Greetings from Yakima!
We hope our second newsletter of 2024 finds you all doing well and enjoying the start of spring. We are a little delayed in sending out our newsletter this quarter, as we wanted to share, along with other updates, the outcome of our Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) Initial Site Visit, which occurred on April 2 and 3.
The site visit went very well. It was a very challenging two days for the team, but we emerged from the process in great shape. Based on the feedback from the site visit team at the end of the visit, we are still on track to welcome our first class in August 2025.
During the exit meeting with the SDM team, site visitors shared the following strengths they want to recognize regarding our program:
- The SDM team and their hard work and effort regarding this process, especially during the evening between day 1 and 2, when the team developed some additional requested documentation.
- Our innovative educational model – one that is very unique and has the potential to be game-changing.
- The mission of PNWU and the SDM – our relentless focus on access to care for the rural and underserved, the diversity in our team and our commitment to recruiting a diverse student body, and our commitment to growing the oral care workforce.
- Our partnerships, especially the strong and collaborative relationships we have with our FQHC partners and the WSDA.
- The amazing financial support the school has obtained from our state legislature, Delta Dental of Washington, the WSDA, the FQHCs, individual donors, and PNWU.
- Our beautiful campus facilities and the planned community clinics.
- The overall support provided by PNWU and our sister schools in the development of our program.
The site visit team identified three areas within our curriculum, specifically regarding assessing competence regarding specific dental procedures that require additional work. The SDM team will have between now and June 1 to respond to the areas in question and provide supplemental documentation demonstrating how we have addressed them. The team is already at work preparing our response. The site visit team had no issues with our financial models/projections, FQHC partnership/support, construction, faculty and student recruitment, student support services, etc.
These results were largely due to the tireless efforts of the entire SDM team. I want to extend a sincere thank you to Drs. Reinke, Klingman, Pape, Ms. Brown, Ms. Turner, and Ms. Gutierrez. Without their support and hard work these past months, we would not have achieved the results I described.
And now, onto other news!
Construction of Delta Dental Equity Hall is progressing and is scheduled to be completed this summer. The exterior shell is being installed, and sheetrock will be going up very soon. I recommend you connect with the school via its LinkedIn profile, to receive the latest construction updates and images.
Our recruitment of faculty continues, with over 50% of the positions filled and a number of highly qualified candidates in the interview process. On the staff side, we are beginning recruitment of some key staff positions that will begin this summer. In future newsletters, we will provide you with an update on the hires occurring over the next few months.
Finally, we took possession of our first SIMtoCare virtual reality dental education simulator, which arrived on campus this week. Following unpacking and set-up, the team received training from Stef Geerdink of SIMtoCare. There is still much to learn regarding the capabilities of this amazing system, and it is evident that there are huge opportunities to leverage this technology not only for dental students but also for continuing education opportunities for dentists and our dental hygiene student colleagues at the Yakima Valley College dental hygiene program.
This summer, it will be moved to the completed Delta Dental Equity Hall Virtual Reality Room, where five more units will join it in the spring of 2025. This will allow our faculty, who begin in early 2025, ample opportunity to learn about the system and include it in their courses. We will also have units for student use at our Tacoma and Kennewick clinics when those clinics open in early 2026. We hope you enjoy the pictures of our training session.
Thank you all for your continued support of our program.
