9 Pillars of Innovation
University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry
Nine Pillars of Innovation
Nine Pillars of Innovation
Introduction:
The agenda behind the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry
50th Anniversary campaign and new five-year strategic plan is based on a
“drive to the top five”. Very simply stated, we desire to be regarded
as one of the top five dental schools in North America within five
years. Presently, the Faculty enjoys a solid reputation as one of the
best dental schools in Canada but is relatively unknown in the United
States. It is generally accepted that dental schools in North America
provide the highest quality and most sophisticated dental education in
the world. Thus, it is important to be seen as one of the best in North
America. There is no credible objective measure for ranking schools of
dentistry, however, there is an even stronger and more beneficial
barometer of status. The opinion of peer institutions and stakeholders
within and outside the dental community means much more than any
published rankings; perception of the dental school and the image that
it generates are the key components to determination of position
relative to competitors.
The goal of becoming a “top five” institution within five years is
easily attainable because of two main historical deficiencies: 1) lack
of external awareness and recognition of current excellence and 50 years
of significant accomplishments; and 2) absence of organized fundraising
strategies and activities to enhance programming and facilitate further
innovations. Thus, the 2008 50th anniversary campaign provides an
opportunity to move forward in new ways with new approaches and visions.
The “drive to the top five”
will be based on the strategic plan which is executed through a
visibility/marketing component and the nine “pillars of innovation” that
represent expansion of existing areas of strength or
first-of-their-kind programs/initiatives that do not exist in any other
dental school. When fully implemented, these nine initiatives will
provide a distinct competitive advantage for the Faculty of Dentistry.
Benefits of Becoming a “Top Five” Institution:
Once “top five” status is attained, it will become much easier to
recruit and maintain the best faculty, support staff, and students.
Additionally, it will be much easier to obtain financial support from
proud alumni, industry, and foundations. All benefactors desire to
align themselves with excellence and significant accomplishments. Put
simply, “everyone likes a winner”. The enhanced reputation of the
institution will facilitate successful research grant applications,
support of government and professional organizations for new
initiatives, and increased stature of the University, the city of
Winnipeg, and the province of Manitoba.
The Faculty of Dentistry will serve as a valuable community resource for
policy makers, healthcare practitioners, and the public they serve.
The Faculty will be regarded as the epicenter of intellectual thought,
research and discovery, and an unmatched dental education and training
program. A Manitoba dental graduate will be viewed as a product of a
state-of-the-art education and a practitioner capable of effective
community leadership, comprehensive interprofessional healthcare
management, and application of the latest advances in science and modern
technologies to patient care. It will be “a place where the action
is”, a place one will desire to come to for a stimulating and satisfying
career, first-rate education/training, or opportunities to do new
things not possible in other environments. A “top five” dental school
can be leveraged by the University and the surrounding community in
their efforts to obtain support for important programs or in their
promotion/marketing of Winnipeg and Manitoba.
Plan for Achieving “Top Five” Status Within Five Years:
- Visibility Component
- Marketing/Branding (new uniform logo, presentation templates)
- Public Relations (media exposure, stakeholder communications)
- National/International Leadership Positions (officers, committee members)
- Increased External Presence (invited experts, presentations)
- Redesign of Alumni Affairs and Continuing Education (full-time offices)
- Pillars of Innovation
- International Centre for Oral-Systemic Health
- Centre for Community Oral Health
- Centre for Children’s Oral Health
- Imaging Centre
- Centre for Implant Dentistry
- Virtual Simulation and Electronic Digital Curriculum
- Practice Management Program
- Head and Neck Pain Program
- Oral Biology Research
Plan Details:
- Marketing/Branding (new uniform logo, presentation templates)
In order to generate a heightened sense of institutional pride and positive morale, the Faculty and community stakeholders were asked to participate in the development and selection of a new logo and slogan for the Faculty of Dentistry and the 50th anniversary campaign. These were officially launched in January of 2008 and are being used in various formats for all promotional materials, communications, and presentations. This provides a uniform and easily recognized “brand” for the Faculty enhancing visibility, awareness and external image. - Public Relations (full-time office, media exposure, stakeholder communications)
A full-time public relations officer was hired in August of 2007 and is providing media exposure and effective communications for all aspects of Faculty operations requiring such assistance (internal/external events and activities, fundraising, continuing education, newsletters, reports, web pages, and press releases). All Faculty activities, programs, and accomplishments are being aggressively marketed, promoted, and communicated to internal/external stakeholders and constituencies with a new format emphasizing approaches that capture the interest and imagination of the target audiences. - National/International Leadership Positions (officers, committee members)
Faculty and support staff are being encouraged to aggressively pursue positions of leadership in their communities, professional organizations, and academic areas of interest. Release time has been provided to support these activities, funding has been allocated within the operations budget to cover travel costs associated with such activities, and all individuals are being appropriately recognized for their efforts. The Faculty will be regarded as a source of key opinion leaders and influence securing a reputation as a respected national and international contributor to administration and innovation within the broad areas of research, teaching/learning, and service. - Increased External Presence (invited experts, presentations)
