Grand Opening Scheduled for Health Education Center

Marquette Dental School Proud to Expand Outreach to the Eau Claire Area

Released: October 19, 2004

MILWAUKEE – Marquette University Dental School is proud to announce the Grand Opening and Ribbon cutting ceremony of the Health Education Center in Eau Claire . The center is the product of a partnership between Chippewa Valley Technical College , Marquette University , and UW Health Family Medicine Clinic, and brings dental care to low-income patients in the Chippewa Valley .

Friday's program will begin with the official ribbon cutting at 11:00 a.m followed by tours of the new facility and a luncheon at noon. A community open house is planned for Saturday, October 23, 2004 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

As part of a dental school outreach program, Marquette sends two dental students and a dental resident to the clinic two to three days a week to treat low-income and Medicaid patients. In addition to the Chippewa Valley clinic, Marquette has participated in a similar arrangement in Appleton for nearly a year, has a new affiliated clinic opening in Ladysmith within the next few months, and plans to expand into other rural Wisconsin areas in the near future. Every Marquette dental student is required to complete an assigned rotation to each of the outreach sites.

“We understand that this program is not enough to support the full need for care in these areas, which are suffering from a shortage of dental providers,” said Dr. Bill Lobb, Dean of Marquette 's Dental School. “But we hope that by introducing the students to the level of need and appreciation for their services in these communities, they will consider moving to these areas to practice after graduation.”

For more information on the dental outreach program at Marquette, please contact Anne Broeker in the Office of Public Affairs.