Saturday, December 21, 2024
12/21/2024
West Virginia University School of Dentistry is the only dental school in West Virginia. The school opened in 1957 and graduated the first class of dentists in 1961. Except for several small-scale clinic upgrades, the school appears much as it did in 1957. Oral health is our priority and our mission. Our vision is to be the dental school of choice for students, faculty, staff and patients. Defined by innovation in education, patient care, research, and service, the School of Dentistry fosters the development of highly skilled graduates committed to clinical excellence. The graduates from School of Dentistry programs provide oral health care in rural communities across West Virginia. Approximately 83% of the dentists practicing within the state are graduates of the School of Dentistry. As a land-grant University, we are committed to eliminating oral health disparities across West Virginia. The WVU School of Dentistry is at the very center of improving and advancing oral health, and access to care to build a healthier West Virginia. The WV Oral Health Coalition has established a strong partnership with the School of Dentistry to create innovative and viable solutions to address oral health inequities and gaps in access to care across West Virginia. The next, transformational phase in the history of WVU School of Dentistry will be the expansion and renovation of existing dental clinic space and consolidating all programs on the Health Sciences Center campus. The renovations and upgrades will transform dental education and practice to meet the oral health needs of West Virginia families, provide excellence in training for new generations of dental professionals, enable the school to compete for and retain well-qualified faculty and students, and propel dental research to further support patient care, education and outreach programming. The School of Dentistry offers a 4-year predoctoral (DDS) program and 4-year BS in Dental Hygiene. The sch ool also offers seven advanced education and postdoctoral residency programs. These include oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, pediatric dentistry and a general practice residency. The comprehensive renovation of the academic and clinical facility will provide state-of-the-art equipment and technologies for patient treatment, student education, outreach, and research. The goal is to consolidate and complement the school’s comprehensive programming by returning postdoctoral training and clinic space from Suncrest Towne Centre to the main School of Dentistry campus within Health Sciences Center. Additional space has been allocated in the Health Sciences Center to allow for this planned expansion. Central to renovation planning was the development of two independent phases of the renovation. Each phase is distinct and separate and stands independently on its own with respect to build, financing and occupancy for clinical care. Operations at Suncrest Towne Centre include the Innovation Center, Dental Group Practice, and residency programs in orthodontics, periodontics and prosthodontics. Phase one includes renovation of the existing space in the dental school and Health Sciences Center to house the Orthodontic and Pediatric Dentistry departments, the Innovation Center and Dental Group Practice. The projected cost of Phase One is $12,785,000. A follow-on renovation initiative will include construction and consolidation of the specialty clinics and advanced education programs. Enhanced and modernized facilities and equipment will be an incentive for the recruitment of the best and brightest faculty, students, and staff. This will allow our graduates to be well prepared to enter the work force confident in their skills and abilities to provide excellence patients deserve and expect. We are committed to improving the oral health of West Virginia families entrusted to our care.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).