Prosperident Pulse Archive — May 2018 to September 2018

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This archive collects five issues of the Prosperident Pulse newsletter from May 2018 through September 2018. Use the table of contents below to jump to any issue.

Issues in this archive


May 2018

 
 Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
 
 
Issue #69 -- May 2018
"Jacob's Ladder"
What is Jacob's Ladder?
 
It could be the biblical connection between Heaven and Earth, or if you are a classic rock fan like our CEO, a Huey Lewis song from the 1980s, but in this case it refers to something different. Jacob's Ladder is a game-changing piece of software written by our brilliant Chief Information Officer, Jake Hiltz. 
 
With a few clicks of a mouse, Jacob's Ladder allows a practice owner to schedule an automated and secure upload of what we need from their practice management software.
 
It makes the process of sharing this information with us simple, quick, and stealthy.  Well done, Jake! 
You Can't Get This From A Podcast
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed-door live events?

Come see us live if you want the full story.
 
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
May 5 Tumbleweed Study Club, Walland TN
May 5 and 6 American Association of Orthodontists, Washington DC
May 12 Wayne Thelen Dental Symposium, Atlanta GA
May 14 University of the West Indies, Jamaica
May 25 Jasper Dental Congress, Jasper AB
Jun 1 Patterson Dental, Austin TX
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & district dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte, NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Dallas TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA

To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
DentalTown Article
Prosperident Supervising Examiner Wendy Askins is definitely at the top of her game.  In addition to conducting some of Prosperident's most challenging investigations, she is an in-demand speaker and author.  She has two presentations in May at the American Association of Orthodontists' annual meeting in Washington DC and her second DentalTown article this year has just been published.
 
Sandy Baird
 
It's available HERE.
 
Our CEO's Column
 

A year ago I stood at a crossroads.  I had a team member who in various ways, was holding us back and had exhibited elements of dishonesty.  The path that I should take was clear, and yet, like many of you who have been in the same place, I hesitated to do what I knew in my heart would be the right thing for the company and my team.
 
It seems silly now, but I had my reasons to hesitate.  Some were selfish – this person had once fulfilled a key role, and I thought to replace them could be difficult. I also wondered if our organization might suffer a morale dip if I let them go.  Some of my hesitations were historical – this person had been with me for a long time, and had achieved some good things before their performance dwindled into erraticism. 
 
Thankfully, I found the courage to do what my heart told me was right, and I can’t tell you what a positive experience it has been for us and our clients.  Without exception, the other members of our team closed ranks and ably filled any void that might have been created.  It was nothing short of amazing to witness the changes that quickly unfolded once that major roadblock to our daily synergy was removed. The management team began to function more smoothly, communicate better, and to make achievements that they, and I, would not have believed were possible one short year ago. 
 
Our business volume has grown dramatically in the past year, and we have had the good fortune to bring on some excellent new team members.  None of our current success could have happened if my team had not supported me while I made the extremely difficult, but correct decision to deal with the person creating the troubles in our office.
 
I hope that you will learn from my example and the lesson is this: embezzlers worm their way into your business and your personal life.  They work hard to make you think that you couldn’t possibly function without them.  Once they get you to believe this, they are confident that they can steal with impunity and without detection.  Maintaining skepticism and taking action on some hard decisions will be the best things you ever did. 
 
If you suspect that all is not well and you are hesitant to investigate or need help to map out a plan of action to enable you and your loyal, trustworthy team members get to a place where you are free to perform your best work, please call us to talk about your situation. We are always happy to help!
 
 
David Harris
CEO
 
 
Did you miss a previous newsletter?  We archive them HERE.
Prosperident -- Dentistry's Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website -- www.dentalembezzlement.com

June 2018

Dental Prosperident Pulse from Prosperident
Dental embezzlement illustration
Issue #70 -- June 2018
Luci Berardi
Luci is one of those quietly competent people who make significant contributions at Prosperident.
In her role as Senior Examiner, Luci is accustomed to looking for that elusive embezzlement in the financial records of a practice. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner, which is the "gold standard" for fraud investigation.
Luci combines her fraud investigation work with her role as CFO and Practice Manager of a large Denver periodontal practice. She has been a Chapter President of the American Association of Dental Office Managers, and she is even a published author. We are thrilled to have her with us at Prosperident.
Engage Your Audience!
Theatre
Did you know that there is some information that we will ONLY give at closed-door live events?
 
