Welcome to the WVU School of Dentistry web site. It is hard to believe that a year and a half has gone by since I took on the position of Interim Dean. It has been an exciting time to lead the School. There have been many functions within and outside the School that have afforded me the opportunity to interact with many of you and share my energy for the School of Dentistry and its mission “to promote a learning environment that addresses the present and future oral health needs of the citizens of West Virginia and beyond by providing an oral health center committed to excellence and innovation in education, patient care, community service, research and technology”. Because I strive to keep the mission of our School forefront in all that I do, I have this background map of West Virginia prominently displayed in my office. There are numbers displayed which gives a tally of the numbers of dentists and dental hygienists that are licensed in each county of our state.
We are constantly striving for excellence within our School. In February of 2007, we completed the renovation of a state of the art clinical facility.
In the last year, we determined a need for and have developed an information and clinical technology committee with very definitive directives that is helping us have a
systematic, workable means of incorporating new and appropriate technology into our educational programs. We have also developed new initiatives to enhance the quality of patient care delivery which includes mechanisms for assuring good outcomes. We have established new clinical policies that have already been shown to increase the students' clinical experiences. Through our Rural Health Education Partnership program, we continue to provide a significant amount of dental care and education to citizens in under served areas of West Virginia while providing students with outstanding clinical experiences. We have participated in the first West Virginia MOM project held in June of 2008. Our students are out in the schools this Fall 2008 helping West Virginia promote Oral Health in our school system.
For the future, we need to complete our ongoing renovations plan, emphasize our development objectives with priorities of student scholarships, professorships for faculty, renovations and clinical technologies updates.
We welcome you to explore our website which describes the rich history and proud tradition of West Virginia University School of Dentistry. We really do have a faculty and staff who are dedicated to the School of Dentistry – our patients, students, and ALL those we serve. Come and visit Morgantown, West Virginia and see what a great place it is to live and learn!
All the best,
Louise Veselicky
Interim Dean |
