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Photo by Samantha Thompson, IU Communications |
Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie, Ph.D., presided over today’s dedication of the
James J. Fritts, D.D.S., Clinic Care Center, a new state-of-the-art oral health care clinic at the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). The 45,000-square-foot facility is part of a plan to
ensure Indiana’s only dental school is among the best in the world. The building bears the name of
James. J. Fritts, D.D.S., a 1965 graduate of IUSD.
“This splendid new clinical care center will make the IU School of Dentistry one of the most technologically advanced dental schools in the United States,” Dr. McRobbie says. “It is a facility of the highest quality that will help the school recruit and retain outstanding faculty and students. It will also allow
our students to train in a state-of-the-art technological environment, and it will serve countless patients by promoting optimal oral health.
“I want to express our most grateful thanks to Dr. James Fritts, whose generosity will touch the lives of countless students, faculty, staff and patients and help the IU School of Dentistry continue to thrive for generations to come.”
Other speakers at the dedication were IUPUI Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar, Ph.D.; John N. Williams, D.M.D., M.B.A., Dean of IUSD; Dr. Fritts; Timothy Carlson, D.D.S., M.S.D., Professor and Clinical Director; and Leah Stetzel, President of the IUSD Class of 2020.
“The Fritts Clinical Care Center is emblematic of the exceptional health sciences research and translational practice taking place at IUPUI,” says Dr. Paydar. “As IU prepares to celebrate its bicentennial, and IUPUI commemorates 50 years as a campus, the Fritts Clinical Care Center embodies the university’s mission by
providing exceptional teaching, research and community oral health care. It is a shining example of philanthropy used to improve the well-being of humanity.”
The Fritts Clinical Care Center includes 125 new patient treatment chairs, designed to maximize ergonomics for dental students and supervising faculty. The building design blends the contemporary building with the historic limestone façade of the original structure. The eastern exposure bathes the clinic floors
in natural light. A covered drop-off and spacious lobby and waiting areas welcome patients. Artwork donated by R. Stephen Lehman, D.D.S., an alumnus of the dentistry and prosthodontics programs, decorates the walls and alcoves.
This is the first addition to the dental school in 40 years. A courtyard and a suspended walkway connect the Fritts Clinical Care Center with the dental school’s three other buildings. The new clinical building is LEED Silver certified.
“Today, we celebrate the completion of a 21st century clinic for a 21st century dental school,” Dr. Williams says. “We are immensely grateful to the supporters who enabled us to match a world-class facility with world-class dental education, research and clinical care.”
IUSD raised more than $8.7 million of the approximately $21.6 million needed for the Fritts Clinical Care Center through
For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign.
In 2017, students supervised by licensed faculty provided dental care to more than 19,000 people during approximately 86,000 appointments. The Fritts Clinical Care Center also has capacity for extended hours of care.
Courtesy of Terry Wilson, Director of Public
Relations and Marketing, IUSD
Published on April 11, 2018