Richard A. Harder, Jr., D.D.S., F.A.G.D.
Resume (and attached biography)
4980 Barranca Parkway, Suite 208
Irvine, CA 92604-4629
(949) 500-7726
richard.dps2@cox.net

EDUCATION:
Post-graduate courses:     - Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD)                 
                                            Member of AGD, Orange County Dental Society; CDA;  ADA                                         
                                            U.S.C. OC Center Institute Safety & Systems Management, Irvine CA.
                                            Courses in business development and HR/ systems management                                  
Graduate training:            - Doctor of Dental Surgery (CA license  #28000)
                                            U.S.C.  School of Dentistry, Los Angeles CA
                                            Academic honors:  OKU, Deans List

Undergraduate:                  - Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, minor in Psychology
                                            Harvey Mudd College, Science and Engineering
                                            Claremont Colleges, CA; concurrent  pre-dental studies at Pomona
                                            College, business studies at Claremont McKenna College. Graduated
                                            with Honors.

PRE-GRADUATE WORK HISTORY:
Dental technician; ceramics/ crown & bridge; Senise Dental Lab, Glendora, CA
Biochemistry lab assistant; anti-viral research; ICN Pharmaceuticals, Irvine, CA
Biochemistry lab assistant; bacterial caries research; U.S.C. Gerentology; L.A, CA

CORPORATE WORK HISTORY:
Dental Director; Vice President, Professional Services
Western Dental Services, Inc., Garden Grove, CA
Managed QA program, staff model and dental plan operations. 

Dental Director, Western Region 
CIGNA Dental Health, Inc., Encino, CA
Managed DHMO provider network in the twelve western states.

Local Dental Director , State Dental Director
Prudential Insurance Company, Woodland Hills, CA
Managed California DHMO provider network development.

Dental Advisory Board member 
Blue Cross of California, Woodland Hills CA (now Oxnard)
Advisory Board member for Dental Net, an early DHMO plan,  including input on product development.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT WORK HISTORY:
Harder Dental Corporation, Irvine CA   www.harderdental.com
General dentistry group practice; all digital; cosmetic dentistry; CAD/CAM technolgy; including implants.

Dental Practice Strategies, Irvine CA (1986 - present)   www.drharder.com
Dental consulting, practice development and professional mentoring program.  Equities in four groups have been developed and sold to associates in Seattle and Orange County.  Consulting for new practice development, marketing, team building, quality assurance and dental industry peer review issues.

Crown Valley Dental, Laguna Niguel CA  (founder, new practice )
General dentistry group practice;  practice sold to associate.

Gateway Dental Centre of Seattle, Seattle WA  (founder, new practice )
General dentistry group practice;  practice sold to associate.

Rancho Santa Margarita Dental, Trabuco Canyon CA  (founder, new practice)
General dentistry group practice; practice sold to associates)

Aliso Hills Dental Associates, Laguna Hills CA  (founder, initial new practice )
General dentistry group practice;  practice sold to associates.

Richard A. Harder, Jr., DDS, FAGD
Biography
January, 2010

Prior to his graduate studies in dentistry, Dr. Harder earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California.  After graduating from U.S.C. School of Dentistry, Dr. Harder continued his studies at U.S.C. in Safety and Systems Management.  He is a 30-year member of the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association and has attained a fellowship status with the Academy of General Dentistry.  He has established five dental group practices in Orange County and Seattle as well as a management consulting firm that has provided staff resources, quality assurance and management information systems support for multi-specialty, general dentistry group practices.

Having served on the Dental Advisory Council of Blue Cross of California and as a Local and State Dental Director for the Prudential Insurance Company, he joined CIGNA Dental Health, Inc. as Regional Dental Director where his role included the development of parameters for quality of care assessment, peer review and utilization review.  For four years, he was responsible for the quality assurance and integrity of provider networks in seven states in the western region (AZ, CA, CO, ID, OR, UT and WA). 

Dr. Harder left CIGNA in order to participate with Western Dental, accepting a position as Dental Director, Quality Management.  While at Western Dental Services, Inc., he served for two years on the Quality Assurance Subcommittee for the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), previously a section of the Department of Corporations.  He also served as a corporate liaison to the Department of Health Services (DHS) for the Sacramento-based Geographic Managed Care (GMC) project and addressed peer review issues involving the fee-for-service DentiCal program.  During the same period of time, he was instrumental in the quality assurance program and utilization review process for the CIGNA Health Care and Universal Care contracts. These were the managed-care contracts for the capitated MediCal dental assistance program sponsored by DHS in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas.  

After ten months with Western Dental, Dr. Harder was promoted to Vice President, Director of Professional Services to lead and reorganize Western Dental's rapidly expanding staff model operations throughout California which included nearly 400 dentists working in 70 staff model locations.  He initiated a decentralized methodology to conduct peer review and quality assurance in each dental center location while enhancing productivity and cost management results.   He implemented procedures and guidelines for reporting adverse peer review actions to the Dental Board of California (DBC).  While serving Western, he helped to address several long-standing regulatory compliance issues with the DMHC, DHS/DentiCal and DBC while Western Dental was opening 20 additional new office locations.

Dr. Harder has extensive experience as a Dental Director in this region while working for Prudential DMO, CIGNA Dental Health and Western Dental Services for more than fifteen years.   He prefers to serve in roles that will utilize his clinical, leadership and management experience to help assure excellence in the quality of dental health care delivery.  He is currently a certified QA Consultant, California Association of Dental Plans.

Dr. Harder has focused his efforts on the sale of four of his five group dental practices and the support for clients of his consulting firm, Dental Practice Strategies.  His consulting firm has served several dental practice clients in Southern California.  His remaining, more current dental practice, Harder Dental Corporation, in Irvine has emphasized the use of the latest technologies and patient education, as well as care for patients isolated at home, in hospoitals or nursing facilities.

Since 1986, Dr. Harder has practiced in his offices located in Irvine, Harder Dental Corporation,  which now includes two dentists, two hygienists and five support staff providing care.  Dr. Harder has provided care in the community for patients unable to leave their home, hospital or nursing facilitiy for routine dental care.  This has led to the  founding of a new company in October 2008, A Helping Hand-at Home, which also provides non-medical, living assistance services at home. 
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