The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry, located in Lincoln, has partnered with Panhandle Community Services in Gering, Neb., and the Good Neighbor Community Health Clinic in Columbus, Neb., to expand dental services in these communities.
The partnership allows the College of Dentistry to use the clinics in Gering and Columbus as rural rotation sites for its dental and dental hygiene students. At the same time, the clinics benefit from the addition of two permanent dental faculty on staff at the Gering clinic – Mark Schlothauer, D.D.S., and Nathan Luehrs, D.D.S. – and one at the Columbus clinic – Susan Alexander, D.D.S.
"It’s a very good relationship that benefits the entire community," said Rebecca Rayman, executive director of the East Central District Health Department and of the Good Neighbor Community Health Clinic in Columbus.
"The construction of our dental clinic was completed earlier this year but we had not opened for services because we were having trouble recruiting a dentist," Rayman said. "It just so happened that when we called the College of Dentistry for help Dr. Alexander was also inquiring with her alma mater about relocating to Nebraska."
The clinic in Gering was also experiencing difficulty in recruiting and retaining full time dentists and limited their services to pediatric patients and only emergency services for adults.
"We are seeing 40 percent more patients now, including adults, and have expanded our days of operation from four days a week to five," said Jeff Tracy, Panhandle Community Services Health Center director. The clinic also has expanded emergency services from just four hours on one day a week to two hours each day of the week and implemented an evening clinic for migrant workers on Thursdays.
The clinic expansions became official July 1, said Veronica McManamon, community health center rotation coordinator and rural practice opportunities coordinator for the UNMC College of Dentistry.
Two senior dental students are currently on a three-week rotation through Aug. 17 at the Gering clinic and one dental student just completed a rotation at the Columbus clinic, McManamon said.
"It’s a great experience for our students, one that we hope will encourage more to practice in rural Nebraska where there is such a great need for dentists," McManamon said.