San Antonio (Dec. 7, 2004) – The Hispanic Center of Excellence-Dentistry at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio will be able to offer more programs to attract and retain Hispanic dental students and faculty members, thanks to a $592,000 grant from the Division of Health Professions Diversity, Bureau of Health Professions, of the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We are very pleased that the federal government has provided funds for the continuation of a very important program to assist students and faculty,” said Ramon J. Baez, D.D.S., director of the Hispanic Center of Excellence-Dentistry and professor of general dentistry in the Dental School.
Continued support will increase the number of participants in Hispanic Center of Excellence-Dentistry programs. These include the recruitment and retention of dental students, initiatives to develop faculty research and teaching skills, facilitation of dental student participation in research, and opportunities for Hispanic undergraduate students to participate in preparatory courses to improve competitiveness in the process of admission to Dental School.
The Health Science Center is one of the few comprehensive academic health universities in the country to have three separate centers of excellence for Hispanics – the Hispanic Center of Excellence-Dentistry, the Medical Hispanic Center of Excellence in the UTHSCSA School of Medicine and the Nursing Workforce Diversity Center in the UTHSCSA School of Nursing.
The grant was secured in part through the leadership of U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez.