HealthLeaders magazine has included Jeffrey A. Parker, CEO of the Sarrell Dental Center in Alabama, on its 20 People Who Make Health Care Better list, or HealthLeaders 20, in the December 2013 issue.
This is the first time in seven years of publishing the list that a leader from the dental industry has been named. The list profiles individuals ranging from longtime industry fixtures to outsiders.
Parker was cited for his work in building Sarrell, which was founded in 2004. Sarrell now treats 300,000 children annually at its 15 clinics across that state and is the largest single provider of Medicaid dental services there. Additionally, Sarrell, a nonprofit, employs 250 people and has had 34 straight quarters of patient growth. All Sarrell's dentists are salaried.
As the profile mentions (see also Related Readings), Parker and the Alabama Dental Association previously were in conflict, but now coexist. The article citing this peace being partially the result of Sarrell not actively recruiting adults and those patients who are not on Medicaid.
According to the HealthLeaders profile, 99% of Sarrell's 60 dentists live in the Birmingham area. To keep their non-Birmingham (only two are in Birmingham) clinics staffed, dentists are rotated. Sarrell also has a chief dental officer who conducts chart review to help eliminate any incentive for overtreatment.
