The University of Iowa College of Dentistry has received a three-year, $150,000 grant from Delta Dental of Iowa to help retain dentists in rural Iowa,
In state, 79 of 99 counties are considered dental shortage areas.
The grant will fund a new position, Iowa practice opportunities coordinator, that will manage recruitment of dentists to rural, underserved communities throughout the state and help match Iowa's dental graduates with open practice sites. Debra Hoyle of Iowa City was recently hired as the opportunities coordinator.
"Recruiting dentists to Iowa communities currently relies on individual dentists, dental practice brokers or economic development and community leaders. The College is in a unique position to coordinate the linkage between dental students, practicing alumni and Iowa communities," said David Johnsen, DDS, dean of the UI College of Dentistry.
"We anticipate this new position will assist in retaining Iowa dental graduates and placing them in high need areas of the state. The college is very grateful to Delta Dental for funding this position to address access to care issues."
The Iowa practice opportunities coordinator will work with Iowa communities' chambers of commerce, the Iowa Departments of Economic Development and Public Health, the Iowa Dental Association and the UI Dental Alumni Association to identify communities seeking a dentist and facilitate placement.
Delta Dental's three-year commitment to the university position is funded by the not-for-profit company's Public Benefit Program, which in 2006 provided more than $475,000 in grants to Iowa oral health care projects. The mission of the Public Benefit Program is to meet the oral health care needs of Iowa's underserved population through prevention, education, access to care and research oriented programs.
Delta Dental's grant to the UI College of Dentistry is in addition to the company's annual Loan Repayment Program, which provides dental education debt replacement for dentists who commit to serve Medicaid-eligible patients in rural Iowa communities.
Dentists in the Delta Dental Loan Repayment Program have performed more than 25,000 treatments for more than 11,000 Medicaid patients since the company's repayment program began in 2002.
