31 October 2023

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Delta Dental Awards $12M Grant to PNWU’s New Dental School in Yakima

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Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) recently announced $12 million in grant funding from Delta Dental of Washington at a groundbreaking for an innovative new school of dental medicine focused on serving rural and other medically underserved communities which are increasingly experiencing a critical dental workforce shortage contributing to a disproportionate incidence of oral health issues.

According to a 2022 American Medical Association Journal of Ethics article, nationally most dentists are located in urban areas, whereas only 14% of dentists practice in rural areas where 20% of the U.S. population lives.

The state’s second dental school, expected to open to students in fall 2025, will train 36 dental students per year alongside PNWU health sciences students in preparation for working in collaborative and integrated healthcare environments, and which reflects the direct connection between oral and overall health. Following one year of on-campus training, PNWU will be the first dental school in the nation in which students will have three years of full-time immersive training at one of three federally qualified health centers located in Tacoma, Tri-Cities and Yakima.

“Most dental disease is preventable, but you can’t prevent oral health issues if you don’t have access to care,” said Delta Dental of Washington president & CEO, Mark Mitchke. “As a mission-driven organization, Delta Dental of Washington is committed to growing the dental workforce particularly within communities of color and extending access to care for rural and underserved communities where we can make the biggest impact on improving our state’s oral health.”

The 30,0000-square-foot state-of-the-art dental school classroom and workspace building, to be named Delta Dental Equity Hall in recognition of the shared commitment of PNWU and Delta Dental of Washington, aims to help increase equitable access to dental care.

“The school of dental medicine would not be a reality without the support and generosity of Delta Dental of Washington,” said Dr. Panagakos. “Delta Dental Equity Hall will provide a state-of-the-art academic space for our program to train the next generation of primary care dentists focused on delivering care to the underserved in Washington, bringing oral health equity to those in need.”

In addition to Delta Dental of Washington’s landmark commitment—$2 million previously awarded and an additional $10 million announced today—PNWU’s School of Dental Medicine has also received $5 million in state funding with additional support from Washington State Dental Association Foundation, Pierce County, foundations and individual donors.

The PNWU grant announcement follows Delta Dental of Washington’s recent $835,000 grant to Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s Dental Hygiene and Dental Assistant Education Programs, as well as a $1.5 million lead gift to relocate Shoreline Community College Dental Hygiene Education Program—which had been in jeopardy of closing—to the University of Washington School of Dentistry last year. In total, Delta Dental of Washington has invested nearly $25 million to help address the dental workforce challenge, which also includes $2 million in previous support to Neighborcare Health Dental Education Clinic at Pacific Tower and $1.6 million to Providence Spokane to launch a dental residency program in partnership with Community Health Association of Spokane.

Source: www.deltadentalwa.com