometimes all it takes is a fistful of transparency to cause defenseless representatives to completely shut up, and that alone makes our neighborhood safer. Committee-approved methods of evasion are as simple-minded as committees, so it doesn’t take long to figure them out – exposing the shameful ethics of those who sign off on the use of lame, institutional trickery.
For example, here’s a very popular, traditional PR trick: If a huge business entity such as the ADA has bad news they can no longer keep secret from customers, professional PR-types will advise their bosses to post bad news on a Friday to soften the blow. When traditional leaders find that they can no longer sidestep accountability, delaying accountability until a busy news day is the next best thing one can purchase. Even though the tricks seem simple, there are people who study evasion science as part of obtaining a degree in marketing.
So how good is the ADA’s PR team? How much time did ADA members’ employees buy for leaders before they had to quietly acknowledge an expensive failure?
On July 10, a Friday, “ADA/idm to phase out service” was posted on ADA News Online without a byline. (Another PR trick: When the ADA posts an orphan without a name, it means someone is ashamed of the bastard.)
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=3655
“ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. (ADABEI), a wholly owned ADA subsidiary, announced today that ADA Intelligent Dental Marketing (ADAidm) of Salt Lake City, one of its joint venture companies, is no longer able to provide marketing services to its customers due to significant production and operational difficulties.”
Now the ADA must refund money to members in a depressed market. Could this embarrassment for our professional organization have been quietly avoided instead of delayed and magnified? I personally started seeing clues of CEO Trajan King’s reticence long ago, and warned ADA leaders in Chicago about my concerns. Nobody ever responded to my numerous, sincere warnings.
These are highly critical times on Capitol Hill and our patients trust us to represent their welfare. Dentists are their last hope, because there is nobody else who cares. Practicing dentists are solely responsible for assuring the benevolence of our niche market, and we are losing control publicly. Disasters like the ADA/IDM make the ADA look foolish to Congress, and word gets around fast on the Internet.
This morning, I read an article posted on The NY Times titled “Study Measures the Chatter of the News Cycle, “ written by Steve Lohr.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/technology/internet/13influence.html?_r=1
Researchers at Cornell used powerful computers and sophisticated algorithms to accomplish an unprecedented analysis of news articles and comments on the Web during the 2008 presidential campaign. They studied the characteristics of the news cycle by scanning 1.6 million mainstream media sites and blogs for repeated phrases and tracking the history of their appearances.
Lohr writes: “The researchers’ data points to an evolving model of news media. While most news flowed from the traditional media to the blogs, the study found that 3.5 percent of story lines originated in the blogs and later made their way to traditional media.”
The study also shows that traditional news outlets are still quicker than blogs by 2.5 hours. I should now point out that the Cornell study was performed using data from very popular, huge news items collected during a presidential election – not hidden, niche news like dentistry’s.
If you are involved in the dental industry, where are you more likely to read time-sensitive news about our profession first? In an ADA publication, or from D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS?
Whereas traditional media is 2.5 hours quicker with popular topics, I scooped traditional ADA News Online by three weeks when I posted “ADA/idm – A bad union after all?” on the PennWell forum.
http://community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/forum/topics/adaidm-a-bad-union-after-all
So what about the warning sign I saw concerning CareCredit – a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ADA?
When Trajan King, former CEO of the defunct ADA/IDM partnership refused to acknowledge my questions, I immediately suspected something was terribly wrong with the union of my non-profit professional organization and his for-profit Utah advertisement company. Six months later, my fears were confirmed. Now then, I hope it grabs someone’s attention that I see the same warning signs coming from the ADA’s CareCredit business. Note this date: July 13, 2009.
On Thursday, July 9, CareCredit purchased a press release on dentalblogs.com: “CareCredit Adds 24-Month, No-Interst [sic] Payment Plan” (no byline).
Since dental problems only get worse, I consider the idea of extending credit to dental patients is a benevolent thought during these hard financial times. I also say that the offer appears to have been put together out of generosity and not greed like the ADA/IDM disaster. However, at 4:54 pm on the same day that CareCredit’s press release was posted, I submitted a difficult question for the anonymous author of the piece who works PR for CareCredit – and is an ADA employee.
“If the Red Flags Rule is not delayed for the third time in three weeks, how will it affect those who offer Care Credit?”
I was given the hopeful response “Your comment is awaiting moderation,” but days later there is no sign that my question is being considered at all. Please, oh please ask yourself: What could CareCredit leaders be hiding and how much will it end up costing ADA membership?
