Updated: 15 minutes ago Published: 15 minutes ago

The Alaska Supreme Court has upheld the state’s decision to suspend the dental license of a man who became internationally infamous after extracting a tooth while riding a hoverboard.

Former dentist Seth Lookhart has been convicted of numerous crimes, including Medicaid fraud and standard-of-care violations that almost killed two patients.

Sentenced to 20 years in prison with eight suspended, he sought to retain his dental license after it was revoked by the Board of Dental Examiners.

When the revocation was upheld by a lower court, Lookhart appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled Friday.

Lookhart is also appealing the criminal convictions that resulted in his prison sentence; that appeal remains pending in the Alaska Court of Appeals.

In Friday’s decision, the Supreme Court said the state dental board did not violate state law or abuse its discretion when it revoked Lookhart’s license after a “fraudulent scheme of staggering proportions that jeopardized the health and safety of his patients.”

Among the court’s five justices is Jennifer Henderson, the judge who heard the initial case against Lookhart in 2017.

That case was the result of an extensive investigation by the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

In the subsequent trial, prosecutors demonstrated that Lookhart improperly used IV sedation — which was reimbursed by Medicaid at higher rates than local anesthesia — and extracted teeth more often than was necessary.

After Lookhart was convicted in criminal court, the state Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing sought to strip him of his license.

An administrative law judge concluded that Lookhart had shown an “astonishing range of misconduct” and agreed with the division’s conclusion that if Lookhart’s case didn’t warrant revocation, “no future case will.”

The state dental board adopted the judge’s recommendation that Lookhart’s license be revoked, but Lookhart appealed to Superior Court, arguing that the board’s decision didn’t follow prior precedent.

Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner upheld the revocation, concluding that “no Alaska case is factually comparable to the sheer scale of malfeasance here,” and that even though there was no prior precedent, the board’s decision represented a proper use of discretion under state law.

Lookhart’s attorney argued to the Alaska Supreme Court that state law narrowly constrains the board, and that without precedent, it wasn’t able to act.

Writing on behalf of the court, Justice Jude Pate disagreed.

While state law obliges the board to be consistent, “there is simply no prior case comparable to the scope of Lookhart’s egregious dishonesty and misconduct,” he wrote. “The board did not abuse its discretion in concluding that revoking Lookhart’s license was an appropriate sanction.”

Attorney Chester Gilmore, representing Lookhart, did not return a phone call or email seeking comment on Friday.

Attorney General Treg Taylor, speaking on behalf of state prosecutors, said in a written statement, “This case involved the most widespread misconduct of any licensing matter in recent memory, if not ever, in Alaska. We’re pleased that Dr. Lookhart will no longer be able to exploit vulnerable patients for his personal gain.”

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.

The Indian Health Service provides medical and dental care to the Indigenous peoples of Alaska and elsewhere in the nation. What it does not provide, however, is veterinary care for animals living with the IHS’ human clients.

A bill introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is an attempt to change that.

The bill, called the Veterinary Services to Improve Public Health in Rural Communities Act, was introduced by the Alaska senator last week. It would add veterinary services to the federal agency’s duties. That is important in rural Alaska, she said, where regular veterinarian care is notoriously scarce and where diseases in wild animal populations pose threats to domestic animals like dogs and, potentially, people.

The bill would direct the IHS to work with tribal organizations to provide veterinarian services, including spaying and neutering of pets.

A top concern is rabies, which is common in Alaska fox populations but also found in other animals and thus poses risks to people.

“Unfortunately, in Alaska we are experiencing more frequent rabies outbreaks in wild animal populations. Rural communities are disproportionately at higher risk of rabies transmission to humans due to uncontrolled dog populations in remote areas of Alaska — which is particularly concerning given the challenges of providing health care in many rural and remote villages,” Murkowski said in a statement. There are vaccination and voluntary veterinary services trying to address the problems, but those “are simply not able to meet the growing need for services. My bill would help bolster the veterinary workforce in Alaska, creating healthier and safer communities across the state,” she said.

Alaska Native children, research shows, are at elevated risks for dog bites, which could, in turn, expose them to rabies or other diseases that can spread between animals and people, also known as zoonotic diseases. A 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Alaska Native children’s rate of hospitalization for dog bites was about twice that of the general U.S. child population. Indigenous children in the Southwestern and Northern Plains states also had high rates of hospitalization for dog bites, the study found.

Dog bites and exposure through them to rabies and other diseases is a problem in Indigenous communities throughout the circumpolar north, and “dog bites have become an important  public health burden” in those places, said a 2022 report by Canadian researchers that synthesized 257 individual studies.

Rabies is endemic, meaning entrenched, in the Arctic fox and red fox populations of northern Alaska, Western Alaska and the Aleutians, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But rabies has been found in other wild animals, such as caribou and polar bears, according to the department.