Faculty and support staff are being encouraged to aggressively pursue positions of prominence in academic and professional meetings, symposia, and workshops within their areas of academic interest and/or expertise. Administrative support and release time have been provided so that “cutting-edge” information and presentation materials can be produced. Additionally, funding has been allocated within the operations budget to cover travel costs associated with such activities and all individuals are being appropriately recognized for their efforts. The Faculty is already regarded as a source of academic leadership and will secure a reputation as a respected national and international contributor to the agenda for dental education and research. - Redesign of Alumni Affairs and Continuing Education (full-time offices)
The alumni affairs and continuing education activities for the faculty had been managed through one individual in a combined office. This resulted in a less than optimal level of activity and service in both areas. In August of 2007, these duties were separated and the existing staff person was shifted to a full-time Alumni Affairs Officer. At the same time, an international search completed for a full-time Director of Continuing Education who was hired in December of 2007. Events and activities for each office have increased in number and scope resulting in significantly improved services for alumni and the larger professional community. Alumni are experiencing increased quantity and quality of communications, events, and services. In addition, alumni are feeling a closer connection to the Faculty.
The continuing education portfolio is expanding to include electronic and web-based learning environments and “on-demand” programming in addition to the traditional lecture and “hands-on” program formats. International partnerships are being established to deliver programs to new target audiences and constituencies. Additionally, interprofessional programming that brings together healthcare professionals in new ways to address comprehensive patient management and the role of oral health in overall health is being added to the portfolio. The Faculty desires to be regarded as a rich resource for life-long learning and to become a place where professionals from all healthcare disciplines will look for the latest information, practice models, and applications of new science and technologies to patient care. These initiatives will extend the reach of the continuing education program to new national and international markets creating significant visibility and positive image.
- International Centre for Oral-Systemic Health
This Centre has already been launched and represents the first such centre in the world dedicated to the linkages between oral health and systemic health through:
1) advancing the science of oral-systemic medicine;
2) developing new areas of research focus around the biomedical mechanisms responsible for the linkages;
3) implementing innovative interprofessional models of care based on current evidence;
4) evaluating the public health impact of new models of care that involve multidirectional screening and referral; and
5) establishing interprofessional continuing education teams appropriate for various target audiences.
The Centre is interprofessional in all aspects of education/training, research, and patient care and will eventually provide advanced education (MSc and PhD) emphasizing oral-systemic health within existing programs throughout the University. This specialization will be available to students from all healthcare professions and some relevant nonhealthcare professions schools as well as some graduates from the University.
The research components will be focused on oral-systemic medicine and approached through interprofessional working groups. Clinical training will be provided through interprofessional teams at the main dental clinic and various off-site clinics throughout the community. The goal will be to establish new models of interprofessional practice and evaluate the effectiveness of these models for improving overall patient health and community health outcomes. The latest science/discoveries, Centre findings, and oral-systemic health information will be disseminated internationally through Centre publications and the activities of the continuing education team. - Centre for Community Oral Health
The Centre for Community Oral Health has been a long-standing source of pride and achievement for the Faculty. It is internationally recognized for its highly developed infrastructure that serves urban poor, rural, First Nations, elderly, and other underserved populations at high risk for oral disease. The expertise of the practitioners and staff, the amount of services provided, and the valuable training experience for students are the most significant aspects of the Centre.
There is still a huge unmet need within the province and the Centre infrastructure is capable of supporting a much higher level of activity. Additionally, that infrastructure can be expanded based on existing “best practice” models and available personnel. The Faculty will continue to seek additional support for the Centre in order to further improve the quality of life for underserved populations throughout the province. The Centre will work with its partners to expand existing programs, redesign program infrastructure to become more efficient, and implement new programs to better meet the evolving needs of the underserved population in Manitoba. - Centre for Children’s Oral Health (includes Pediatric Dentistry graduate program)
The most distressing and frustrating problems within the provincial healthcare system revolve around access to care and preventive care for underserved children. Children living in urban poor communities, First Nations communities, and rural areas are suffering from poor dental health at a rate 10 times higher than the rest of the childhood population. The magnitude of the associated pain and suffering is indescribable. Current approaches and solutions have been ineffective and it is time to think in new ways and to develop new partnerships to address the issues.
The Faculty will establish an endowed chair in Children’s Oral Health and recruit an innovative leader to work with organized dentistry and government to improve the oral health of underserved children in the province. This chair will also serve as the director of a Centre for Children’s Oral Health and a new graduate program in Pediatric Dentistry within this Centre.
