ILCHF Awards $1.5 Million to the SIU Dental School
The Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has awarded $1.5 million to the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine as part of its $20 million, five-year initiative to expand access to oral health care for Illinois children.
ILCHF, which also awarded the same amount to the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry, wants to give more awards to nonprofit oral health care organizations that provide primary care services directly to children or formally collaborate with primary care providers, desiring to establish a new oral health service, expanding existing services in a clinical setting or implementing a community planning process. Please visit the ILCHF website for more information: www.ilchf.org.
The grant awarded to the SIU School of Dental Medicine will, over the next six years, allow the dental school to better prepare dentists to provide care for underserved children, primarily in southern Illinois. “We are committed to serving the rural health care needs of Illinois,” said Dr. Ann Boyle, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine.
“It will give us the opportunity to address a problem in the rural part of the state—access to dental care for children. We’re very pleased to receive such an award.”
Under the terms of the award, the dental school will design and implement a program that modifies the admission process, updates curriculum, provides mentoring and support to students, expands community-based service-learning opportunities and assesses the outcomes of the program.
SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift said the University’s affiliated health care education programs—which include dental medicine, nursing and pharmacy—have built a reputation of serving the region as major resources. “Our healthcare outreach in the dental health care field will be greatly enhanced by this award from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation,” Vandegrift said.
“We have a distinctive mission and vision as a premier metropolitan university to fulfill human potential,” Vandegrift said. “This award will help us enhance the quality of life for the citizens of rural Illinois.”
Dr. Peter E. Doris, Chair of the ILCHF Board of Directors, said “Expanding access to quality oral health care for all children in Illinois is one of the Foundation’s primary objectives. As a component of ILCHF’s oral health care initiative, the Foundation supports programs that are designed to increase the number of oral health professionals caring for underserved children.
“We are fortunate to have such a willing and capable partner in the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine to help us fulfill our mission.”
Implant Program Moves to Alton
After a great deal of analysis, a determination was made by the administration of the SIU School of Dental Medicine to move the Implant Program from the Implant Clinic in Edwardsville to the Main Clinic in Alton. The SIU dental school’s long term lease on the Implant Clinic in Edwardsville expired in February 2008, after 10 years.
Equipment and instrumentation was moved from Edwardsville to Alton in December 2007 and January 2008. Implant treatment patients began receiving dental care on the Alton campus in January 2008.
The move included the Implant Program fellows, faculty, staff and patients. Dr. Ann Boyle, Dean of the SIU dental school, cited the opportunity to enhance the clinical dental education experience for students and the implant patient care for patients as reasons for the move.
“The enhanced ability for consultations and referrals for dental patients when everyone is in one location is certainly one positive aspect of the move. Additionally, we believe the move can improve the academic experience for the fellows, the residents, the dental students and the faculty” said Dr. Boyle.
A recent $250,000 educational grant from Biomet 3i offered the dental school the opportunity to expand some components of the clinical implant education program to the predoctoral students. The decision to move the program from Edwardsville to Alton will enhance educational opportunities through greater interaction, observation and consultation between predoctoral students and Implant Program fellows, residents and faculty.
In addition to the educational grant, Biomet 3i has also pledged in-kind support of instruments, equipment, and education. The contribution from Biomet 3i will also allow the dental school to continue to improve the excellence in dental education offered through the postdoctoral implant training program.
Dr. Boyle explained that the greater number of support staff at the Main Clinic in Alton will provide greater flexibility for covering staff absences. She added that the larger staff and greater diversity of services at Alton would benefit the patients as well. Dr. Boyle also cited fiscal responsibility as a reason for the move.
“Considering the costs to maintain a separate clinic location, a move to Alton will also benefit the dental school financially,” said Dr. Boyle.
Implant Clinic Photos: 1
“Doing What Is Best for the Patient”
“Doing What Is Best for the Patient,” the title of the keynote address offered at the SIU School of Dental Medicine White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2011, states quite simply the overarching principle on which the ceremony is based. On October 6, the students of the Class of 2011 were called to the stage of the Hatheway Cultural Center at the Lewis & Clark Community College to sign and recite a professional oath, effectively professing to the family and friends gathered in the audience that they would, “from this day forward,” do what is best for their respective patients.
Dr. Susan Bordenave Bishop offered the keynote address. Dr. Bishop shared with the students some discouraging news about the average dental student loan upon graduation. She also highlighted community dentistry as a positive piece of the students’ curriculum at the SIU dental school.
