Local partnerships to expand access and opportunity
Local partnerships to expand access and opportunity
This program is centered on strong partnerships with rural hospitals and FQHCs where program participants will gain clinical experience, starting in July of 2026. We are partnering with FQHCs because they often serve as the final safety net for rural areas. Having dental care co-located not only reduces barriers for patients but is also part of the integrated care model that helps FQHCs deliver high-quality, lower-cost care by preventing expensive emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Lee Clinton, the CEO of our partner, Titusville Area Hospital, has witnessed the growing need for dental care in the population he serves firsthand and has been a key champion for the program.
He told us,“ By expanding our dental services and opening our doors as a clinical training site, we’ re not only improving access to care but also helping to develop the next generation of dental professionals who will serve our communities for years to come.” Additional partnerships that will make the RTCs a success include the state legislators who recognize the need and support the model, the guidance counselors and workforce specialists who will help educate high school graduates about the new opportunities, and the practicing dentists and dental care professionals whom we will need to help teach, mentor, and eventually hire these aspiring care providers.
With all three centers operating at scale by 2030, every year these RTCs will serve 50,000 patients and train 200 new dental care professionals ready to serve our communities. We invite you to join us in raising your hands and committing to a future where geography is not a barrier to life-improving oral health.
If you would like to learn how to support our Regional Training Centers at Pitt Dental Medicine, please contact Brooke Capolupo at bcapolupo @ pitt. edu.
CITATIONS Bureau, U. C.( 2022, December 29). Nation’ s urban and rural populations shift following 2020 census. Census. gov. https:// www. census. gov / newsroom / pressreleases / 2022 / urban-rural-populations. html
Dental education. Dental Education | American Dental Association.( n. d.). https:// www. ada. org / resources / research / health-policy-institute / dentaleducation #:~: text = Total % 20predoctoral % 20 enrollment % 20is % 20currently, to % 2023 % 2C589 % 20 in % 202014-15.
Dental Post.( 2025). 2025 Dentist Salary Survey Report. Brookhaven.
Pitt to provide dental training and patient care in Titusville. Titusville Area Hospital.( 2025, June 2). https:// www. titusvillehospital. org / news / pitt-toprovide-dental-training-and-patient-care-in-titusville /
Editor’ s Note: Sara Dickey, Pitt Dental Medicine’ s Manager of Executive Strategic Initiatives, contributed to this feature.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2025 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 19