Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and the Oregon Academy of General Dentistry (OAGD) are collaborating to improve continuing dental education in Oregon.
The partnership is the first of its kind in the nation, according to the organizations.
The partnership is expected to lead to more and varied speakers and courses in the state's continuing dental education (CE) programs and a new method of delivering CE to remote areas of it.
The partnership combines OAGD's expertise in speaker and study club management and administration with OHSU's name recognition and CE classroom and clinic space for a very mutually beneficial arrangement, according to Aaron Tinkle, DMD, the OAGD president for 2012.
Under the terms of the agreement, OHSU's CE clinic, located on the ground floor of the School of Dentistry, will become the OHSU/OAGD CE department, explained Phyllis Beemsterboer, the associate dean for academic affairs. Kris Wessel, PhD, a longtime healthcare education consultant, has been named director of the new department.
A $250,000 gift from OAGD to the OHSU School of Dentistry for a new building ensured that there would be a space in the facility for continuing dental education.
