Continuing its mission to expand its clinical reach across the state, the UTHSC College of Dentistry has established new student clinical rotation sites in Crossville and Knoxville.
“Clinical rotations are excellent opportunities for our students,” says Dr. Orpheus Triplett, assistant dean for extramural clinical education and community service. “Not only do the students get exposed to different populations, but they also get experience in the true pace of daily private practice work. They build that speed and resilience.”
In Knoxville, the college has opened a new rotation with two students present full time. The clinic operates in partnership with the Interfaith Clinic of Knoxville. Two fourth-year dental students travel to Knoxville every two weeks to assist in the clinic under supervision from dental faculty.
The clinical rotation location in Crossville has been in the pilot stage since fall 2022. The rotation spans six weeks in the fall and again in the spring. For three two-week periods in each season, two fourth-year dental students assist in the clinic with faculty supervision. In the future, the college hopes to expand the Crossville rotation to a full-time rotation.
The college’s existing student rotation sites include Union City, Bristol and Chattanooga.
$6 Million Awarded to UTHSC to Expand Tennessee Heart Health Network
The Tennessee Heart Health Network, an initiative of the UT Health Science Center, received a $6 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue and expand its work to improve heart health across Tennessee over the next five years.
“This is an exciting next step for the Tennessee Heart Health Network and will allow us to expand our work to improve the cardiovascular health of Tennesseans,” says Dr. Jim Bailey, Robert S. Pearce Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine and executive director of the UTHSC Tennessee Population Health Consortium. He is the principal investigator for this initiative and the executive director of the Tennessee Heart Health Network, established in 2021 with funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Tennessee currently has among the highest rates for cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity in the country.
Second Family Campaign Surpasses Donor Goal
The second Family Campaign at UTHSC exceeded its donor goal with more than 600 donors and surpassed the number of givers in the first Family Campaign in February.
Brigitte Grant, vice chancellor for advancement, says gifts from the faculty and staff help enlist support from those outside the university.
“The passion of our employees is a powerful statement to our community,” she says. “It says a great deal that our employees support the university through their personal giving.”
