Based in Metlakatla, AK
Employed by Southeast Alaska Regional Health Center
DENTEX is an Alaska based program that educates dental health aide therapists to provide dental care to Alaska Native communities. The program is a collaboration between the Alaska Native Health Consortium and the University of Washington School of Medicine Physician Assistant Training Program, MEDEX Northwest. |
Launched in 2007 as a collaborative effort between the Alaska Native Tribal Health Center and the University of Washington, DENTEX was developed to meet the oral health needs of native Alaskan people across 200 remote villages. |
In February, staff reflected on the last four years as we wrote our report narrative for WK Kellogg Foundation. We realized that in spite of some extreme setbacks, Alaska DHAT has accomplished its objectives, and then some: in villages currently served by DHATs, over 35,000 more people in rural Alaska now have access to oral healthcare. |
Shannon HardyBased in Ft. Yukon
Employed by Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments
“I am honored to be a Certified Dental Health Aide Therapist for my community and surrounding villages. Access to care in Alaska is a great need, to be able to provide dental service to help people whether it’s helping with pain or fixing their smiles is a great feeling, as for prevention I set up at schools to provide prevention and education serving approximately 300 school aged children between 3 villages. DENTEX has been a wonderful experience for me and my family, although it was a lot of stress and hard times with help and support from my family, friends, classmates, instructors, and community members I made it through the program successfully and I am working in my region.”
Based in Metlakatla, AK
Employed by Southeast Alaska Regional Health Center
