Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic’s Yakima Medical-Dental Clinic last month welcomed doctor of dental surgery (DDS) candidate Cameron Hart, a native of Morton.
Hart is a fourth-year student in the University of Washington School of Dentistry’s (UWSOD) Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program. As part of the RIDE program, he will be training at the clinic for five months. During that time, Hart will help the clinic increase dental patient capacity while he trains to become one of the next generation of rural oral health care providers, according to a news release from the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.
“Across the state, rural areas have fewer dental providers and, as a result, residents have less access to dental care,” the clinic stated in a release. “The RIDE program prepares dentists for practice in rural and underserved areas of Washington by training students in a specially focused track of the DDS curriculum.”
RIDE students spend their first year of dental school at Eastern Washington University and complete two clinical rotations at community health centers in central or eastern Washington.
“By immersing students in rural and underserved communities and providing extensive clinical training, RIDE equips students to meet the unique challenges of practicing in more remote regions,” the clinic stated.
Since its inception in 2009, over 80 percent of RIDE graduates have returned to work in rural and underserved communities. With the support of local organizations like Yakima Medical-Dental Clinic, RIDE prepares dentists to work in communities that need it most, according to the release.
“Getting more oral health care providers into rural and underserved areas is key to improving the overall health of our communities,” said Dr. Frank Roberts, director of the University of Washington’s RIDE Program. “Time and time again, we see that the quality of a person’s overall health is strongly connected to the quality of their oral health. And good oral health depends on access to regular care from a trained oral health professional.”
Hart completed his second year clinical rotation in Yakima in 2021 and is excited to return for his five-month senior dental rotation. He is on track to graduate from the UWSOD in June 2024. He has received multiple accolades for his exceptional patient care services at UWSOD and the following scholarships and awards:
• James and Joyce Oats Scholarship for demonstrated clinical excellence with metallic restorations
• 1951 Legacy Endowed Student Scholarship
• Washington State Dental Association Presidential Scholarship for demonstrated academic achievement, professional leadership and community involvement
He plans to serve the rural population of Sandpoint, Idaho, following graduation.
Yakima-Medical Dental Clinic is a part of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic organization, one of the largest community health centers in the Pacific Northwest.
Learn more about the RIDE program at https://dental.washington.edu/ride/.
