Plans for new dental college submitted
Plans for a new 52 million dollar dental school have been submitted by the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
LECOM plans to build the new dental college on the existing campus and it is hoped that the new facility will open in 2012.
Staff at LECOM plan to take in 100 dental students in the first year and 100 more students each year after; the capacity of the school will eventually be 400 students and the facility will employ 200 members of staff.
LECOM will use performance-based grants over the next four years, which add up to $203,000; there will also be a 50 percent reduction in impact fees; the college is receiving these incentives due to the creation of more than 50 jobs.
The new dental school will come as welcome news for dental patients in Florida; currently, there is shortage of dentists in the area ad many people are struggling to access affordable dental care as a result. According to LECOM officials, dental clinics in the area should eventually be able to treat around 600 patients from underserved areas per day.
The Florida Commission for Independent Education has approved to the project and officials from LECOM are now waiting for plans to be approved by the Commission of Dental Accreditation.
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Cant wait to get in Lecom, its right by my house!