A Texas-based dentist is seeking state approval to establish a dental surgery center in the Hartford area.
Dr. Ketan Sukkawala, a board certified pediatric dentist in College Station, Texas, filed a certificate of need (CON) determination application on Friday with the state Office of Health Strategy.
The application states that Sukkawala proposes establishing a dental ambulatory surgery center that “will specialize in dentistry and oral surgery under general anesthesia for pediatric and special needs patients,” at an estimated cost of $3 million.
The application notes, however, that an exact location has not yet been determined, “pending the purchase and/or lease of suitable commercial space.” Sukkawala states that he anticipates the selected site will be within “a 25-mile radius of 603 Park St. in Hartford.”
According to his LinkedIn page, Sukkawala serves as both director of dental clinical performance for Texas-based Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers, and as regional dental director for Blue Cloud Pediatric Surgery Centers in Texas and Nevada.
Based in Woodlands, Texas, Blue Cloud now has 35 facilities in 15 states, including one in Pittsburgh. It has no other facilities in the Northeast or New England.
The CON determination application does not mention Blue Cloud, nor whether the facility will be affiliated with that organization.
Instead, Sukkawala has filed a business name for the enterprise, Connecticut Dental Team PLLC, with the Secretary of the State’s office. The address for the business is listed as 100 Pearl St., 14th Floor, in Hartford. Sukkawala is listed as the sole member of that organization.
Stephen Cowherd, an attorney with the law firm Pullman & Comely in Westport, is listed as the contact person for the business. A spokesperson for the law firm responded by saying the firm would not comment “on pending matters.”
According to the application, the facility’s surgical procedures will focus only on the “oral cavity, mouth and jaw,” with common procedures that may include treating cavities, doing tooth extractions, full mouth oral rehabilitation, and oral pathology, as well as jaw surgery, bone grafting and replacing missing teeth.
The application states that procedures will be performed by any of the following: pediatric dentist, general dentist, oral surgeon, periodontist, prosthodontist, endodontist, or orthodontist. It does not state how many people will be employed by the facility.
The project is intended to serve Hartford and all towns within the 25-mile radius, with an estimated starting date for the project set as June 2027, the application states.
OHS will review the application and determine whether a CON is necessary.
