EWU dental clinic improves education and access
In November 2022, the Health Services Administration published a report detailing the workforce shortages in Washington’s dental field. Of the state’s 39 counties, 10 had partial shortages while 29 had severe or widespread shortages.
The students at the Eastern Washington University (EWU) Dental Hygiene Clinic are helping fill those gaps.
As the only true Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene in the state, the program’s students typically have full-time employment lined up before graduating, says Lori Speer, EWU Dental Hygiene department chair and associate professor. Many come from rural, underserved communities and plan to return to those areas to provide dental care, while others are filling needs across the Pacific Northwest.
In addition to a hands-on learning space for 80 juniors and seniors, the clinic also provides a critical resource to the community with lower-cost, high-quality and efficient dental care. The EWU Dental Hygiene Clinic accepts Apple Health and provides services ranging from dental hygiene cleanings to cancer screening, local anesthesia and restorative services, such as fillings.
Hear from the staff and students of the EWU Dental Hygiene Clinic in this video below.
“Partnering for healing and a healthy future” is MultiCare’s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we’re inspired and excited to support that work.
Stories from our Community is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.
*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare’s Community Partnership Fund, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.
