Roseman University and the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System launched a partnership Tuesday to expand dental care for eligible veterans, opening a five-chair clinic on the university's Henderson campus. The 1,033-square-foot facility is the first standalone VA dental clinic in the nation situated within a university dental school.
Under the arrangement, Roseman funded and built the clinic while the VA manages daily operations and provides care through its own dental professionals. The clinic supplements services at the main VA Medical Center in North Las Vegas, bringing care closer to veterans in Henderson and the southern valley.
"Every veteran we serve deserves care close to home, and every future dentist deserves to learn what that care means. This partnership delivers both," said Michael Kiefer, executive director of the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. He noted that students rotating through the VA will learn to serve veterans and may eventually join the VA workforce.
Dr. Yessenia Fields, chief of Dental Service for VASNHS, said the model combines patient care and clinical education in a way never before done within the VA system. The partnership also allows family members of veterans to access affordable dental and orthodontic services through Roseman's public clinical programs on the same campus.
The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System serves Clark, Lincoln, and Nye counties, home to approximately 147,000 veterans, with about 129,000 eligible for VA care and 86,000 currently enrolled.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
English (US)·