NEOMED Awarded $2M from HHS for College of Dentistry

ROOTSTOWN, Ohio – Northeast Ohio Medical University was recently awarded $2 million for equipment and construction of the NEOMED Dental Clinic.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced that the resources are part of the omnibus bill passed in December, which include the allotment for NEOMED through the Department of Health and Human Services.

“This $2 million appropriation from Sen. Brown and HHS is significant in many ways,” said Dr. John T. Langell, president of NEOMED. “Not only will this bring positive change to Ohio’s biggest unmet health care need, but it will also make possible services such as screenings for chronic and acute medical conditions in a dental setting, which not only improves oral health, but overall health as well.”

The dentistry program at NEOMED will help train more dental students, providing them required access to dental operatories and addressing the oral health needs of Ohio residents. Through NEOMED’s clinical and dental network, students will have access to experiences and resources that will enable safety net clinics, which include the NEOMED Dental Clinic, federally qualified health centers and hospital-based dental departments.

“This investment will help grow our health care workforce in Ohio by equipping Northeast Ohio Medical University and its students with the equipment they need to provide high-quality dental care to communities in the region,” Brown said.

The $2 million appropriation is being combined with a $1 million appropriation from the Ohio 2022-23 biennial budget and a $10 million private gift from the Dr. Dominic A. and Helen M. Bitonte Family Foundation to provide more than half of the support needed for the Dental College recently approved by NEOMED’s Board of Trustees.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.