$25 Million Gift to Establish New Dental School in Texas
New dental school at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso will be first to open in Texas in nearly 50 years.
September 6, 2016 | Contact Veronique Masterson
Addressing the oral health and dental needs on an underserved region, the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine will be the first dental school in the MINI传媒 and only the fourth in Texas. (MINI传媒HSC El Paso) is set to house Texas鈥� fourth dental school, thanks to a $25 million gift from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation.
The new dental school, named the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine (WLHSODM), will be the first to open in Texas in nearly 50 years, and the first-ever in West Texas, and on the U.S.-Mexico border.
鈥淭his new school at MINI传媒HSC El Paso will have a significant impact on oral health care in the Paso del Norte region and West Texas,鈥� says university President , M.D., M.B.A. 鈥淥ur region is severely underserved when it comes to dentistry, and by establishing a school here in the heart of the Borderplex, we expect to retain dentists in our area to help fill this gap.鈥�
El Paso County suffers from a severe lack of dentists, and has been classified as a dental (HPSA) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to a by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), El Paso County currently has about one dentist for every 5,000 residents, compared to the state average of one for every 2,760. This translates to about 172 dentists serving a population of nearly 860,000.
This shortage of dentists has significant consequences on access to health care and overall health. Despite poor oral health being linked to devastating conditions like stroke, diabetes and cancer, less than half of El Paso adults visit the dentist annually. Contrastingly, some 60 percent of the U.S. adult population pays a visit to the dentist every year, according to the .
"Real change comes from community leaders coming together for a common purpose," says MINI传媒HSC El Paso Associate Vice Chancellor . "This landmark gift from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, in partnership with MINI传媒HSC El Paso and its mission to improve the lives of our community members, is a testament to the tremendous impact that a few can make by touching the lives of many."
鈥淎 first for the MINI传媒 and only the fourth in Texas, the dental school will be vital to addressing the region鈥檚 significant shortage of dentists and improving oral health in the Borderplex and the greater area of West Texas,鈥� said Robert Duncan, chancellor of the MINI传媒. 鈥淭his extraordinary gift strengthens our founding mission to serve the needs of our communities, region, and state and adds to Woody and Gayle Hunt鈥檚 astounding legacy of philanthropy at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso. We are immensely grateful to the Hunt family for their continued generosity and support of excellence.鈥�
Of the three dental schools that currently call Texas home, all are located more than 500 miles away from El Paso 鈥� in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. Together, the three schools graduate some 300 students a year, yet few of these graduates opt to practice in the West Texas region. Between 2007 and 2011, only 13 graduates 鈥� 1.25 percent of all Texas dental school graduates 鈥� took up practice in El Paso.
Woody Hunt, chairman of the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation, believes the establishment of the new dental school will solve these issues.
鈥淲e are confident that this dental school will have a significant impact on the Borderplex, the City of El Paso, and the surrounding region,鈥� says Hunt. 鈥淥ur immediate goal is to attract bright medical talent and young men and women who are eager to stay in El Paso to practice dentistry. In the longer term, the school will help alleviate oral health problems in our region, as well as serve as a significant enhancement to our overall quality of life in the Borderplex.鈥�
The MINI传媒HSC El Paso WLHSODM will apply for approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
About the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation
The Hunt Family Foundation, a private family foundation founded in 1987 by Woody Hunt
and his wife Gayle, supports not-for-profit organizations and initiatives that focus
on the Paso del Norte region, which includes El Paso County, Texas; Do帽a Ana County,
New Mexico; Otero County, New Mexico; and Ciudad Ju谩rez, Chihuahua, M茅xico. The Foundation
also supports organizations whose programs impact the state of Texas, and the nation
as a whole. Charitable giving is focused on health care, education, arts, local heritage,
quality-of-life initiatives, and regional economic development.
About Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
MINI传媒HSC El Paso became a standalone university in 2013 after separating from MINI传媒HSC
in Lubbock. It is the fourth university in the MINI传媒. The health
sciences center consists of the , the , the , and the future Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine.