A $12 million grant from Delta Dental of Washington enabled PNWU to be the first dental school in the nation in which students will have three years of full-time immersive training at Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) announced $12 million in grant funding from Delta Dental of Washington at a groundbreaking on October 24, 2023 for an innovative new school of dental medicine. The dental school is 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 US population lives.
The dental school, which will be the second in Washington State, expects to open to students in fall 2025. It will train 36 dental students per year alongside PNWU health sciences students in preparation for working in collaborative and integrated healthcare environments, 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 (FQHCs) located in Tacoma, Tri-Cities, and Yakima, Wash.
“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 30,000-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 increase equitable access to dental care.
A rendering of Delta Dental Equity Hall
“The school of dental medicine would not be a reality without the support and generosity of Delta Dental of Washington,” said Dr. Panagakos, Founding Dean of the School of Dental Medicine. “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.