Page 36 - Westchester Economic Development Guide - 2017 PDF

WESTCHESTER WORKS HIGHER EDUCATION
NEW YORK’S
INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL
Dean Goldsmith poses with the first class of The Touro College of Dental Medicine.
With 47 percent of residents over 25 years of age hold- ing a Bachelor’s degree or higher, Westchester holds the distinc- tion of being the most educated county in the United States – well exceeding the state average of 33 percent and the U.S. average of 28 percent. In addition, 24 percent of those residents today have advanced degrees.
For those who pursue their post- secondary education locally, the county offers 31 post-secondary educational in- stitutions, including public and private two-year institutions and fully accredited universities that offer bachelor’s or ad- vanced degrees in a variety of fields, in- cluding medicine and law. The county’s educational institutions continue to ex- pand in terms of both scope and quality.
For example, Pace University in Pleasantville recently unveiled Elm Hall, the last phase of the facility’s $100 mil- lion revitalization project. The new, 96,000-square-foot upperclass resi- dence hall includes a mix of semi-suite and full-suite living, a bike room, mail room and two classrooms – as well as the university’s IT data center.
Further south in the county, the newly-established Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) at New York Medical College (NYMC) welcomed its first class in 2016. The college is the
66th dental school to open in the United States and the first new one to open in New York in 50 years.
According to Dr. Robert Amler, Vice President for Government Affairs, the facility fulfills a critical need, as New York State faces an impending shortage of dentists. “By 2025, in just eight years, demand for dental services will outpace supply by at least 1,000 dentists – this means that New York State will have the third highest state shortage in the coun- try.” Amler said. “With its ideal location, state of the art facilities, and expert, mul- tidisciplinary faculty, New York Medical College enabled this outstanding dental program to be established with excep- tional speed and efficiency, to keep pace with this urgent public health need.”
JAY P. GOLDSMITH,
DMD, FACD
Dean, The Touro College of Dental Medicine
What made Westchester the ideal setting for this facility?
Although there are dental clinics in the vicinity, there are areas of underserved or underrepresented working and non- working citizens who are unable to find a dentist for their basic oral health care needs. The American Dental Association Health Policy Institute and Families USA
found that 26 percent of New Yorkers have difficulty finding a dentist to meet their needs. Sixteen percent of the state’s population lives in rural communities, but only eight percent of the dentists are located in these regions. As the state’s population ages, there is a greater need for dental care. The younger population is keeping their teeth longer and thus needs more dental care.
Tell us about the first class of students.
The caliber of the students in our first TCDM class of 111 is very high. They are incredibly motivated and hail from col- leges and universities all over the United States. We are fortunate to have such an experienced, skilled faculty: some with more than 35 years of experience and some recently trained graduates in spe- cialized fields such as oral and maxillofa- cial radiology and pathology.
What’s on the horizon for Touro?
We have built and continue to develop a state-of-the-art facility, occupying ap- proximately 100,000 square feet in the 19 Skyline Drive building. The facility includes a simulation laboratory, and a 132-chair community dental clinic is currently under construction. With four classes, we anticipate about 445 students, with approximately 150 faculty and staff at full capacity. Our investment in the future of dental care is quite significant.
Our mission is to provide patients with much needed quality dental health care and energize and in- centivize our student dentists to embrace this concept as a way of life for a happy, successful future.
—Jay P. Goldsmith, DMD, FACD Dean, The Touro College of Dental Medicine
Pace University President Stephen Friedman addresses audience at grand opening event for new Elm Hall on October 6, 2016.
34 WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE