BY STACEY WALTERS

PIKEVILLE — The University of Pikeville College of Dental Medicine was awarded $1.5 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission to fund the procurement of dental equipment and supplies through the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization initiative. POWER is an integrated, multiagency effort to align and invest federal economic and workforce development resources in communities and regions negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy.

The grant is specifically for specialty clinics serving low-income and special needs patients in economically distressed and medically underserved counties in Eastern Kentucky. The equipment purchased with this grant will support dental education at TCDM. It will include digital technology to prepare students to practice general dentistry at a faculty practice clinic, federally qualified health centers, and special needs clinics located in rural areas throughout the region that specialize in the care of patients with substance use disorder, pediatric patients and other patients in need of special care.

The Dean of TCDM, Pamela Sparks-Stein, DMC, MPH, believes the grant will produce valuable training opportunities and support for the next generation of oral healthcare providers.

“We are very grateful for the $1.5 million grant from the ARC,” said Sparks-Stein. “This finding will make it possible to purchase state-of-the-art dental equipment to serve many Central Appalachian residents in the new Tanner College of Dental Medicine.”