LSU School of Dentistry

Dean's Welcome I Fast Facts I Mission I Facility I Academics At-A-Glance I
Strategic Plan (2002-2005) I TIGER CARE I History

The LSUHSC School of Dentistry is pleased to present its 2002-2005 Strategic Plan. The process for this plan began in June 2001 with a Faculty Retreat. The Strategic Planning Committee used ideas generated at that meeting along with information from the Self Study, ADA accreditation report and the ADEA Trends in Dental Education report as a basis for developing the new plan.

Dean Eric Hovland charged the committee to develop a plan that would address the current environment and continue to move the school forward in the 21st century. In the planning process the committee members sought broad based input from faculty, students and staff. The plan is integrally related to the mission of the school. Education, Research, Patient Care and Community Outreach are the target areas representing the pillars of our mission; Resources and Environment are the components necessary for accomplishing the mission.

MISSION: The mission of the LSUHSC School of Dentistry is to serve the needs of the citizens of the State of Louisiana by:

Educating future general dentists, specialists and allied dental professionals to provide excellent and current health care.
Providing a leadership role in research through investigating new approaches to the prevention and management of disease, developing innovative treatment modalities, expediting the transfer of knowledge for clinical use and enhancing health care delivery.
Providing health care services to the public and disseminating information to the dental community on a local, national and international level.

VISION: Provide Education, Research, Health Care and Community Service of the highest quality.

GOALS FOR STRATEGIC PLAN

Education

Goal: Enhance the curriculum by applying innovative approaches to dental education.

Research

Goal: Support and increase student and faculty research activity.
Goal: Increase NIH funding to rank among the top 10 NIH funded dental schools.

Patient Care

Goal: Create a more patient-centered environment.

Community Outreach

Goal: Collaborate with public or private organizations to address access to dental health care issues in Louisiana.

Resources

Goal: Increase the use of state-of -the-art technology to enhance programs and services of the School of Dentistry.
Goal: Ensure that resources, facilities, a full complement of faculty and staff are available to support the mission.

Environment

Goal: Foster a culture that encourages growth and promotes satisfaction and performance for faculty, students and staff.

Education Action Pan

Goal: Enhance the curriculum by applying innovative approaches to dental education

Objective: Investigate the feasibility of incorporating electronic learning modalities into the educational programs.

Action Plan:

Identify resources and contacts who can provide information and demonstrate use of e-learning software

Provide learning and training opportunities to Curriculum committee and faculty.

Evaluate benefits and develop a proposal for a pilot project.

Work with Information Technology to provide on-line courses.

Objective: Investigate collaborative teaching of courses with other LSUHSC schools and Schools of Dentistry.

Action Plan:

Work closely with LSUHSC committee to discuss course consolidation and interdisciplinary learning among LSUHSC schools.

Objective: Expand the opportunities for student participation in teaching and research.

Action Plan:

Provide orientation for students to make them aware of these opportunities.

Encourage participation through providing these opportunities throughout the four years of the curriculum.

Develop and Honors Program that recognizes and rewards their participation.

Research Action Plan

Goal: Support and increase student and faculty research activity.

Objective: Use resources from the Center of Excellence to facilitate student and faculty research.

Action Plan:

Provide funds for equipment and pilot projects

Provide necessary space for research

Provide a network for distribution of research opportunities

Objective: Encourage extramural research funding from public and private sources.

Action Plan:

Increase clinical trial designs

Increase research funded by industry sources

Increase research funded by private foundations

Objective: Facilitate continued interactions between basic scientists and clinicians.

Action Plan:

Encourage adjunct clinical appointments for new basic science faculty recruits and vice versa

Provide intellectual stimulation programs

Seminar/didactic/research conference series

Research development series

Objective: Increase student involvement in research.

Action Plan:

Work closely with the curriculum committee to develop programs that enhance the student research experience

Goal: Increase NIH funding to rank among the top 10 NIH-funded dental schools.

Objective: Recruit and retain additional clinical and basic science faculty.

Action Plan:

Recruit and retain two additional faculty members into each clinical department that have demonstrated research potential consistent with the NIDCR portfolio

Recruit, fill, and retain all vacant dental school-housed basic science positions

Objective: Increase NIH grant submissions (R, P, U, T, and K awards) from faculty with allotted time for research.

Action Plan:

Encourage and promote grant submissions from newly recruited research track faculty and existing faculty with adequate time devoted to research.

Patient Care Action Plan

Goal: Create a more patient centered environment.

Objective: Improve the admission process for patients to the School of Dentistry: communication, friendliness of staff, physical appearance of the area, recruitment and admission policies.

Action Plan:

Hire a patient admissions special project coordinator with the following responsibilities:

Supervise patient admissions personnel and all activities.

Develop programs and processes to enhance the effectiveness and friendliness of patient admissions.

Develop programs and processes to enhance communication with patients, visitors, and the public.

With the administration and architect support, assist in the redesign and renovation of the admissions area.

Develop programs and policies to recruit and admit patients that would most strongly support the school's educational program.

Objective: Provide students with comprehensive care experiences.

Action Plan:

Assign a number of comprehensive care patients to each student.

Objective: Schedule patients for students so the student productivity, clinical experience, and timeliness and completeness of patient treatment are enhanced.

Action Plan:

Hire three appointment clerks to schedule appointments for senior students and to ensure that patients are scheduled for all assigned clinic times.

Objective: Provide students with a private practice simulation experience, in which new dental technology can be evaluated.

Action Plan:

Develop an Advanced Practice Clinic that would train the students in the techniques of Advanced Practice.

