ECU School of Dental Medicine earns national award for excellence in social mission
The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine has received a national award for its advances in social mission — from addressing the oral health care gap in rural North Carolina communities to providing access to a dental education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The school was presented a Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Award for Excellence in Social Mission in Health Professions Education March 28 during the 2022 Beyond Flexner Conference in Phoenix. The award was one of four Macy Awards presented, and the only honor given in the Institutional Excellence category.
Social mission encompasses initiatives that teach or improve quality of life in areas including community engagement, diversity, health disparities reduction, value-based care and impact on the social determinants of health.
“We are inspired by ECU’s vision of creating leaders with a passion to care for the underserved and by their innovative community-based, service-learning model for educating oral health providers,” said Dr. Claire Pomeroy, chair of the award selection committee.
The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, which advances health care through education, created the awards program in 2016 to recognize excellence for social mission in health professions education. The program was developed in collaboration with the Beyond Flexner Alliance, a national movement focused on health equity and training health professionals as catalysts of more equitable health care.
“We are humbled by this recognition; it is one of the most significant honors our school has received since opening our doors to students and residents just over a decade ago,” said Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, as he accepted the award alongside Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean. “This award is a beacon — a standard — by which we set our goals for the school’s next decade.”
The School of Dental Medicine and its model of eight community service learning centers (CSLCs) situated across North Carolina were created on a foundation of social mission. Fourth-year students complete three, nine-week rotations at CSLCs across the state, giving them exposure to the cultural differences, unique health care challenges and specialized needs of different rural communities.
“It has been absolute pleasure to be surrounded by individuals that constantly inspire me by pushing the boundaries of oral health care for everyone,” said third-year dental student Ricky Ghai. “This school has taught me that finding inequality in oral health care within our community is only the first step in building a better future.”
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Contact: Spaine Stephens, ECU Health Sciences Communications, stephenss@ecu.edu, 252-744-3808
Attached media
ECU School of Dental Medicine Dean Dr. Greg Chadwick, left, and Dr. Margaret Wilson, vice dean, right, accept the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation Award for Excellence in Social Mission in Health Professions Education March 28 from Dr. Holly Humphrey, president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. (Contributed photo)
