UT Health San Antonio SOD Awarded HRSA Grant

The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry (UT Health SA SOD) Department of Comprehensive Dentistry has been awarded a five-year training grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration that will provide residency training and care of vulnerable and underserved populations in South and Central Texas.

The $3.25 million grant will expand UT Health SA SOD’s residency programs in Pediatric Dentistry, Dental Public Health and in the Advanced Education Program in General Dentistry.

Suman Challa, B.D.S., M.S.P.H., serves as Principal Investigator for this project that, in addition to expanding resident positions and providing cross-training of residents among the three residencies, will expand training and care delivery in federally qualified health centers in rural areas surrounding San Antonio. Dr. Challa and Co-principal Investigator Jeffery Hicks, D.D.S., will oversee activities that incorporate interprofessional training for dental residents with medical, nursing and physician assistant trainees; will address the opioid crisis; and will include youth obesity testing and counseling. Dr. Challa emphasizes that “this award will ensure that our residents are trained to evaluate systems of care, design surveillance systems to measure oral health status and deliver care effectively, especially in rural settings.” 

Courtesy of Jeffery L. Hicks, D.D.S., UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry

Published on January 13, 2021