Objective: Modernize and update clinic areas and revise procedures for sterilization of instruments.

Action Plan:

Complete Orthodontic/Pediatric dentistry clinic renovations.
Complete Advanced Practice/Private Practice Simulation Clinic.
Renovate the Faculty Practice Clinic.
Renovate the first floor clinic patient admissions areas.
Develop a central sterilization system for all clinics.
Renovate patient reception areas on the second, third and fourth floors of the clinic building.
Modernize student clinics.

Community Outreach Action Plan

Goal: Collaborate with public or private organizations to address access to dental health care issues in Louisiana.

Objective: Develop a statewide Oral Health Plan that addresses the oral health needs of the citizens of Louisiana.

Action Plan:

Bring together vested stakeholders at an Oral Health Summit to identify the access to dental care barriers that exist in Louisiana

Develop an Oral Health Plan that addresses the barriers to dental care based on the outcomes of the workgroup focus areas from the Oral Health Summit

Encourage ownership of the Oral Health Plan by key legislative officials that will favorably influence efforts for implementation of the Oral Health Plan

Objective: Collaborate with Louisiana Agenda for Children to develop a policy brief addressing the oral health needs of Louisiana children.

Action Plan:

Establish an Advisory Group to develop a children's oral health policy brief

Meet with Early Head Start/Head Start directors and managers to solicit input on the oral health needs of EHS/HS children

Write ASTDD Grant for Early Head Start/ Head Start forum to be incorporated into Oral Health Summit

Address children's oral health needs at Oral Health Summit

Objective: Participate in collaborative groups within the community and serve as a resource for oral health issues.

Action Plan:

Attend the Children's Collaborative meeting each month

Raise awareness of board members on dental health issues

Serve as a resource and advocate for oral health

Strengthen relationship with Community Health Centers and other dental safety net providers

Explore opportunities to partner with these agencies to increase access to dental care for the citizens of Louisiana

Objective: Increase public awareness of the School of Dentistry throughout the state.

Action Plan:

Collaborate with the LSUHSC Office of Information Services

Implement Phase I of the web site

Conduct a school-wide needs assessment.

Contract with a web designer for development of the site

Explore opportunities for communication using the web site.

Objective: Serve in a leadership role in the development of the LSUHSC School of Public Health with regard to oral public health.

Resources Action Plan

Goal: Increase the use of state-of -the- art technology to enhance programs and services of the School of Dentistry

Objective: Develop a mechanism to support implementation of enhanced technology.

Action Plan:

Review and assess support services and function in relation to technology needs.

Goal: Ensure that resources, facilities a full complement of faculty and staff are available to support the mission.

Objective: Maintain a quality and functional facility.

Action Plan:

Conduct a resource needs assessment

Develop a plan for space utilization, long-term maintenance of infrastructure and additional resources (space or equipment).

Objective: Recruit for and fill vacant basic science faculty positions in the School of Dentistry.

Action Plan:

Implement the agreement Responsibilities of Basic Science Departments and the Center of Oral and Craniofacial Biology at the School of Dentistry

Objective: Investigate resources for increasing, recruiting and retaining faculty.

Action Plan:

Determine a mechanism for developing ideas.

Environment Action Plan

Goal: Foster a culture that encourages growth and promotes satisfaction and performance for faculty, students, and staff.

Objective: Enhance communication with faculty (including part-time faculty).

Action Plan:

Develop an up-to-date, school-wide roster of faculty including part-time.

Develop an orientation packet and/or program for faculty.

Mail Dental School newsletter to part-time faculty.

Include part-time faculty on Dental School e-mailings.

Objective: Enhance benefits of part-time faculty.

Action Plan:

Encourage department heads to advise part-time faculty on their promotion opportunities.

Provide part-time faculty the benefit of participating in continuing education at a reduction in normal tuition.

Identify mechanisms for the Dental School to increase its show of appreciation for contributions of part-time faculty.

Investigate and pursue mechanisms allowing part-time faculty to participate in the HCS benefits programs.

Objective: Support student professional growth and development and satisfaction with the educational experience.

Action Plan:

Survey students concerning educational experiences and environment

Objective: Develop training opportunities for staff that will positively influence the environment of the LSUSD and that will assist all employees in expanding their potential.

Action Plan:

Offer employee development courses in Customer Service, Communication Skills, Computer Skills, and motivation.

Objective: Assist managers and supervisors in developing productive and effective work teams.

Action Plan:

Offer supervisory training that will assist managers in learning state and Civil Service policies; developing reward and recognition programs; motivating team members; disciplining effectively.

Objective: Build a school-wide team that will be more inclusive of all dental school employees.

Action Plan:

Call a Staff Assembly 3 times per year so that all staff can remain informed of all decisions and upcoming events.

Re-institute Staff Council so that staff has input into decision-making processes.

Create a school newsletter that will recognize staff accomplishments and acknowledge personal achievements.

Objective: Develop a reward program that will recognize all personnel who exhibit excellent customer service.

Action Plan:

Develop school-wide incentive programs that will identify and reward all personnel who go above and beyond their normal job duties and who incorporate the T.I.G.E.R. C.A.R.E. philosophy into their daily routine.

Assist individual departments in developing and instituting departmental incentives.

Objective: Design an orientation program for all new employees to help instill a sense of belonging.

Action Plan:

Introduce all new employees to the T.I.G.E.R. C.A.R.E. service standards.

Have a formal and personal introduction to the campus and buildings.

Assign each new hire a "Buddy" or a peer who will provide information, encouragement, and support.

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