“There is concern about the dollar amounts of dental student loans, as the average student loan is $167,000 at graduation,” said Dr. Bishop. “This may put the new dentist in a position where it is difficult to place the patient first in the treatment planning process. However, SIU dental students are involved in community dentistry programs now more than ever. When the dental students complete these programs, they return with an increased ability to see the needs of the patient and the enjoyment of helping another person. These programs promise to help SIU dental students to foster good patient relationships, built on trust, despite some of the negative financial pressures.”
Dr. Bishop serves as the Dental Director for the Peoria City/County Health Department. She also maintains a private practice in general dentistry. Dr. Bishop currently serves organized dentistry as Program Director for the Central Illinois Academy of General Dentistry; Editor for the Illinois Section of the American College of Dentists; and Board member of the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation. Dr. Bishop is also the President of the Illinois Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped.
The 2007 White Coat Ceremony formally introduced 52 students to the distinguished profession of dentistry. The White Coat Ceremony serves to impress on the new students the high standards of integrity and professionalism required in the healthcare profession, as well as a sense of the commitment that they have made by choosing dentistry as their profession.
Dr. Allen Otsuka, the faculty student adviser for the Class of 2011, called the students individually to the stage. Drs. Eric Langenwalter (Class of 1985) and Christa Hopp (Class of 2003), alumni and faculty members of the SIU School of Dental Medicine, helped the students with their coats as they approached the stage. Once assembled on the stage, Dr. Ann Boyle, Dean of the SIU dental school, led the Class of 2011 in the recitation of the Professional Oath.
Nicole Vazquez, a Year IV student and President of the Student Body, offered closing remarks. Following the ceremony, family and friends in attendance were invited to the SIU School of Dental Medicine, Alton Campus, for lunch and campus tours.
The Illinois State Dental Society Foundation, the Illinois Section of the American College of Dentists, the Illinois Academy of General Dentistry and the Eight District of the International College of Dentists deserve a special thank you for their collective sponsorship of the White Coat Ceremony and Family Day. The SIU School of Dental Medicine genuinely appreciates their generosity!
White Coat Ceremony Photos: 1 | 2
SIUE Founders Day in Alton ~A Celebration of Versatility
On September 25, 2007 the SIU School of Dental Medicine Alton Campus hosted the SIUE Founders Day in Alton ~ A Celebration of Versatility. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Alton Campus in recognition of its proud beginnings.
On July 1, 1957, classes began at the Alton Residence Center on the former campus of Shurtleff College. The Alton campus flourished until 1965 when SIUE began classes at its new campus in Edwardsville. The School of Dental Medicine was chartered in 1969 and SIUE decided to use the Alton campus to temporarily serve this new unit. In 1972, the SIU dental school enrolled its first class, the Class of 1975, a collection of twenty-four bright and eager dental students. With the graduating Class of 2007 in June, the SIU dental school has trained over 1,400 dentists at the Alton Campus.
Remarks at the celebration were offered by Dr. Ann Boyle, Dean of the School of Dental Medicine, and Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, Chancellor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The Honorable Donald Sandidge, Mayor of the City of Alton, read a proclamation in honor of the Alton Campus, recognizing SIUE for the educational services it has provided for the community for 50 years and officially proclaiming the day as “Southern Illinois University Alton Campus Day” in the City of Alton. Also, Norm Showers, retired faculty member of both Shurtleff College and the Alton Residence Center and Professor Emeritus of SIUE, shared a few stories from his many years of service on the Alton Campus.
Among the special guests at the celebration was Dr. Frank Sobkowski, the SIU School of Dental Medicine’s Founding Dean, serving from 1969 through 1973. Additionally, several faculty and alumni members from Shurtleff College, the Alton Residence Center and the School of Dental Medicine were in attendance.
Following the welcoming ceremony, cake and punch were served. All the guests at the event were invited to take a campus tour, featuring a nostalgic display of photographs taken through the 50 years that the Alton Campus has served SIUE.
The occasion also celebrated the 175th Anniversary of Loomis Hall, now the Home of the Alton Museum of History and Art. According the Alton Museum of History and Art, Loomis Hall is the oldest building in the state of Illinois that has been continuously dedicated to education. The Alton Museum of History & Art offered free admission for the day to the delight of those in attendance at the SIUE Founders Day in Alton.