I will not be ignored by anyone. Today, I submitted two follow-up questions on dentalblogs.com. I considered warning the anonymous moderator that this is being simulposted on other blogs, as well as described on Twitter, but then I thought, why spoil the fun? Let the leaders of the ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. (ADABEI) get word of my e-Attack from their colleagues. Won’t they be surprised!
Oh, and for those who are wondering what happened to ADA/IDM CEO Trajan King – he quit.
Dear Dentalblogs.com moderator:
On July 9 at 4:54 pm, I submitted a sincere question concerning how the Red Flags Rule will affect ADA members who sign up for CareCredit. Instead of posting it with the promise of an answer, you regretfully chose to censor an ADA member. Today, July 13, I have a second and third question: Why did you ignore my first one and who is your boss?
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Filed under: "Doctors Only", Breaking News, Career Development, Ethics, Health Insurance, Information Technology, Marketing & Advertising, Media Mentions and PR, Pruitt's Platform, Research & Development | Tagged: ADA, ADA Business Enterprises, ADA/IDM, ADABEI, American Dental Association, CareCredit, Darrell Pruitt, dentists, IDM, Intellignet Dental Marketing, red flag rules, Steve Lohr, Trajan King |
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Your ADA News link doesn’t work …
The Curious DDS
_____________________________
Dr. Pruitt,
PS: Can you assist us, here?
Thanks.
Ann
[Executive Director]
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Thanks for informing me. Evidently, the ADA re-wrote (?) the article, still with no byline, and re-posted it on July 13. Here is the new link.
http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=3655
Ann, can you make the correction?
Darrell
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The ADA’s link gone bad is becoming real-time interesting, sports fans.
I wish I had a good email address for The Curious DDS. I want to blow a kiss to him or her for reporting the faulty link I posted to the July 10th ADA article, “ADA/idm to phase out service.” Without her (?) help, it might have been around August 1 before others would have discovered that things are going poorly for the ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. (ADABEI). Perhaps by helping to alert ADA membership to possible problems inside our professional organization we can save money by having mistakes corrected sooner rather than later – as was the unfortunate case with ADA/IDM.
The link to the ADA’s July 10 article with no byline turned bad because it was withdrawn from the ADA News Online Website and replaced with a new version dated July 13 – also unsigned. For those unfamiliar with acceptable standards in online journalism, deletion is an extremely drastic decision for an editor to have to make. In situations like this, if an author of the withdrawn article cannot share the accountability, the editor usually falls on his or her sword for good reason. Anyone can see that if word gets out about a national publication’s emerging revisionary habit, credibility melts away. The ADA is not wiki. Not yet. To be truly wiki, authors cannot be allowed to be anonymous for reasons of accountability. Not a bad idea, actually.
Attention ADA members. Do you see how much is at stake? Do you agree that as long as command and control bureaucrats in the ADA attempt to control information, the rot spreads? Because of suspicious actions by the ADABEI, now the credibility of ADA publications has been drawn into the mess.
When Curious DDS attracted my attention to the bad link, I immediately thought it was unfortunate that I didn’t bother to copy the whole ADA article before it was erased. I cannot tell you what changes were made – if any at all.
So, discerning sports fans, in 140 characters or less, why do you think that on Monday morning, someone in ADA Headquarters quickly determined that Friday’s “ADA/idm to phase out service” was important to retract without explanation?
Here’s what I think: I think that because the article was posted on Friday per advice from a classically trained public relations consultant, a classically trained executive director didn’t get a chance to read something it contained that she didn’t like until Monday morning.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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ADA News Online is a Revision Machine
Did I promise to deliver “real-time” news? Today, I’m humbly discovering that I made an impossible promise to keep. I apologize for the boastful exaggeration. I simply can’t keep up with the editor at ADA News Online. He just cranked out the third revision of “ADA/idm to phase out service” in just under a week. I must confess that I cannot type fast enough keep up with him and still see my dental patients that are scheduled today.
I suspect somewhere in command and control ADA Headquarters in Chicago things are falling apart exponentially faster as today plows on. The latest version of “ADA/idm to phase out service” is exactly like Friday’s version number 1. Monday morning’s version number 2, which I saw briefly this morning before it was changed, was about 313 characters shorter.
What follows are the 313 characters which were reattached to the article today.
“ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. (ADABEI), a wholly owned ADA subsidiary, announced today that ADA Intelligent Dental Marketing (ADAidm) of Salt Lake City, one of its joint venture companies, is no longer able to provide marketing services to its customers due to significant production and operational difficulties.”
