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Welcome, Neighbor! LMU Opens College of Dental Medicine, Clinic Next to City Public Safety Complex

Congratulations, and a hearty welcome, to Lincoln Memorial University's College of Dental Medicine and its CRET Center, geared to deliver low-cost community services throughout Appalachia.

With similar construction timelines, LMU's opening and the City's completion of its Public Safety Complex next door could have been viewed as a bit of a good-natured footrace. Which would finish first, with the other following closely behind?

As anticipated, LMU is crossing the finish line first, but only by a few months. The City is on schedule for substantial completion by the end of the 2022 calendar year, as planned.

Considering the City's investment of more than $70 million to prepare the site in North Knoxville, raze the maze of obsolete former St. Mary's Hospital buildings, and transform 165,000 square feet of old office space into a Public Safety Complex....

And LMU's investment of more than $40 million to retrofit nine floors of the vacated hospital's former Magdalene Clarke Tower into dental and nursing education space....

In the scheme of things, the race to open between the site's two major tenants -- both intent on delivering public services in a transformative way -- comes down to a virtual photo finish.

LMU hosted its College of Dental Medicine grand opening on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at the new LMU Tower, 1705 St. Mary Street.

A patio space on the sixth floor served as the event venue, with scenic views of the surrounding North Knoxville neighborhood and the original 1930 St. Mary's Hospital building.

Duncan Kincannon

The event's guest list included current and former elected officials, including longtime U.S. Representative of Tennessee's Second District Jimmy Duncan, Jr.

Kincannon

The program will welcome its inaugural class on Monday, Sept. 12. The class consists of 80 doctor of medicine in dentistry students and 30 dental hygiene students.

At the same time, the college's low-cost accessible dental clinic -- the CRET, or Center for Research and Education in Technology -- also will open.

LMU College of Dental Medicine faculty members have been providing dental services through mobile units and stand-alone clinics. Monthly outreach is happening in partnership with Appalachian Miles for Smiles, with weekly clinics at Knoxville's Magnolia Methodist Church.

Bolstered by a state Department of Health grant of $3,375,000 a year for three years to serve patients in the 33 counties of East Tennessee, LMU College of Dental Medicine Dean Denise Terese-Koch estimates the program will enable 75,000 patient visits in 2022-23.

“This is another momentous day in the life of this institution,” LMU President Clayton Hess said when the CDM received its initial accreditation last month.

It allows us LMU, Hess said, "to open our doors to the next generation of professional students who will continue our legacy of service to humanity. Much of our service area falls in a dental desert where access to dental care has negatively impacted the health and wellbeing of our communities. Our goal is to recruit and train dentists to serve Appalachia and beyond.”

Here are a few photos of LMU's newest college:

Dental chair at new LMU College of Dental Medicine

Dental chair at new LMU College of Dental Medicine

Clinic space at new LMU College of Dental Medicine

Founding Dean Dr. Denise Terese-Koch

LMU College of Dental Medicine faculty perform community service, and as students are trained, they'll be assisting in the future.

LMU College of Dental Medicine faculty perform community service, and as students are trained, they'll be assisting in the future.

Flier promoting the start-up of the CRET

The City's Public Safety Complex, meanwhile, is scheduled to be substantially completed by the end of this year, with City police officers, Fire Department administrators and City Court and Pension System employees moving in incrementally.

The City and LMU will be close neighbors. It's not hard to imagine City and LMU employees and LMU students sharing breaks between classes and for lunch. In the near future, LMU plans to add a tree-lined public quadrangle between the City Court building and LMU Tower.

LMU rendering of the shared site and public quadrangle

Posted by evreeland On 08 September, 2022 at 11:29 AM