Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced $298,848 in federal funding for the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry (LLUSD). The funding, made available through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part F Community Based Dental Partnership Program, will allow LLUSD to continue providing HIV/AIDS training in the curriculums of the dentistry, international dentistry, and hygiene programs.
“Loma Linda University offers world-class medical and dental education right here in the Inland Empire, and this funding will help them continue to provide that opportunity to students in our region,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “I’m proud that this funding will allow students from our community to better serve our neighbors living with HIV/AIDS, and to take those skills with them when they leave Loma Linda.”
“To date, over 2,700 LLUSD students have received this valuable training as a graduation requirement, and the data reveals that knowledge, skills and attitudes have improved among future dental professionals about HIV/AIDS. Additionally, a portion of the grant funding covers unmet oral health needs for the HIV/AIDS patients of the Inland Empire,” said Dr. Eun-Hwi Euni Cho, D.D.S., Assistant Professor and Director of Educational Assessment at LLUSD.
This is the 16th consecutive year that LLUSD has been selected to receive this funding, which supports clinical training, oral health services, quality improvement, and the development of innovative models of dental care.