After an elongated battle with COVID-19 and completion dates pushed back several times, the Soft Opening of the San Diego Mesa College Health and Wellness Community Clinic has finally happened.
The Clinic will primarily conduct dental and physical therapy services for students and the local community at low to no cost fulfilling a desperate need. It will be located in the S building right across from the Continuing Education building.
Students in the dental assisting program will be working towards gaining important certifications as well as gaining knowledge to prepare for state and national boards to ultimately become chairside assistants and administrative assistants all while promoting positivity in the community. The Clinic is going to be in a very clean and sterile environment where students will learn and complete services like using the alginate machine that makes the mold that will imprint clients dental prints. Students will also learn to complete 3D scans of clients. The dental assisting program is also accredited by the Dental Board of California and the Commission of Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
Students in the physical therapy program will learn how to perform safe and effective interventions within the physical therapy assistant scope of practice and physical therapist plan of care. The physical therapy assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
The administrators are very proud of the opening as it has been a long and challenging road to get open. Karen Wait, professor in the dental assisting department, described an excitement about finally being able to serve the community that was vital to getting the clinic up and running and with inflation as high as it is providing low to no cost services for the community are precious and will be greatly appreciated.
The energy around the clinic was consistent with joy and gratitude that the project has finally met its completion and they can get down to business to serve the community. “It’s overly exciting to be actually serving the locals finally,” said Wait.