A full-time clinical pediatric specialist position will also be established to support the program education and training components. An active graduate program will provide support for healthcare improvement efforts through its research and service components. The added strength of a graduate program is the development of an epicenter of intellectual thought as well as additional expertise and manpower dedicated to the efforts. Additionally, it will serve as a nucleus for international best practices that can be applied to new models for prevention and intervention. This Centre will meet a critical need within the province and will also establish the Faculty as an international leader in children’s oral health issues. It is likely that solutions developed here will have applications locally, nationally, and in other parts of the world. - Imaging Centre
Advances in imaging technology provide the potential for improved diagnostics and outcomes of surgical procedures, especially with regard to temporomandibular joint disorders, orthognathic reconstruction, oral cancer, and implant dentistry. The new CT Scan methodologies and digital radiography equipment (Cone Beam CT, Digital Pan-Ceph and Digital X-Ray) are essential for the Faculty to maintain modern education and training programs as well as high-quality patient services.
The faculty will obtain this equipment, renovate a physical area, and train support staff to provide an organized and efficient environment for maximal use of this new technology. This physical space and its associated expertise will represent a unique Imaging Centre that will not only serve patients of the Faculty but will also be a valuable destination of referral for practicing dentists throughout the Winnipeg area.
The most significant issue facing the current healthcare system is the electronic patient record. Overall, all healthcare disciplines and services are moving toward a completely “paperless” record system to increase efficiencies, improve portability/communication, and reduce errors. The graduates of the Faculty must be prepared to enter a practice world that is digital and based on electronic patient record/management systems. Thus, it is critical that they be exposed to and gain experience with these systems during their dental education. The Faculty currently uses the best and most popular electronic patient record/management system for dental schools (axiUm), however, the components of this system supporting digital radiography and full “paperless” records have not been implemented. The applicable software and digital equipment will be obtained and the support staff and faculty will be trained in its use. - Centre for Implant Dentistry (includes Prosthodontics graduate program and “2+2” Perio/Pros dual specialty track)
The general idea of a Centre for Implant Dentistry is not new. However, the way in which this particular Centre fits into the overall curriculum and how it drives the philosophy of implant dentistry are completely unique. The Faculty will establish an endowed chair in Implant Dentistry and recruit an innovative leader to supervise state-of-the-art research, educational programs, and practice applications. This chair will also serve as the director of a Centre for Implant Dentistry and a new graduate program in Prosthodontics within this Centre.
This graduate program will emphasize implant dentistry and those that enroll in this program will be seeking to become leaders in this field. They will acquire unique skill sets related to diagnosis, treatment planning, and coordination of surgical and restorative aspects of patient care. The treatment philosophy will be driven by restorative considerations rather than surgical possibilities. Additionally, a completely unique “2+2” Perio/Pros dual specialty track will be implemented. This track will place selected graduate residents into both specialty programs where they will sequentially complete the Periodontics program followed by the Prosthodontics program.
A common and extended MSc research project related to implant dentistry will be completed to satisfy the research requirements of both programs allowing for a streamlined timeframe. Graduates of this dual degree track will be experts in both the surgical placement and prosthetic restoration of various implant systems.
In addition to the graduate programs, the director will work with undergraduate faculty to establish the most comprehensive education and clinical training in implant dentistry for dental students of any dental school in North America. Similar to the graduate philosophy, patient treatment will be driven by restorative considerations. Finally, the director will work with the continuing education office and industry partners to develop a comprehensive array of programs for practitioners that represent the very best training experiences available. - Virtual Simulation/Electronic Digital Curriculum and Education Improvements
Recent efforts to address faculty shortages and overcrowded curricula have attempted to utilize electronic technologies and independent self-directed learning approaches to reduce faculty teaching time and establish more effective learning environments for current students. These efforts have failed because the available tools do not represent effective teaching methods or comprehensive curricula. The electronic resource reference tool (Vital Source) is simply an electronic information library and the simulation units (Dent Sim) are basic simulations of dental procedures completely disconnected from the background foundational materials and potential patient applications.
A new generation of curriculum tools (Virtual Simulation and Electronic Digital Curriculum) is now available within a comprehensive platform of foundational science, space-age simulation with haptic feedback, and student assessment exercises that apply basic principles and operative techniques to patient care. This system incorporates all existing tools and improves upon the simulation environment by providing tactile sensation and virtual patient scenarios in a true “gaming” environment.