Last summer, North America’s first confirmed case of a rabies-infected moose occurred in the Bering Strait-area village of Teller. The moose, found wandering in and around the community, was euthanized and found to be carrying the Arctic fox variant of the rabies virus, which is different from the red fox variant, the Department of Fish and Game said.

Among the provisions in Murkowski’s bill is a directive for the veterinary officers from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps to provide services to the IHS, a directive for a study about the feasibility of delivering oral rabies vaccines in Alaska’s Arctic region and inclusion of the IHS as a coordinating agency in the National One Health Framework, which is addressing zoonotic diseases and federal agencies’ readiness to respond to them.

Today, we take a moment to celebrate a group of dedicated professionals whose expertise and commitment ensure the safety, reliability and excellence of our fleet. On Aviation Maintenance Technician Day (or AMT Day), we honor the incredible work of maintenance technicians at Alaska and Horizon Air—our unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep us flying high.

Running a safe operation  

Our maintenance technicians are essential to every flight, every day. Whether they are performing pre-flight inspections, troubleshooting technical issues, or carrying out regular heavy maintenance checks, their work allows us to fly safe and continue delivering exceptional service to our guests.  

In addition to ensuring every aircraft is fit to fly each day, we remain extremely grateful to our skilled Maintenance and Engineering team that shouldered the inspection work of our 737-9 MAX aircraft earlier this year and safely returned the planes to service.  

This year, we recognized the careers of some Maintenance and Engineering employees, naming them “Alaska Legends” and “Horizon Pathfinders,” our top honors for those with storied careers of always looking up, pushing higher, putting others first, and representing the very best of us.

Randy Ahrens

Line Aircraft Technician, ANC 
Alaska Airlines Legend ’24

“I feel honored, there’s some super good mechanics here. It’s interesting work, you learn something new every day, it’s never boring,“ said Ahrens. “I enjoy the challenge, it’s a lot of satisfaction when it actually works, and it’s all done correctly.” 

“Randy’s always positive, no matter what the job is, it doesn’t matter if it’s 40 degrees below up in Purdue Bay or working inside the hangar, he’s always happy and willing to work. We appreciate his skill and caring-ness,” said David Boyce, manager line Maintenance. 

Advertisement

Mark Williams

Director Material Ops Support 
Alaska Airlines Legend ’24

“I take a great deal of pride in how we do our job and how we make sure we’re helping out the airline,” said Williams. 

“Mark makes an impact every day,” says Alex Gorinsky, managing director of M&S ACSC Material Management. “Early before most people are even up, he is digging into problems and finds solutions. He has an uncanny ability to remember everything that he has worked on in the past several years—he remembers part numbers, unique situations, problems that he’s solved, solutions that he’s come up with and he guides his team through these things and is always there for them.” 

Nejib (Ben) Oueslati 

Lead Technician, SEA 
Horizon Air Pathfinder ’23

“I work with a small group of mechanics in Seattle,” said Oueslati. “We have a good team here. We are like a family. Everybody steps up to help each other with one thing in mind: Return the airplane to service and get the job as safe as we can.” 

“Ben is an outstanding technician,” said Dale Sanderson, maintenance supervisor. “Ben is always willing to go the extra mile, do anything that needs to be done.”  

Tim Weigand

Sr. Service Engineer, PDX 
Horizon Air Pathfinder ’23

“We have to make the right decisions—what really gets me fired up is finding challenges and finding those things where it could be something big but getting it fixed fast,” said Weigand. 

Advertisement

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I have a lot of respect for those guys who’ve also helped and mentored me and I just want to keep that moving and going on,” said Weigand.

Unmatched skill and innovation 

When you take a maintenance technician job at Alaska or Horizon Air, you are joining a legacy of mechanic excellence. For 22 consecutive years, Alaska Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Division have received the Diamond Certificate of Excellence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), an award that recognizes an organization’s commitment to aviation maintenance training and safety. This prestigious certificate is part of the FAA’s Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards Program, which encourages aviation maintenance technicians and their employers to participate in ongoing training and professional development. 

Horizon Air’s Maintenance and Engineering Division were also awarded their 20th Diamond Certificate of Excellence from the FAA in recognition of its training efforts in 2020 and achieved a 100% participation rate by its aircraft maintenance technicians in the AAMT awards program. 

The path to becoming an aviation maintenance technician is one of rigorous training, continuous learning, and unyielding commitment. Our technicians undergo extensive education and certification processes, ensuring they are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills. Their dedication to staying updated with advancements in aviation technology demonstrates their commitment to excellence. 

Click to enlarge our Line Maintenance Stations (above)

Become an Aircraft Technician with our Training Programs 

If you’re looking to launch into an aircraft technician job, our Maintenance Programs can get you started. Our portfolio of career programs will help your aviation maintenance career rise to the next level. Aspiring aircraft technicians who enroll in the Horizon Maintenance Technician Development Program will receive a stipend, mentorship and more!

Related