Commencement 2007
The Class of 2007—49 students, 16 of them graduating with honors—received a doctorate in dental medicine on Saturday, June 2, 2007. The Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine Class of 2007 Commencement featured many of the remarkable accomplishments of the new graduates and saw a host of past graduates play significant roles in the ceremony.
Distinguished among the 16 students graduating with honors was Chad Drouin—the sole graduate to earn the highest honors, Summa Cum Laude. Earning high honors, or Magna Cum Laude, were Shelby Applegate, Allison Chamness, and Laura Nolte.
As a whole, the Class of 2007 earned remarkable scores on the National Board Dental Examinations. Compared to 55 other dental schools in the U.S. , the SIU dental school Class of 2007 earned the eighth highest comprehensive standard scores on Part I, recording a class average of 87.5 percent compared to a national average of 84.7 percent. The Class of 2007 also earned a 100 percent pass rate on Part II, recording a class average of 84 percent compared to a national average of 80.9 percent.
Also of note among the accolades celebrated at the 2007 Commencement Ceremony, 25 percent of the students will enter a graduate residency program to further their dental education. The Class of 2007 genuinely distinguished themselves through academic and scholastic accomplishment during their four-year dental school education.
Seven past graduates returned to the school to hood relatives among the new graduates—three were husbands of the new graduates, two were fathers of the new graduates, one was an aunt of a new graduate and one was a sister of a new graduate. Presenting the hoods to the new graduates was Dr. Bruce Rotter, Class of 1982 graduate and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
Dr. Robert Dennison—President and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Dental of Illinois, Board chairman of Pyramid Business Systems Inc., and a 1982 graduate of the SIU dental school—served as the guest speaker at the Commencement Ceremony. Dr. Dennison shared an intriguing address with the commencement audience about the future of dental medicine, especially the ever-increasing demands and responsibilities that young dental practitioners, including the graduates of the Class of 2007, will inevitably face in the years to come.
Dr. Dennison practiced dentistry for 13 years and taught business statistics at Eastern Illinois University in 1991 and 1992. In addition to a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the SIU School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Dennison earned a B.S. and an M.B.A. from Eastern Illinois University . Subsequent to his years as a dental practitioner and prior to becoming C.E.O., Dr. Dennison served in several leadership roles with Delta Dental of Illinois, including Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Professional Relations, Dental Director and Dental Consultant. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the Illinois State Dental Society Foundation.
Dr. Scott Wolter, a Class of 1990 SIU dental school graduate and the President of the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Council, also spoke briefly to the new graduates—the dental school’s newest alumni—about the role of an SIU dental school alumnus in society. Following his remarks, Dr. Wolter formally inducted the newest alumni into the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Association.
The 2007 Commencement was held in the Meridian Ballroom on the main campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. A reception for students, faculty and family members followed the ceremony.
Commencement Photos: 1 | 2| 3|
Biomet 3i Pledges $250,000 Boost To Implant Program
To support the clinical implant education program at the School of Dental Medicine , Biomet 3i has committed $250,000 toward an education grant. The SIU dental school has already received two gifts of $12,500 each, representing the first two quarterly installments toward their $250,000 pledge, payable over the next five years.
Additionally, it is important to note that Biomet 3i has also pledged in-kind support of instruments, equipment, and education. Further, Biomet 3i has offered to explore the opportunity to collaborate on research projects in the field of implant dentistry. The in-kind and collaborative research components of the commitment from Biomet 3i may bring the total value of their gift to as much as $500,000.
The support from Biomet 3i will have a tremendous positive impact on clinical implant education at the SIU School of Dental Medicine. The contribution from Biomet 3i will allow the dental school to continue to offer excellence in dental education in our postdoctoral implant training program. Further, this support will allow the dental school to expand some components of our clinical implant education program to our predoctoral students.
The SIU School of Dental Medicine has provided a successful postdoctoral implant training program for over ten years at our Implant Clinic in Edwardsville , Illinois . In more recent years, the SIU dental school has sought opportunities to expand clinical implant education to our predoctoral students. Dr. Boyle, Dean of the SIU School of Dental Medicine, remarked that the commitment and support of Biomet 3i represents the opportunity that the dental school had been seeking.
“The grant from Biomet 3i will help us reach our educational goal of bringing clinical experience in implant dentistry to our predoctoral dental students. The commitment made by Biomet 3i will provide the springboard necessary to advance this program,” said Dr. Boyle. “Truly, this gift represents an exciting venture and a promising partnership.”
Please join us in offering a thank you to Biomet 3i for a generous contribution to the School of Dental Medicine and our clinical implant education program.
