BUSINESS
their own laboratories — al-
lowing for lesser costs and
quicker results. Some of these
savings are passed along to
the consumer.
"We're not doing discount
dentistry and we're not try-
ing to open clinics," Dr.
Matzkin said. "We set a stan-
dard which has to be met and
we work with doctors every
step of the way. But the doc-
tor is fully responsible for the
treatment of the client."
- Phil Schaengold, president
and Chief Executive Officer
of Sinai Hospital, believes the
life of the medical profes-
sional has changed drasti-
cally over the years. Doctors
must either decide to accept
a lower pay than his or her
older colleagues or work
longer hours and see more
patients to attain past income
levels.
However, other options are
available.
Medical professionals can
become employees of man-
aged care programs (com-
monly known as HMOs),
working 40 hours a week for
a salary with benefits and
malpractice insurance. Doc-
tors can work for large em-
ployers providing services for
their employees — like Ford
Motor Company. Or doctors
can go into private practice,
but be employed by a hospi-
;a tal — both Sinai Hospital and
Henry Ford Hospital offer
T, this option.
Approximately 75 doctors
are now employed by Sinai
while maintaining private
practices. Sinai has bought
the assets of the practices
and pays the physicians an
school, complete a one-year
agreed upon salary. New
training program — guaran-
physicians
can be placed in
teeing the dentist hands-on
already
existing
practices
experience on most every pro-
rather
than
trying
to
start up
cedure, and open a practice
their
own
office,
juggling
new
under the name of Dr. Gold-
expenses
with
medical
school
en Dental Centers at a min-
debt.
imal cost. An established
Mr. Schaengold believes
dentist may also choose the
this
will be the future for
same direction — leaving the
many
doctors.
time and tribulations of in-
"The
pressures brought
surance and billing behind.
upon
doctors
by health care
Dr. Golden Dental Centers
reforms
will
be
enormous on
picks up a majority of start
the
administrative
side. Doc-
up costs and passes along
tors
will
be
bombarded
with
about a 25 percent savings on
requests
to
become
part
of
equipment and improve-
community
care
networks
ments by purchasing in large
and HMOs. It will be difficult
quantities. In addition, Dr.
to
not become immersed by
Golden Dental Centers owns
MODERN MEDICINE
Changes in the health care system alter the role of the
medical professional. By Lesley Pearl, Staff Writer
Dr. David Beneson: Independent but open to new ideas.
I
n 1986, Dr. Richard
Golden took a gamble,
taking on a partner
and leading the med-
ical professional in a
new direction.
After nearly 14 years of in-
dependent dental practice,
Dr. Golden decided to share
the burden of his eight offices
with Northwestern Dental
School graduate Steve Matz-
kin.
The practices were sold to
the doctors working there
and the partners became
"businessmen." So is the his-
tory of Dr. Golden Dental
Centers — boasting 19 loca-
tions throughout Michigan
and five in Florida under the
name of Golden Care Net-
work.
"Our concept was to have
dentists own and practice the
way in which they chose. We
would control the business
and administrative side," Dr.
Matzkin said. "We wanted to
create a network of private-
type practices with all the ad-
vantages of a large, business
group."
The concept is one of many
approaches for the 1990s that
is appealing to many medical
professionals.
A dentist may approach
Dr. Golden Dental Centers
after graduating from dental