Fast Facts

Dean's Message

Home Again!

The LSUHSC School of Dentistry (LSUSD) has successfully transitioned its operations and educational programs back to New Orleans and we are excited to be home! Before Hurricane Katrina,
our school had moved into that group of the “very best.” Though the storm literally destroyed our school, we persevered and were able to continue
our mission in Baton Rouge while rebuilding our school in New Orleans.

LSUSD will retain a presence at the LSU South Campus in Baton Rouge as funding was made available through the LSU Health Sciences Center. The BR campus will include student and resident rotations, a dental hygiene distance-learning educational program and a pediatric dental component to care for the area’s underserved children. LSUSD students and residents provided care through 25,000 patient visits in the past two years.

I am pleased to report that student admissions continue to be strong and the incoming dental students’ academic scores were excellent—with an average GPA of 3.6 and a DAT score of 20. For the 2007/08 academic year, the school has a total of 342 students and 61 residents. Faculty recruitment and retention continues to be a top priority and we have recently hired six new exceptional junior full-time faculty department head searches are currently underway for three departments: endodontics, oral & maxillofacial surgery and pediatric dentistry.

A visionary strategic plan, developed by faculty and staff, will lead the school over the next three years. In addition, the LSUHSC leadership has committed to support the development of a new oral biology department with both basic science and clinical faculty. Dental research continues at both the medical and dental school—and all research endeavors are expected to return to the school by July 2008.

The financial condition of the school is solid. Today, two years after the storm, we are in an excellent position to grow and excel. In September, a press conference officially welcomed new patients to LSUSD. Since then, 900 individuals were accepted as patients; the school expects to accept at least 1800 more by the end of the year which will bring us to full patient capacity.

Our community outreach efforts continue to be strong and too numerous to mention. Among them are the operation of a pediatric dental clinic at Children’s Hospital and the Tooth Bus, which provides dental care to underserved children throughout the greater New Orleans region. Residents and senior dental students continue to rotate through numerous hospitals and community health clinics statewide as they did prior to Katrina.

Facility renovations are ongoing and a new building is planned for 2008 to house a state-of-the-art esthetic clinic and a new faculty practice. Nobel Biocare has committed a significant gift to equip the esthetic clinic, and patient records are now paperless thanks to a generous product donation from axiUm following the storm.

It has been a great honor to serve as dean of Louisiana’s only dental school for the past 14 years. However, I have decided to relinquish my position as dean and to pursue other equally important opportunities within the LSU Health Sciences Center. The support extended to LSUSD during my tenure has been exceptional and I encourage all of our alumni and friends to continue their involvement and support. With the strength of our current faculty and staff, I am confident that LSUSD will continue to sustain its position as one of the best dental schools in the country.

Respectfully,

Eric J. Hovland, DDS, MEd, MBA
Dean

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