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jun 1 Patterson Dental, Austin TX
Jun 2 Orthopreneur meeting, Dallas TX
Jun 21 Florida Dental Association, Orlando FL
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte NC
2019
Jan 15 Omaha District Dental Society, Omaha NE
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Our New Website
It took some time, but it was worth it. Our new website was launched in May. It was a collaborative effort between our marketing and IT groups. We love it and hope you will too.
Computer Program
You can check it out HERE.
A Promotion
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Tony Ulbrandt to Supervising Examiner. This is the highest level of investigator at Prosperident, and Tony becomes only the third person in Prosperident's history to have achieved that lofty position.
Tony heads our Litigation Support Group, where he routinely tackles some of Prosperident's most difficult files.
Takamatsu International Piano Competition 2022
Congratulations, Tony!
Our CEO's Column
Baylor Scott White Heart and Vascular Hospital Dallas
“Flow.” Not just a new age platitude, but a four-letter-word that you will be happy to have slung in your direction. Bear with me, and please let me explain.
Anyone who has ever gotten from Point A to Point B while driving, without being aware of how they arrived, has experienced “flow.” When we are deeply involved in trying to reach a goal or an activity that is challenging but well suited to our skills, we experience “flow.”
Flow is the unconscious balance that occurs when your brain finds it unnecessary to anticipate complications or interruption. Experiencing flow is what puts you “in the zone.” Flow is fantastic; flow brings you joy and productivity, but flow can also be derailed in a nanosecond when a member of your team is up to no good!
When you feel that your flow is threatened or has been interrupted, we are here to help.
At Prosperident we eliminate uncertainty for dentists with embezzlement concerns, we maximize financial recovery for victims, and we provide the support necessary to achieve peace of mind about the financial health of your practice. In other words, it is our mission to make sure that embezzlement concerns do not stop the flow of your practice.
Whether you are looking for an investigation, a system to help you fraud-proof your office, litigation support services, or a speaker for your next event, we have just what you need. We have designed our products and services in response to your needs and requests, and in doing so, we have created a place for you to get exactly the help you need.
We hope you make “flow” your new “F” word.
Prosperident logo
David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
Prosperident -- Dentistry's Embezzlement Experts
Visit our website -- www.prosperident.com

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July 2018

Dental Prosperident Pulse from Prosperident
Dental embezzlement illustration
Issue #71 -- July 2018
Sonya Hudson
Allie Bertram, Prosperident
One of our longest-serving investigators, Senior Examiner Sonya Hudson conducts many of our Canadian investigations. Sonya is well known for being hyper-organized, and for her skill at writing beautiful, meticulous reports.
Prior to working with Prosperident, Sonya managed the support department of a large practice management software company.
We are thrilled to have Sonya as one of our talented group of fraud examiners.
Engage Your Audience!
Entrepreneur
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Jul 13 Georgia Dental Association, Fernandina Beach, GA
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Charlotte NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Summer Giveaway!
Prosperident's Embezzlement Risk Self Assessment Questionnaire provides an easy way for a dentist to determine the likelihood that he or she is being embezzled.
Detecting embezzlement early is so much better than discovering it tens of thousands of dollars later.
The questionnaire is completed online, and typically takes 10-15 minutes to finish. Your score, along with some commentary, is provided after completion.
We normally sell the questionnaire on our website for $139, but from now until July 15, we are offering it to dentists at no cost.
To obtain your free access, please email us at requests@prosperident.com.
Embezzler of the Month
When most people think of Maine, they think of beautiful scenery and lobster. However, when we think of the Pine Tree State, we also think of Carly Caporino.
According to authorities, from 2014 to 2016, Caporino embezzled about $295,000 from a dental practice. She has pleaded guilty to the theft and will be sentenced later this year.
Check out Carly, and many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Something To Talk About...
William C. Roberts
Summertime and the living is easy. How we all love summer! Now that one of our favorite seasons is underway, and after some reflection on summers past, it occurred to me that we could do a few things here at Prosperident to help make this summer one of your best yet, at least professionally.
A little-known fact is that vacations play a considerable part in helping to identify embezzlement behavior. Do you have a team member who is reluctant to take a vacation? If they do use their vacation time, do they do it by taking a day or two off, here and there so that it isn't necessary to have another team member or a temp trained to do their work? Is this same team member territorial about their workspace and computer? Are they ALWAYS the first one to arrive in the office? The last to leave? Do they often work through their lunch break or come in after hours or on weekends to "catch-up"? Do they offer to assist in non-work related tasks for you, such as running personal errands? Well, either you have employed one of the most loyal, hardworking team members on the planet, or it may be that it’s time to find out if there is a reason to re-evaluate this remarkable dedication. That’s where we can offer you some help.
No one likes to see a dedicated and trustworthy employee more than we do. However, if ever you’ve doubted your employee’s keenness to go above and beyond, we would be happy to chat with you about that and other questionable behavior anytime. Likewise, if you have questions about our products and services we are delighted to answer them and to assist you in taking whatever steps are necessary to make sure you feel confident regarding your staff's behavior and the well-being of your practice.
David Harris
CEO
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry's Embezzlement Experts
www.prosperident.com

← Back to Newsletter Archive

Have questions about protecting your practice? Click the button below.

