Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Pledges $440,000 to UAMS Dental Program
| LITTLE ROCK – Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation Inc. has pledged $440,000 to promote dental health education, help provide accessible dental health care in Arkansas, and assist with the development of a dental clinic and dental education center at UAMS.
The gift will fund the conversion and renovation space at UAMS for future use as a dental clinic, which also will serve as a dental education site for residents and students, and will fund the purchase of equipment for the dental clinic.
“This is an exciting time at UAMS, and we are extremely grateful to the Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation,” said Charles Cranford, D.D.S., special assistant to the chancellor for dental education initiatives and professor of health policy and management in the College of Public Health.
“Throughout its long history, UAMS has never had a program to educate dentists or provide comprehensive oral care. This gift creates the momentum for such a program,” Cranford said.
“The Delta Dental of Arkansas Foundation is proud to help with this exciting project,” said Ed Choate, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Arkansas. “Our partnership with UAMS is important to us. We are glad to help make available expanded space for improved oral health services while laying the ground work for future dental education programs.”
The new Oral Health Clinic will serve patients who are referred from community dentists, UAMS patients with acute oral health issues compromising medical treatment and patients from the UAMS College of Health Related Professions dental hygiene clinic.
“This gift will go a long way in helping us meet a broad range of dental care needs and sets the stage for the future of dental education in Arkansas,” said UAMS Chancellor, Dan Rahn, M.D. “Key among these will be developing the clinical component of a dental residency program.”
The Foundation has been a frequent supporter of the dental hygiene program, providing funds in recent years for equipment and a student scholarship.
UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Related Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. Named best Little Rock metropolitan area hospital by U.S. News & World Report, it is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has more than 2,800 students and 775 medical residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com.