College Seeks to Expand its Dental Facilities to Meet Urgent Needs
Eastern Florida State College( EFSC) is launching a transformative expansion of its dental hygiene and dental assisting programs to better serve students and residents across Florida’ s Space Coast with strong support from community partners.
The $ 7.8 million initiative involves relocating and upgrading the programs into a larger, renovated facility— Building 3 on the Cocoa Campus( Health Sciences Building)— enabling EFSC to double its capacity for training dental professionals and significantly increase access to affordable dental care for the community.
To help make this project possible, the college is seeking a $ 3.3 million investment from the State of Florida, matched by $ 3.3 million in federal funding. The remaining $ 1.2 million is expected to be provided through local community support, including a funding request currently under review by the Space Coast Health Foundation( SCHF).
“ The partnership between the State of Florida, the federal government, and our community partners is both significant and strategic,” said College President Dr. Jim Richey.“ It represents an essential investment in Florida’ s health care workforce pipeline and in the dental health care of citizens on Florida’ s Space Coast.”
The initiative has already garnered strong support. It will be sponsored and championed in the Florida State Legislature by Representative
Increasing Demand for Dental Professionals
Avid supporter of the EFSC Dental Programs, Delores Spearman visited the EFSC Dental Clinic and spent time with students.
Tyler Sirois and Senator Debbie Mayfield. U. S. Representative Mike Haridopolos will advance it during the Congressional session.
Additionally, local support includes the Economic Development Commission of Florida’ s Space Coast, the City of Cocoa, the Space Coast Health Foundation, and individuals such as Guy and Delores Spearman, and Tara Pagliarini with Family Promise.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2024, over 57 million Americans were impacted by dental health professional shortages; furthermore, dental care proves unaffordable for more people than any other form of health care. As a result, vulnerable populations, such as adults over age 65 without health insurance and low-income children under age 17, are less likely to schedule annual dental visits and more likely to have untreated dental conditions that affect their families, communities, and own quality of life.
The current EFSC dental program serves community members, providing affordable preventive care for both children and seniors. However, the size of the current training facility impacts the number of patients served, leading to lengthy, growing waitlists of patients who may not receive timely treatment. To meet these needs, expansion is a must.
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