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August 2018

 
Dental Prosperident Pulse from Prosperident
Dental embezzlement illustration
Issue #72 -- August 2018
Pat Little
DDS FAGD CFE
Hisar Intercontinental Hospital
One of our busiest speakers, Dr. Pat Little smoothly blends his investigative work with an active speaking calendar.
Prior to his work with Prosperident, Pat was a "wet fingered" guy, owning several dental practices. When repetitive motion issues began to take their toll, Pat returned to college to study accounting. He found us through mutual friend Linda Miles, and we have had the pleasure of working with Pat ever since.
Pat's speaking includes large venues like the Hinman Meeting and the ADA as well as cozy study clubs.
No boring speakers here!
Animal shelter
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
Aug 25 Chicago Dental Meeting, Chicago IL
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Oct 27 Law Enforcement Investigation and Prosecution Group, Columbia MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Huntersville NC
2019
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Feb 11 Wasatch Oral Surgery, Jordan UT
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
Held Over -- Summer Giveaway!
Last month, we offered no-cost access to Prosperident's Embezzlement Risk Self Assessment Questionnaire at no cost. Some people missed the giveaway because of summer vacation schedules, so we are pleased to extend the offer.
The questionnaire is completed online, and typically takes 10-15 minutes to finish. Your score, along with some commentary, is provided after completion.
We normally sell the questionnaire on our website for $139, but from now until AUGUST 15, we are offering it to dentists at no cost.
To obtain your free access, please email us at requests@prosperident.com.
Embezzler of the Month
Here is another member of Prosperident's "Half Million Dollar Club."
 
Western cowboy boot
Durango, Colorado's Robin Bernazzi recently confessed to embezzling more than $500,000 from the dental practice in which she worked. She is currently free on bail, but the justice system is far from finished with Ms. Bernazzi.
 
Check out Robin, and many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
Something To Talk About...
Baylor University Medical Center
Community. The concept has implications, both large and small. Communities offer us a sense of acceptance, appreciation, and a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of the group and its culture.
It’s hard to believe that summer is half over and that by the time you receive our September newsletter, you will be moving into your fall and winter schedules, both personally and professionally. Fall, of course, is synonymous with "back to school." Love it or hate it, education is the first thing that comes to mind for many of us as August quickly becomes September. You happily see your children off to their places of study, and then your focus turns to your own need for continuing education.
At Prosperident, we treasure our unique relationship with the dental community, and the opportunities we have been presented to help you increase your knowledge. This year, in an attempt to honor your requests to have additional speakers who are informative and engaging, we are adding two new speakers to the Prosperident Speakers Bureau.
We never hide the fact that our educational information and statistics come directly from our work, which is dedicated to investigating financial crimes against your community. Our speakers strive to present you with relevant information (as well as some humor), to protect you from the people who target you as their victims. We love speaking at your events, large and small, and we gain a tremendous deal of satisfaction from being able to interact with you.
With your feedback and support, we are proud to be developing even more presentations that we consider to be of value to your community while we wage war against the criminals who have for too long gotten financially fat off of your hard work and trust. Education, not infomercials, is what we offer and we feel privileged to be able to do so.
My team and I would like to offer you a heartfelt “Thank you!” for allowing us to be a growing part of your community, and we look forward to meeting you during the fall and winter season of 2018-19 at your events and conferences. Until then, we hope you are enjoying your summer!
Prosperident services overview
David Harris
CEO
 
Did you miss a previous newsletter? We archive them HERE.
We are Prosperident, Dentistry's Embezzlement Experts
www.prosperident.com

← Back to Newsletter Archive

Have questions about protecting your practice? Click the button below.

SPEAK WITH US


September 2018

Dental Embezzlement News from Prosperident
 
 
Issue #74 -- September 2018       
Embezzler of the Month
Prosperident's Sonya Hudson's work helped nail this embezzler, and ensure her place in our "Half-Million Dollar Club".

