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Dentists should be furious with Gingrich for commandeering the ADA

By D. Kellus Pruitt DDS

On This Week roundtable discussion this morning [Sunday], George Will began his comments about Newt Gingrich, now a frontrunner, by saying that he “embodies everything disagreeable about modern Washington.”

Dentists should be furious with not only Gingrich, but with our inattentive dental leaders as well.

Why? 

A couple of days ago, Steve Chapman posted “Gingrich’s corruption” on the ChicagoTribune.com.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/chi-gingrichs-corruption-20111118,0,4581968.story

Chapman writes:

“Conservatives may be able to forgive Newt Gingrich for being an adulterer and for his flip-flops on climate change and mandatory health insurance. They are willing to put those aside because they think he’s shown a fierce attachment to their cause. But, the latest revelations will be harder to digest, because they suggest that his allegiance is for sale.”

He punctuates the condemnation with a quote from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-11-16/newt-gingrich-think-tank-opeds/51246512/1  

“In a series of op-eds stretching over several years, Gingrich repeatedly advocated for various health-care related issues, including electronic health care records, ways to improve the health care sector, and medical malpractice reform without acknowledging the issues were directly connected to members of the Center for Health Transformation, a for-profit think tank he founded in 2003.”

Newt, for a Freddie Mac historian, you’re pretty sly!

According to information that Center for Health Transformation [CHT] spokeswoman Susan Meyers provided USA Today, healthcare stakeholders participating in Gingrich’s “think tank” can expect to pay Gingrich between $5,000 and $200,000, “depending on how many employees attend the center’s meetings and use other services.”

Wouldn’t you just love to ask Ms. Meyers if Gingrich’s think tank members are more likely to realize a return on their investment than their software offers dentists?

I suggested to the editor of the Chicago Tribune to specifically ask ADA President-elect Dr. Robert Faiella questions about the cost and safety of EHRs in dentistry. Then I followed the comment with,

 “And, be sure to tell Dr. Faiella that D. Kellus Pruitt DDS referred you to him. Though we’ve never met, he knows who I am. If you get around to it, you might ask him how much HIPAA compliance raises the cost of dentistry. There are thousands of dentists who would find the President-elect’s answer to that question truly enlightening.”

I Do Find this Fun

Psst…! Chicago Tribune Editor; want a hot tip? I know of a local but far-reaching lead concerning the malignant, corporate corruption described by Steve Chapman in his article. A reporter wouldn’t have to travel far to aggravate employees of a secretive, command and control organization. The ADA National Headquarters is just down the street at 211 East Chicago Avenue. In 2004, the widely-overlooked, not-for-profit’s lack of transparency made it especially vulnerable to Gingrich’s deceptive selling points!

ADA Officials

I think everyone agrees that asking ADA officials reasonable questions about the cost and safety of any high-tech dental product they recommend – including electronic dental record systems – is not unreasonable.

In fact, now that Steve Chapman has shown Newt Gingrich’s profit motives for misleading our dental leaders, caution seems prudent.

This could be ornery-fun if, like me, someone on your staff gets a kick out of asking shy good ol’ boys questions they are hardly ready to answer. I wish the Tribune luck getting past anonymous, unaccountable gatekeepers who shield ADA officials from accountability. I suggest sending your questions to Dr. Robert Faiella. He is not only the unresponsive Chair of the ADA Electronic Health Record Workgroup, but he is the ADA’s latest insensitive President-elect.

Dentists should be furious with Newt Gingrich for commandeering the ADA

Psst…! Chicago Tribune Editor! You interested in another hot tip? I know of a local but potentially far-reaching lead concerning the malignant, corporate corruption described by Steve Chapman in his article exposing Newt Gingrich’s poor manners.

Should you choose to do so, you won’t have to travel far to aggravate employees of a stoic, command and control organization. The national headquarters for the American Dental Association is just down the street at 211 East Chicago Avenue. The widely-forgotten, not-for-profit’s traditional lack of transparency made it especially vulnerable to Gingrich’s deception back in 2004.

I think everyone agrees that asking ADA leaders reasonable questions about the cost and safety of any high-tech dental product they recommend – including electronic dental record systems – is not unreasonable.

In fact, now that Steve Chapman has shown us Newt Gingrich’s motives for misleading our dental leaders, caution seems prudent.

This could be ornery-fun if someone on your staff gets a kick out of asking shy good ol’ boys questions they are not yet ready to answer.

Nevertheless, the ADA will refuse to respond to questions, Editor. Even while I was still a member of the professional organization up until a year ago, it clearly aggravated dental leaders when I repeatedly questioned the cost and safety of EDRs on local, state and national levels of the organization.

I always find evasion intriguing. Maybe you will have better luck getting past anonymous, unaccountable gatekeepers who shield the good ol’ boys from transparency.

Assessment 

Here’s the official to whom I suggest you futileyly address your questions: Dr. Robert Faiella. He is not only the unresponsive Chair of the ADA Electronic Health Record Workgroup, but he is theADA’s latest insensitive President-elect.

Conclusion

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Filed under: Health Insurance, Health Law & Policy, Information Technology, Pruitt's Platform | Tagged: ADA, ADA Electronic Health Record Workgroup, Center for Health Transformation, Chicago Tibune, D. Kellus Pruitt, eDRs, George Will, HIPAA, Newt Gingrich, Robert Faiella, Steve Chapman, Susan Meyers, USA Today | 10 Comments »