This entirely new approach is available for beta testing and will only be offered to limited number of dental schools in North America for final development and design. These schools have been chosen based on reputation for excellence and innovation. The University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry has already been chosen to be one of these schools. The Faculty will make an investment in this technology to remain at the forefront of dental education and will be able to assume a place of prominence in the scholarly development and dissemination aspects of the system. This will place the Faculty at the “cutting-edge” of curriculum design and represents a significant competitive advantage for the future. - Practice Management Program
The concepts and principles of practice management continue to be the least adequately covered topics in all of dental education. First, it is difficult to blend clinical practice outcomes with appropriate financial and business tools. Second, available curricular time and resources simply do not allow comprehensive presentation of this information. New graduates all too often must learn through their mistakes and the outcome of the associated inefficiencies and lost revenue are manifest in increased patient fees.
Most Practicing Professionals can benefit from additional education and exposure to "best practices" business models that build on their experience and needs for future growth. Professionals from the business community, in partnership with Business Schools, are developing selected educational modules for student and/or practitioner education/training and these have been pilot tested and found to be effective. External consultants are beginning to work with dental schools to customize and implement these materials. This makes sense because it allows the business partners to offer their business solutions in a seamless manner. However, many improvements need to be made to achieve maximum impact and there has yet to be a dental school that has attempted to become a center for intellectual thought in this area by developing comprehensive curricula and programs for dental students, graduate residents, and practicing professionals. The financial information must be taught first hand to the dental community but it is not enough to take the traditional MBA approach. The mistake most dental schools make is to regard this material from the standpoint of “If you want to learn business principles, get an MBA.” Additionally, most current programs focus only on practice analysis and business plan development.
The Faculty seeks to establish a mutually beneficial partnership to develop an undergraduate and graduate resident curriculum and will expand these efforts to develop a unique comprehensive continuing education program for practicing professionals that includes state-of-the-art online learning environments. The basic content areas that will be covered include:
1) entrepreneurship and financial planning;
2) opportunities and pitfalls;
3) strategic alliances and joint ventures;
4) small business start-up;
5) personal evaluation;
6) financing and risk management;
7) business plans;
8) leadership and team building;
9) financial productivity;
10) investing and introducing new and digital products and technologies into clinical practice; and
11) developing branding and marketing programs.
Thus, the comprehensive approach would blend educational modules, business tools, analysis of business models, practice valuation tools and financial services for current and future practitioners.
This innovative approach will place the Faculty at the forefront of dental education in this important area and provide new graduates with a competitive advantage. Additionally, the availability of this expertise on site and within the online learning environment will serve as an important resource for the practicing dentists not only in Manitoba, but throughout North America. Manitoba will be seen as the "place to go" for the best education and training in this area. - Head and Neck Pain Program
The Faculty has unique expertise in head/neck pain and temporomandibular disorders, however, the current educational programs are no more extensive than those in other dental schools. Further, there is no dedicated clinic that would support student experiences with this patient population.
The Faculty has allocated resources for the development and implementation of a more in-depth and comprehensive undergraduate and graduate curriculum in head/neck pain and TMD. A dedicated clinic will be developed for comprehensive patient care experiences. The goal is to provide the most extensive education and clinical training in head/neck pain and TMD for undergraduate dental students and graduate residents of any dental school in North America. - Oral Biology Research
The Oral Biology Department has a rich history of accomplishments including:
1) the first ever Department of Oral Biology in the world created through a merger of biomedical science departments under the leadership of Dr. Israel Kleinberg;
2) the work of Drs. Ian Hamilton and George Bowden established one of the world’s largest repositories of oral pathogens and internationally recognized expertise in microbial physiology;
3) the work of Colin Dawes provided international recognition for the Faculty as the premiere location for salivary research; and
4) the groundbreaking work of Lorne Golub has revolutionized the approach to periodontal therapy using adjunctive antibiotics.
Unfortunately, aging facilities and retirements of established researchers have led to a decreased level of activity. The Faculty will invest in facility renovations and recruitment of new researchers to reclaim its position of prominence in biomedical research.
The level of external grant funding must be increased to enhance the reputation of the department within and outside of the University. This can only be achieved through rededication to state-of-the-art facilities and highly competitive new faculty. New laboratory facilities and faculty will be targeted to areas that complement existing areas of strength providing “niche” foci and competitive advantage.
Additionally, the Faculty seeks to develop new partnerships with the Department of Human Ecology where there is significant expertise in nutrition and food science research. This partnership will enable new investigations of the linkage between oral health and nutrition. It is already known that nutrition has an impact on tooth decay, periodontal disease, and wound healing. Most recently, there has been information regarding the effects of nutrition on oral and systemic inflammation providing a potential mechanism for the relationship between periodontal disease and many chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis. Compounds called “neutraceuticals” have recently been found to be present in some foods and may be effective in treating many of the complications of chronic inflammatory diseases. Thus, the potential partnership between Oral Biology and Human Ecology provides great promise for new knowledge and discovery requiring an investment in joint research initiatives.
