A group of alumni, donors, community leaders and friends of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry recently got a sneak peek at the Pacific Health Care Collaborative currently under construction on University of the Pacific’s Sacramento Campus.

Project leaders shared updates during a Sept. 26 reception at Fixins Soul Kitchen, followed by a tour of the nearby construction site.

Located at 3333 3^rd Avenue in the historic Oak Park neighborhood, the 30,000-square-foot clinical and academic facility will usher in a new collaborative approach to health sciences education and patient care.

Students training in the fields of dentistry, medicine, physician assisting, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, nutrition, social work and other health fields will have the opportunity to collaborate as they care for patients.

“By creating this interprofessional approach, we hope to improve health equity and put the patient at the center to improve their health outcomes, lower costs and improve the experience for patients and providers,” said Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi, dean of the Dugoni School and vice provost of the San Francisco Campus.

With facility design and collaboration being led by the Dugoni School, this initiative includes the School of Health Sciences and Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy.

The Pacific Health Care Collaborative will have space for 10 medical exam rooms, 30 dental operatories and dedicated rooms for people with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities. There also will be classrooms and a simulation clinic for students, as well as a dedicated ambulatory (outpatient) surgery clinic.

The project also includes the development of a new mobile health clinic to extend care services to communities within the county and neighboring areas. The mobile health clinic will feature three treatment and exam areas that will be used for both oral and primary medical care.

The Dugoni School is nearly doubling the cohort of its International Dental Studies program, adding 30 dental students who will be among the students, staff and faculty providing care at the clinic.

Philanthropic gifts have played an important role in the project, including a $4 million lead gift from Stephen and Pamela Thorne, and gifts from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, Dugoni School alumnus and supporter Dr. Ken Fat and others.

“We look forward to serving the Oak Park community and wider region with wrap-around health care services in one location once the facility opens in the summer of 2024,” said Dr. Kim Benton, who was recently named the director of the Pacific Health Care Collaborative and Sacramento Programs for the Dugoni School. “The clinic will bring a unique mix of health care services to serve the needs of local residents.”