This happens to be the only paragraph I quoted in my original comment in this growing thread about our under-the-radar reality show: “ADA/IDM break-up.”
Now that I have a little more evidence, I suspect it was a classically trained ADA attorney who panicked and pulled the first paragraph back from the Internet as soon as she read it on Monday morning. It’s not difficult to see the liability in the editor’s statement. They should talk more often.
So why did the editor wait until today to reattach the opening paragraph? The answer is right here, sports fans.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Hi Darrell and all ME-P Readers
In his above comments, Dr. Pruitt said:
“For those unfamiliar with acceptable standards in online journalism, deletion is an extremely drastic decision for an editor to have to make. In situations like this, if an author of the withdrawn article cannot share the accountability, the editor usually falls on his or her sword for good reason. Anyone can see that if word gets out about a national publication’s emerging reversionary habit, credibility melts away.”
I could not agree more. Thanks for the thought and for reinforcing journalistic ethics. Just because we are digital, does not mean we can absolve ourselves from journalistic ethics; as several recent comments ME-P have noted.
Too bad the ADA apparently feels otherwise. Darrell is correct to criticize same.
Dirk
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DentalBlogs.com is Biased and Busted
For those who have been following me lately, you may have read my Letter to the Editor of the JADA titled “Publish this, JADA” from yesterday.
http://community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/profiles/blogs/publish-this-jada
A critical part of the letter was my warning that fresh on the heels of the ADA/IDM disaster, I interpret bad signals coming from CareCredit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ADA. I described how http://www.DentalBlogs.com refused to post my questions about the Red Flags Rule. That, of course, is inexcusable.
Today, I discovered that DentalBlogs.com is allowing others to post comments following the PR piece for CareCredit. So I submitted my third comment. I haven’t yet told “Nancy” that I am posting the real time melt-down here. Can you keep a secret?–
http://www.dentalblogs.com/archives/administrator/press-release-carecredit-adds-24-month-no-interst-payment-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-35270
“I see the question now. DentalBlogs was on vacation last week!” – dentalblogs.com, 7/20/09
Dear Editor, DentalBlogs:
Whoever you are, you just won’t believe what happened on your Website while you were on vacation.
On July 9, days before your vacation, I submitted this sincere and timely question to the anonymous author of the CareCredit article about no-interest loans:
“If the Red Flags Rule is not delayed for the third time in three weeks, how will it affect those who offer Care Credit?”
August 1 is the deadline for compliance with the Red Flags Rule – which has everything to do with offering CareCredit through one’s dental practice. Editor, your vacation delayed many ADA members from receiving important information for 11 critical days – even if you post this comment immediately. That is regrettable. It would be clearly foolish for a dentist to sign up for extending credit at this point in time with the FTC deadline now only 10 days away. In less than a month, CareCredit could have some very angry members who are owners of the ADA subsidiary with shy leaders. Then again, I don’t know for sure. That is why I asked the July 9 question that you sit on, Editor. I really wish I had a name to address.
Instead of actually posting my question, “Nancy” posted the reassuring message “Your comment is awaiting moderation” until today.
This morning, I discovered that “Jayne,” “Emergency dental richmond hill” and “Administrator” all successfully posted their anonymous comments on July 17, 19 and 20. My two signed comments were not posted, and I am no longer reassured that they are “awaiting moderation.” Here are my second and third questions:
“On July 9 at 4:54 pm, I submitted a sincere question concerning how the Red Flags Rule will affect ADA members who sign up for CareCredit. Instead of posting it with the promise of an answer, you regretfully chose to censor an ADA member. Today, July 13, I have a second and third question: Why did you ignore my first one and who is your boss?”
Now, Nancy, I am waiting on answers to three questions (No phone calls, please).
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Surrender, Nancy
I submitted this to be posted on DentalBlogs.com. Like all the others, it too is awaiting moderation, but not patiently.
Dear Editor – DentalBlogs.com (Nancy):
Though my boundless patience is often challenged, I try my best to resist the temptation to use the word “stupid” when pointing out stupidity to insensitive dinosaurs like you. But in this case, I cannot think of a more honest attribute for your growing, anonymous Internet resume. You are world-class stupid, Nancy. If I had your real name, I could quickly make you famous. I’m good at it. For example, if you google “Trajan King,” the former CEO of ADA/IDM (like CareCredit, another ADABEI former profit center), his first two hits are my comments which are highly critical, but honest assessments of his poor leadership skills. Like you, Nancy, he completely lacked common business sense and was caught. The rumor is, it was because I progressively undermined his authority that he finally quit the job in May, just before the partnership with the ADA fell apart. And I performed this community service between checking my dental patients! Think how much money I saved gullible ADA members. If I hadn’t stepped in, ADA/IDM might have continued cheating members for another year or so before falling apart.
