Kansas City University Looks to Close Gap in Oral Health Care for Joplin Area Underserved
The first class of 80 students is expected to matriculate in the fall of 2022 by JAMES KOELBL, DDS, MS, MJ, VICE PROVOST FOR ORAL HEALTH INITIATIVES, KANSAS CITY UNIVERSITY
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s part of the equation for ensuring access to oral health services for rural communities throughout southwest
Missouri, northwest Arkansas, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas, Kansas City University (KCU) plans to open a College of Dental Medicine in Joplin, Mo. The first class of 80 students is expected to matriculate in the fall of 2022.
In this four-state region, the need—and the opportunity—to improve access to oral health care has never been greater. KCU, a non-prof- it university, has a proven track record with a second College of Osteopathic Medicine campus in Joplin, along with strong support from the community, and is positioned well for positively impacting oral health for those in need.
KCU’s College of Dental Medicine will offer a unique and highly integrated clinical/bio- medical science curriculum—delivered both on campus and in clinical sites throughout the region—with a focus on community- based care and rural population health, and on teaching students how to meet the needs of a diverse patient population during their training and throughout their careers.
The College of Dental Medicine will incorpo- rate a campus-based KCU Oral Health Center that will provide high-quality oral health care in a learning environment that is focused on giving access to the underserved. An innova- tive dental simulation center will allow stu- dents to develop critical skills in a simulated patient environment. Students will join a clini- cal care team in their second year and begin to work together with third- and fourth-year students in a general dentistry group practice model under the direct supervision of faculty mentors. This team approach will address the oral health needs of underserved patients while giving dental students invaluable hands- on training. Students also will enhance their clinical and patient communication skills
18 focus | JUL/AUG 2019 | ISSUE 4
Architectural rendering of the KCU College of Dental Medicine on the school’s Joplin campus.
through assisting and observing when they are not providing direct patient care.
In community-based clinical sites throughout the region, fourth-year dental students will provide comprehensive, patient-centered oral health care to thousands of traditionally underserved patients. KCU will collaborate with Federally Qualified Health Centers, community health centers, VA Clinics, various outpatient facilities and private practices. Dentists in the sites who serve as mentors will become adjunct faculty in the College. These experiences will allow students to learn the business of dental practice, work with a variety of providers and staff, become involved in organized dentistry and commu- nity service, and teach them about the issues related to access to care in the “real world.”
When the College is fully enrolled, it is ex- pected that between the campus-based Oral Health Care Center and the rural community sites, students will provide 45,000-50,000 patient visits per year to those who might not otherwise receive care. Just as important, classes of fourth-year students will become inculcated into the community, making it ever more likely that they will choose to remain
after graduation and become a permanent resource to these communities. Because the College will also recruit students nationally, KCU’s goal is for graduates who locate in other areas of the country to help expand access to oral health care where they practice as well.
Exposure to rural communities has been shown to positively influence student at- titudes about treating underserved popula- tions. In addition, dentists from rural areas are more likely to return to their home communi- ties. KCU believes that students who train according to our mission of “improving the well-being of the communities we serve” will become a part of the solution to the chal- lenge of oral health care access for patients surrounding Joplin and beyond. f
Dr. Jim Koelbl will assist KCU as the University completes its due diligence for establishing a College of Dental Medicine on the KCU Joplin campus. He will help assess faculty and patient needs, lead the process to explore program accreditation, and lead outreach to the regional
dental community and potential clinical partners. Dr. Koelbl recently received the American Dental Education Association with the 2019 Distinguished Service Award. Contact him at
jkoelbl@kcumb.edu.
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