Palm Beach State College will hold public forums in October to discuss and gather input on the site selection for its new Dental & Medical Services Technology building. The choice of sites is between the Lake Worth campus, where the existing facility is located, and the new Loxahatchee Groves campus.
The public is encouraged to attend the forum held in their community.
The first forum will take place at the Lake Worth campus on Monday, Oct. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Paul W. Graham Continuing Education Building, Room CE 129 (4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth). The second forum will take place at the Loxahatchee Groves campus on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Lecture Hall LGA 139 (15845 Southern Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).
The forums will be video recorded and RSVP is not required. The college also held a forum for faculty, staff and students on Tuesday, Sept. 26 to get feedback from internal stakeholders.
In June, the Florida Legislature allocated $5 million for the new facility, far short of the $21.7 million requested to break ground. College leaders will pursue the remaining funds from the state next year, as well as seek support from the community. Meanwhile, with this initial funding, the planning phase has begun.
The Dental & Medical Services Technology building will replace the 55-year-old structure on the Lake Worth campus and provide a new home for the college’s dental hygiene associate in science degree and dental assisting postsecondary adult vocational certificate programs. The programs are the only such programs in Palm Beach County accredited by the American Dental Association’s Commission on Dental Accreditation, and graduates have been a mainstay of the dental health workforce in the county for decades.
In addition to education, PBSC is known for offering community dental health services. Dental hygiene students provide low-cost preventive dental care, including cleanings, as well as dental screenings and dental health educational workshops through outreach initiatives. The college also has a longstanding partnership with the Atlantic Coast Dental Research Clinic. Dentists affiliated with ACDRC provide restorative dental needs, including fillings, implants and oral surgery, at a reduced rate to those without insurance, while PBSC dental assisting students gain valuable experience.
For more information, call (561) 868-3501. To learn more about PBSC dental health programs, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/programs/dentalhealth.
Serving 48,000 students annually, Palm Beach State College is the largest institution of higher education in Palm Beach County, providing bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, professional certificates, career training and lifelong learning. The school offers more than 130 programs of study at locations in Lake Worth, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves.
