By SCN Staff
DALLAS鈥擳he聽Texas A&M University College of Dentistry聽recently dedicated its new聽Clinic and Education Building聽in Dallas.
The 160,000-square-foot, nine-story building will provide underserved patients with greater access to dental care. It will also enable the college to shift its curriculum from a traditional discipline-based approach to a team-based 鈥渨hole health鈥� model.
Vaughan Construction was the construction manager on this $127 million project. Kahler Slater聽of Milwaukee led the programming, planning and design for the new facility, partnering with architect of record聽BRW Architects聽of Dallas.
This is the first stand-alone building built for the college since 1950. The new Clinic and Education Building features nearly 300 dental-chair stations ranging from general practice to prosthodontics and implant surgery, each equipped with the latest technology. It also includes specialized clinics, clinical support spaces, faculty areas, classrooms and study spaces. Dedicated patient parking is available on the building鈥檚 first three floors.
The new building will also allow the college to increase patient visits鈥攃urrently numbering approximately 100,000 per year鈥攂y as much as 40 percent. There will also be the capacity to expand enrollment to meet the demand for dental care providers in underserved parts of the state.
鈥淣o longer will students and patients be going to different areas of the school or clinic to seek information about treatment and care,鈥� said Dr. Lawrence E. Wolinsky, dean of the College of Dentistry.
鈥淭he patient will actually be the center of the treatment and treatment will come to them. Our students, faculty and staff will flourish in this incredible environment.
This project has also facilitated an overhaul of the college鈥檚 curriculum to a team-based approach that is patient-centered and reflects the more collaborative learning style of today鈥檚 students. This group practice model exposes students to numerous specialists and fosters students鈥� engagement in their work helping prepare them to work in whichever practice model they ultimately choose.