Today, your foolish, childish behavior cost your boss, DentalBlogs.com, valuable credibility among many dentists because I described your blog’s lack of journalism ethics several places including the PennWelldentalgroup.com blog in a piece titled, “DentalBlogs.com is biased and busted.” It is posted under my thread “Publish this, ADA,” which I submitted as a sincere Letter to the Editor of the JADA.
http://community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/profiles/blogs/publish-this-jada#comments
Within hours, the thread became the most popular one on the PennWell blog. In addition, the Medical Executive-Post picked it up. It is rising in popularity there as well.
I’m even keeping my Twitter followers posted on your melt-down. They call me @Proots.
Face it, Nancy. We both know that you already deeply regret not posting my first sincere question concerning CareCredit and the Red Flags Rule. I will make sure that your anonymous contempt for your customers will cause you, CareCredit and DentalBlogs.com pain for a long, long time … unless you come clean with everyone publicly.
I suggest you surrender and post everything I send you – including this ugly bastard. Understand, I’m just getting started with jerking around the reputations of CareCredit, DentalBlogs.com and Nancy. At some point someone may want to offer a defense. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all welcome the attempt.
Otherwise, I’m followed by a quirky crowd with a bent sense of humor I call my sports fans, and intend to make this adventure entertaining for them while trying out clever SEO tricks at your expense. It’s the anonymity makes you fair game for the nastiest of unconventional PR warfare, Nancy.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Fresh, Squirmy Prey
Here we go again, sports fans. Fresh prey is scrambling and the chase is on!
Every day something new and exciting is happening on DentalBlogs.com as we watch their lame, old school reactions to e-Attack in real time. Squirm happens. Squirm amuses.
This is today’s lesson for blog editors with reputations who are entrusted to protect their company’s brand: If you dress up revenue-producing advertisements to look like articles, you are investing your reputation in your clients’ honesty. If this is the only way you can make money, always know who you are marrying, never invite comments from readers and never expect to avoid accountability with anonymity.
Yesterday, in addition to the 2 cheery comments by anonymous fans of CareCredit, a comment from “Administrator” was also posted following the article “Press Release: CareCredit Adds 24-Month, No-Interst [sic] Payment Plan.” During the night, the Administrator’s comment was retracted. It was the one that said “[someone] went on vacation last week when things started going crazy on the DentalBlogs.com blog, and that it wasn’t his fault” – or something like that.
But none of my comments have yet appeared. So I submitted another one today:
“You have a real work in progress here. What happened to the Administrator’s comment about being on vacation when the wheels fell off of DentalBlogs.com? It was here just last night. I see Linda Miles advertises with you. Let me see what I can do about that.”
Tomorrow, 10 days before Aug 1, I’ll submit for moderation my first installment of “Countdown to Red Flags Day.” I want to see ADA Business Enterprise Inc squirm too.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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So the ADA/IDM failed. It’s over. Now it’s our duty as members to try to minimize the damage as disappointments are resolved, and we move on – but differently than before the painful experience. From now on, let’s everyone share notes. I think it is evident from this embarrassment that transparency serves our patients’ interests best.
For those not following the PennWell forum, you may have missed the latest news about the ADA/IDM resolution. Mr. Harper, from the defunct ADA/IDM, posted a comment following my article “Time is up, Intelligent Dental Marketing” (November 28, 2008).
http://community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/forum/topics/time-is-up-intelligent-dental?page=1&commentId=2013420%3AComment%3A32474&x=1#2013420Comment32474
“Confused about ADAIDM recent refund statement? Some new insights and answers can be found at http://bit.ly/hzl88 “
Now is the time to put your Twitter account to good use, ADA.
I am posting this news because I promised Harper that I would help to broadcast his message. He obviously wants it to be seen. I’ll also post it on Twitter so that we can quickly reach as many members as possible who have their brands on the line. I’ll even suggest to the still anonymous editor of @ADANews, the ADA’s Twitter account, that he or she would be doing a tremendous service for membership if he (?) would also post Mr. Harper’s message without bothering to wait for committee approval.
