The College of Dentistry in Memphis is extending its clinical reach across the state by staffing a new dental clinic in Bristol. A grant of almost $300,000 from Delta Dental of Tennessee’s Smile180 Foundation enabled expansion and outfitting of the eight-room dental clinic at the Healing Hands Health Center in Bristol. The clinic offers dental care to the area’s working uninsured. A new UTHSC dental student rotation program will staff the clinic. Four students will work in two-week rotations under the supervision of a clinic director employed by UTHSC.
Back to School health fair marks 27th year
In July 2015, Omega Ministries and the Healthcare Organizations of Greater Memphis Coalition sponsored the 27th annual Back to School Family Affair in the UTHSC Student-Alumni Center. The event provided free back-to-school physical exams and immunizations for schoolchildren. Free dental, vision and blood pressure screenings also were offered. The health fair was open to the public, and lunch was provided for students 18 and younger. UTHSC-donated backpacks were filled with school supplies and given to child participants, and 35 bicycles were given away. “This event is important because it provides a service to those who may not have access to the proper health care needed when school begins,” says event organizer Joyce Shaw. Shaw declared the event, which served 1,012 people, a great success that would not have been possible without the support of UTHSC.
VETS Campus
UTHSC has been designated a VETS Campus, a distinction given to state colleges and universities that effectively foster a supportive environment for veterans and help veterans transitioning from military service to postsecondary education. The Health Science Center is the first UT system entity to be designated as such by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).
The Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support (VETS) Act, passed in 2014 by the Tennessee General Assembly, created the VETS Campus status. In recognition of the designation, the UTHSC Office of Student Affairs hosted a meet-and-greet Aug. 21 for veterans on campus. At the event, interim THEC Executive Director Russ Deaton presented a plaque commemorating VETS status to Chancellor Steve Schwab. UTHSC is listed on the THEC website with other institutions that have achieved the distinction.
