24 / 44
22
New Mexico Dental Journal, Winter 2016
Novitski Hall Dental Clinic Grand Opening
By Christine N. Nathe
C
arrie Tingley Dental Clinic has moved to a newly reno-
vated clinic within the UNM Novitski Hall facility.
The grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was
held during UNM Homecoming weekend, on Friday, October
16. The renovated clinic was funded by the UNM HSC, and
is a state of the art facility designed to meet the dental needs
of our patients.
To add to the initiative, the UNM Department of Dental
Medicine recently was awarded a $2.5 million grant over
five years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration to
create additional educational and clinical opportunities for
UNM’s special needs dental clinic. The grant will provide a
special needs coordinator to oversee the academic program and
direct patient care experiences for dental residents enrolled in
UNM’s accredited Dental Residency Program. Faculty from
both dental hygiene and dental services will be involved in
educational and clinical efforts supported by the grant. “With
this support from HRSA, we will coordinate an educational
program in areas of special needs dentistry to provide intel-
lectually and developmentally disabled patients in the state
of New Mexico more qualified oral health providers,” says
School of Medicine Assistant Professor Vicki Pizanis, RDH,
MS, EdDc, principal investigator for the grant.
UNM’s evolving dental program goals are increasing resident
and student training in patient care specifically and improving
access in the UNM clinics and both private and public clinics
in New Mexico. The HRSA funding also will support the
creation of a second-year dental residency curriculum in
specialized areas of interest, like:
• Treating patients with special needs
• Improving interprofessional education in
oral health evaluations skills for the SOM’s
Advanced Nurse Practitioner Program
• Enhancing a special needs training program
for dental hygiene students enrolled at UNM
• Offering inter-professional rotations to
interested Advanced Nurse Practitioners
Additionally, Dr. Shelly Fritz has been working with Ken
Thompson at the UNM Foundation to raise funds for an
endowment to sustain the program on a permanent basis.
This initiative focuses on endowing positions for a dentist
faculty coordinator, dental hygiene faculty and an operating
expenses fund. This is particularly important to ensure access
to quality care for all New Mexicans for generations to come!