It’s impossible to be nimble with a committee for a central nervous system.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Dr. Ron Tankersley and Me
In 1989, independent filmmaker/author Michael Moore released the documentary “Roger & Me.” Moore used sarcasm and irony to draw attention to the negative economic impact on families that occurred when the late General Motors chairman Roger B. Smith closed several auto plants in Flint, Michigan.
Moore, disguised as a TV reporter, interviews auto workers and uncovers a not-unexpected profound disrespect for Smith. Later, Moore attempts to confront the chairman at GM Headquarters in Detroit about the plant closings, but is repeatedly given the bum’s rush by building security and a member of GM’s communication team who finally takes his name and promises an interview – just to get rid of him. Not surprisingly, the lame trick didn’t work. For a huge auto concern like GM, as well as a huge bureaucracy like the ADA, delaying accountability is sometimes the same as avoiding accountability if one isn’t dealing with a special bastard like Moore. Dr. Ron Tankersley, the ADA President, has avoided me for 14 months. Moore was able to win a reply from the chairman of GM in about half the time. He was using a camera.
Over the course of the film, Moore persistently attempts to track down Smith outside of headquarters such as at the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club and the Detroit Athletic Club. His attempts fail when security guards tell him that Smith is not there and that he must leave.
Finally, Moore catches up with the chairman as he is giving a public Christmas message. Moore succeeded in addressing Smith from a distance while reportedly being restrained by security guards. Here is the final exchange:
Moore: “Mr. Smith, we just came down from Flint, where we filmed a family being evicted from their home the day before Christmas. A family that used to work in the factory. Would you be willing to come up with us to see what the situation is like in Flint, so that people…?”
Smith: “I’ve been to Flint, and I’m sorry for those people, but I don’t know anything about it, but you’d have to…”
Moore: “Families being evicted from their homes on Christmas Eve…”
Smith: “Well, I’m… listen, I’m sure General Motors didn’t evict them. You’d have to go talk to the landlord…”
Moore: “They used to work for General Motors, and now they don’t work there anymore.”
Smith: “Well, I’m sorry about that.”
Moore: “Could you come up to Flint with us…”
Smith: “I cannot come to Flint, I’m sorry.”
Considering the disdain I’ve received from ADA officials on all levels, I’m impressed with how well GM chairman Roger Smith treated Michael Moore. Even though Moore is not a major stockholder of GM, Smith gave him the courtesy of a response. That’s something positive.
I’ve paid dues to the ADA for 27 years (approximately $30,000), yet I can’t get an ADA officer to respond to my questions at all, regardless whether I’m polite or not. I’ve also never heard a good ol’ boy say “I’m sorry.” One could argue that ADA leaders, who represent my interests in Washington DC, respect me less than Roger Smith respected Michael Moore.
That’s just not right, and I will not stand for it.
Some of you who are following me on Twitter (@Proots) know that I’m using the social network to maintain my rightful place in the minds of committee members – not to gain followers. Twitter is a wonderful tool for one-way communication with selected targets in the ADA, such as Dr. Tankersley, who would rather nobody know that they are following every word I write. If they are not following, they really should be.
Here is what I posted today. I like the cadence of 140 characters or less.
—————————
I just heard from a former employee of ADA/IDM. He told me some disappointing news about the way the ADA ran things. No wonder it failed.
Good morning, @ADANews, @theTDA and @Chicago_Dental. the CDS broke the ice for the rest of you. Let’s talk. How about it?
Or, we can continue this…. indefinitely.
Neither the ADA nor the TDA are in a favorable bargaining position, and I’m not sure either set of leaders understand the significance.
It’s very easy to see why I will win. My advantages are simple. First, I am not anonymous. I am directly accountable for everything I say.
Secondly (this is the universal trump card) I simply want response from my non-profit professional organization to which I pay dues.
You can no longer blame my unprofessional behavior for your continued refusal to acknowledge my rights as an ADA member. (It’s been 4 years)
Why not make this transition to transparency smooth and almost unnoticed, and I’ll go easy on you for your ADA/IDM blunder.
A few of the 175 followers and I believe that eventually, accountability for mistakes will have to be claimed. Let’s do it on the ADA Facebook.
Anyone in a business for profit knows that if mistakes are not recognized and addressed, they will happen again and again.
There is no longer any room for unaccountability in the ADA. It never makes sense for leaders to ignore members – especially trouble makers.
I heard a rumor that ADA/IDM sold ADA members “template” Websites, and told them they were “custom.” I think I heard there are 5 variations.
Is that the quality that ADA members can expect from ADABEI? How is CareCredit going? Have you been transparent about the Red Flags Rule?