Ontario's Jennifer Leslie has been charged with embezzling $554,000 from a dental practice for which she was the office manager.
 
Read about Jennifer, along with many other embezzlers, in our Hall of Shame HERE.
No boring speakers here!
 
 
Did you know that there are some topics that we will ONLY discuss at closed-door, live events?
See us live if you want the full story.
Here are some places we will be speaking soon:
 
Sep 7 Patterson Dental, Houston TX
Sept 11 Augusta Dental Society, Augusta GA
Oct 1 Wichita District Dental Society, Wichita KS
Oct 4 Southern Association of Orthodontists, New Orleans LA
Oct 11 Victoria & District Dental Society, Victoria BC
Oct 13 Benco Leadership Day, Houston TX
Oct 23
West Central Wisconsin Study Club
Oct 24 Seattle Study Club, Rochester NY
Oct 26 Synergy Business and Legal Symposium, National Harbor MD
Oct 27 Law Enforcement Investigation and Prosecution Group, Columbia MD
Nov 8 NY Academy of Dentistry, New York NY
Nov 28 Connecticut Study Club for Excellence, Manchester CT
Dec 5 Greater Charlotte Study Club, Huntersville NC
2019  
Jan 18 Patterson Dental, San Diego CA
Jan 27 Southwest Society of Periodontists, Irving TX
Feb 8 Select Study Club, Evansville IN
Feb 11 Wasatch Oral Surgery, Jordan UT
Apr 12 American Association of Endodontists, Montreal QC
Apr 26 Star of the North Meeting, St. Paul MN
Apr 29 Vancouver & District Dental Society Vancouver BC
May 4 American Association of Orthodontists, Los Angeles CA
May 7 Seattle Study Club, Atlanta GA
Sep 13 Orthopreneurs Summit, Dallas TX
Oct 7 Colorado Prosthodontic Society, Denver CO
 
To book us for your meeting or study club, click HERE or call us at 888-398-2327.
 
 
Did you miss a previous newsletter?  We archive them HERE.
Investigator Profile
Sonya Hudson, Senior Investigator
 
Sonya is one of Prosperident's "top guns". 
 
Before joining Prosperident in 2014, Sonya worked for an insurance company and managed the support department of a major brand of practice management software.
 
In many ways Sonya sets the standard for investigative work at Prosperident; her meticulous notes and highly organized workflow get frequent mention when we are training new examiners.
 
Recently, Sonya's work led to the arrest of Jennifer Leslie (see the story in this newsletter), who is charged with embezzling over $500k from her doctor.
 
Sonya has caught more than her share of embezzlers, and we congratulate her on hooking another "big fish."
 
Sonya's colleagues at Prosperident include 15 specialized investigators who, on a daily basis, provide a level of skill and dedication that is simply unparalleled.
Something To Talk About...
 
 

And so it begins.
 
For many of us, our “New Year” actually starts in September. Fall’s shorter days, cooler nights and the start of a new school year, also coincide with the beginning of a continuing education year for many of you. As summer fades and we settle into our fall routines, many of us here at Prosperident feel a sense of renewal, and an exciting and fresh opportunity to connect on a more meaningful level with the fantastic dental community we are so privileged to serve.
 
This summer was a full one here at Prosperident. We busied ourselves with onboarding new team members including investigators, Office Protection System specialists and educational speakers, while our IT team continued the development of software that makes the work we do for you more efficient and faster to deliver. 
 
Probably the most exciting news we have to share with you is that we have continued developing our Office Protection System (OPS) Service, as well as our OPS Multi-Office Service, with the addition of more OPS Specialists, carefully selected and trained to assist you and get your practice set up even faster!
 
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this service, OPS is a complete and thorough diagnostic review of your practice’s policies, procedures, and systems performed by one of our OPS Specialists, with a view to identifying and correcting the weaknesses that could be exploited by an embezzler.  Your assigned OPS Specialist will focus on over 25 of what we consider to be the most important policies and procedures, essential to a healthy, well-functioning practice. Based on our specialist’s in-depth review, we make recommendations on what areas we feel need upgrading, elimination, and restructuring to make your office the most efficient and productive place for you to earn your living. OPS provides you with peace of mind, by ensuring that you have the right office systems in place, and that staff compliance with your policies is measurable. OPS is not software, but it is the most advanced protection system available, designed by Prosperident, specifically for dentistry.  We would like to invite you to visit our website to find out more.
 
So, welcome September!  The Prosperident team and I would like to wish you and yours a happy and prosperous “New Year.”
 
David Harris
CEO
 
 

 
 
 
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