UW President Robert Jones and Gonzaga University President Katia Passerini joined elected officials in Spokane to tour the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE’s) new 13,000-square-foot space that includes a dental simulation lab, digital dentistry lab, wet lab, dispensary, classrooms and administrative offices.
First- and second-year dental students started fall quarter in the space September 24th on the fourth floor of the 840 Building, which is an emerging hub of training and education for medical and health care professions.
“Expanding the RIDE DDS program in Spokane marks a significant milestone for regional oral health education.” said Dr. Frank Roberts, Associate Dean & UWSOD RIDE Director. “Our enduring partnerships with EWU and the UW-GU Health Partnership are vital to creating this innovative learning environment, and we are eager to see the incredible impact our students will have on the community.”
Through a partnership between Eastern Washington University (EWU) the RIDE program trains students to work in rural and underserved areas of the state. With $2.5 million in funding from the state legislature in 2024, RIDE created a new training hub on the fourth floor of the 840 Building for an expanded program that also doubled the number of RIDE students from 32 to 64 students and added a second year of regional instruction. These investments will increase access to quality dental care, expand the oral healthcare workforce and improve health in rural and underserved communities across Washington state.
Developed by Emerald Initiative, the 840 Building was completed in 2022 and is home to the UW-GU Health Partnership, a collaboration aimed at improving health throughout the region through education, innovation and research. More than 500 GU and UW School of Medicine students attend classes in medical school and health sciences. The building anchors the Health Peninsula, which includes the adjacent SIERR Building, home to UW’s MEDEX physician assistant program and EWU’s nursing school.