Have you told ADA members that CareCredit will make them FTC covered entities? Or are you counting on getting Red Flags delayed again?
And once again, there’s the quality thing. When I google “CareCredit complaints” it doesn’t make me proud of the ADA. CareCredit is sleazy.
(I am also needling the ADA about our Facebook that is in limbo, and reportedly may not open at all. Yet it still welcomes new fans. For weeks I’ve argued that the ADA is taking down the names of disappointed people.- including future dentists.)
The ADA Facebook landed 28 new fans over the last 24 hours. That’s a new record. Lots of international interest.
Are you shooting for 3000, @ADANews?
————————————
I wonder what Michael Moore would have done with Twitter if it had been popular in 1989. I think he would have used it like I use it, for focusing heat on Roger Smith. But without video, I can tell you that he would have earned much, much less for his efforts. Occasional attaboys are always appreciated though.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Escalation – So far, I’m only whispering
As a communications medium, video images like Michael Moore’s are favored over written words for most people. At this point in my adventure, my writings haven’t provided the minimum force necessary to push transparency to the tipping point in the ADA. It looks like I must continue to escalate my efforts at least a few more times before someone yells “calf rope.” I thought we had more reasonable people leading the ADA. Where did we find these guys?
Michael Moore had pretty good luck cornering GM chairman Roger Smith. And I’ve got a camera with functions I know nothing about.
I’m considering starting a rumor that I intend to ambush ADA President Dr. Ron Tankersley at one (or more) of his speaking engagements this year, just like Moore and Roger Smith. But instead of a big screen premier, I’ll simply post the amateur video of the confrontation (?) partially covered by my finger on Facebook.
Would I go to that kind of trouble for a confrontation? I’ve already invested over $1200 in 3 trips to Chicago for an Evidence-Based Dentistry and Dental Benefits conferences in 2007 and 2008. If the opportunity arises, you’ll witness Tankersley search for a difficult answer before you know it.
Do I have the balls for a confrontation? Ask ADA employee Dr. Ron Zentz. He stepped between me and the microphone at the end of the 2008 EBD Conference. If one googles his name, his mistake is described in his first hit on Google, and is titled “EBD – My search for truth, 2009.” (I wasn’t invited back for the 2009 conference, so I didn’t bother applying for a spot this year).
http://community.pennwelldentalgroup.com/forum/topics/ebd-my-search-for-truth-2009
But maybe it won’t come to confrontation this time – depriving at least one person of solid entertainment that just has to be shared.
D. Kellus Pruitt; DDS
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Don’t worry, ADA. I got your back
A flat world experience happened to me this morning. An office manager from a dentist’s office in Wisconsin called and said that she is working on the practice’s first Website, and was hoping to locate some “excellent instructional videos” that were once marketed by ADA/IDM which closed over a year ago.
She said, “The ADA was not forthcoming with any information.”
I replied, “No, they wouldn’t be.”
For those who weren’t following me years ago, you might be wondering why an ADA member in Wisconsin would turn to me concerning ADA/IDM after getting the run around from ADA Headquarters. Let me show you how that happened: Google “ADA/IDM” as if you were looking for information about my professional organization’s failed partnership. Since my Google searches are biased (thanks a lot, Google), I don’t know how many of my comments come up on the first page of hits for ADA/IDM, but I probably still own at least a couple of the stinkers. That’s how the office manager found me.
Because of their popularity, it’s arguable that my opinions are responsible for hastening the failure of the doomed business venture between the American Dental Association Business Enterprise Inc. (ADABEI) and Intelligent Dental Marketing – a Utah dental advertisement company. Long after the prideful disaster played itself out costing the ADA members’ dues and trust, it seems so obvious that the marriage between my non-profit professional organization and a for-profit advertizing company was a horrible idea. Yet to this date, nobody responsible for the blunder has been held personally accountable to membership. I say the absence of transparency in the ADABEI predisposes the shy leaders to make even more blunders. After all, it’s not their money they’re gambling with.
In the end, I have no clue how to locate the videos the office manager in Wisconsin wants. So I referred her to Kevin Henry, the editor at Dentistry iQ. If anyone in dentistry knows how to find quality instructional dental videos – probably even better than ADA/IDM’s – Kevin Henry is the man.
When ADA officials find themselves forced to neglect members’ interests because of cosmetic reasons, it’s left to me to take on the responsibilities that would otherwise cause good ol’ boys to soil themselves. My pleasure, ADA. I’ll bill you later… repeatedly.
D. Kellus Pruitt DDS
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