On May 5, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences (PNWU) and Yakima Neighborhood Health Services (YNHS) broke ground on a new dental clinic that is poised to transform both dental education and access to care in rural and underserved communities across the Pacific Northwest.
The two-story, 15,220 sq. ft. facility — located in Yakima’s Terrace Heights neighborhood, and just a mile from PNWU’s campus — will serve as a clinical education hub for the newly launched PNWU School of Dental Medicine (SDM). Once completed, it will house 22 dental operatories, classrooms, and faculty offices, and will enable student dentists to train alongside medical, behavioral health, and pharmacy professionals in an integrated, team-based care setting.
In a bold step forward for dental education, PNWU’s SDM students will begin interacting with patients at this clinic as early as their second year — providing real-world, community-based experience far earlier than in most traditional dental programs. The hands-on approach, combined with an emphasis on interprofessional education and service to underserved populations, has already drawn national recognition, with our SDM gaining a reputation as one of the most innovative dental programs in the country.
“We are building a stronger, more equitable future for health care in our region.”
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to community-based training and care,” said Dr. Fotinos Panagakos, Founding Dean of the PNWU School of Dental Medicine. “By giving students early and immersive clinical experiences and preparing them to serve where they are most needed, we are building a stronger, more equitable future for health care in our region.”
Once operational, the clinic is projected to provide approximately 18,210 dental visits annually to around 6,000 patients.
By 2029, PNWU’s dental program will graduate 36 dentists annually, many of whom are expected to return to rural and underserved communities to practice — directly addressing the growing oral health care gap across the Pacific Northwest.
