ORANGE, Calif., July 13, 2021 – Western Dental, a national leader in dental and orthodontic care, today announced the appointment of Eric M. Royal JD, MPH as Chief Compliance Officer, effective July 6.
Mr. Royal comes to Western Dental with nearly 20 years of healthcare compliance, privacy, regulatory, accreditation and legal experience. He was recently Vice President Chief Compliance Officer and Chief Privacy Officer for KPC Healthcare, Inc. in Orange County, California, where his responsibilities included seven acute care hospitals – one with a Level II trauma center – eight long-term care facilities, an urgent care center, an ambulatory surgery center, and a physician group. Before that he was Director of Compliance and Revenue Integrity for Maricopa Integrated Health System in Phoenix, an organization with 500 hospital beds, a Level I trauma center, an academic medical center and 11 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in the community. He was also Corporate Compliance Manager for Parkland Health and Hospital System, a major academic and trauma center in Dallas; an Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medical Hearings and Appeals in Miami; an Accreditation Specialist for the Council on Education for Public Health; and an Assistant Public Defender in the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.
“We welcome Eric to the Western Dental team,” said Daniel D. Crowley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Western Dental. “His expertise in healthcare compliance, privacy, regulatory and accreditation matters is welcome here as millions of patients turn to us each year for their oral health needs.”
“For decades, Western Dental has been a leader in making dental care and orthodontics accessible and affordable,” said Mr. Royal. “I look forward to supporting the mission of an organization with such a vital role in the many communities it serves.”
Mr. Royal has a Juris Doctor and Masters of Public Health from Tulane University, New Orleans, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
ABOUT WESTERN DENTAL
Western Dental (with its supported affiliates, including Brident Dental & Orthodontics and Vital Smiles) is one of the nation’s leaders in accessible, affordable oral health care, serving approximately 3 million patient visits annually in 335 affiliated offices throughout California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and Alabama. In addition to general dentistry, Western Dental offers orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and endodontics in its offices, creating a convenient full service “Dental Home.” All of Western Dental’s services are backed by a unique quality assurance system that electronically monitors all patient visits, treatments, dental staff and clinical performance to enable high-quality care. To learn more about Western Dental or inquire about an office in your community, visit www.westerndental.com or call 1-800-6-DENTAL.