MARSHFIELD – A Wisconsin Department of Health Services grant awarded to Family Health Center of Marshfield has inspired a new partnership with Mid-State Technical College aimed at addressing the shortage of dental assistants and other oral care professionals in central Wisconsin.
The grant provides tuition support for several cohorts of dental assistant students to participate in the one-semester technical diploma, with the first cohort of students slated to start the program in January 2024.
“Over the years Family Health Center has been faced with a chronic shortage of dental assistants who are critical members of our dental teams,” said Greg Nycz, chief executive officer for Family Health Center, in a news release. “Without them, fewer people in our communities will get the dental care they need.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth for dental assistants nationally is 8 percent through 2031. That increase is tied to an overall increase in demand for preventive dental services, especially as baby boomers continue to enter older age groups and require more oral health care. According to Wisconsin Department of Workforce and Development data, central Wisconsin’s growth rate in the profession is even higher, at 9.1 percent, with many upcoming vacancies due to retirements and transfers.
The new program will have an initial capacity for eight students. The program will be available to any student in the first three cohorts who commits to working for one year, post completion, in a rural dental facility that accepts BadgerCare or Medicaid patients.
For more information, visit mstc.edu/new-programs.
