STEPHEN THORNE IV
FOUNDER/CEO, PDS HEALTH
WHY: Founded company in 1994 when he entered into his first dental practice management contract in Costa Mesa. Has since grown into the third-largest dental support organization in the nation.
IN THE NEWS: Company changed name from Pacific Dental Services in April, representing shifting focus to patients’ overall health and “the role that oral health plays in that.”
NOTABLE: Collaborating with MemorialCare to eventually provide 25 practicing clinics where dentists will work in the same office as physicians.
QUOTABLE: “There’s so many areas dentists can help with because periodontal disease is the most common chronic inflammatory disease in the world, and it’s a medical condition with a dental solution.”
