Penn Dental Celebrates State-of-the-Art Renovation of its Main Clinic
Interim Dean Dana Graves and former Dean Denis Kinane cut the ribbon to officially celebrate the opening of the School’s new Robert I. Schattner Clinic. Holding the ribbon are student leaders (left-right) L Bui, Se He Han, and Bret LaSavoy.
Philadelphia –Penn Dental Medicine’s largest clinic for comprehensive restorative patient care and clinical instruction has been transformed throughout with a state-of-the-art renovation — the new Robert I. Schattner Clinic, previously known as the Main Clinic, opened for operation on January 2. Yesterday, January 11, the Penn Dental Medicine community officially celebrated the new space with a special open house event and tours of the facility and recognized former Dean Denis Kinane for his leadership role in helping to bring the renovation to fruition.
“The new Schattner Clinic will greatly improve both the clinical instruction experience for your students and the clinical care experience for our patients,” says Dr. Dana Graves, Interim Dean of Penn Dental Medicine. “As the hub of restorative patient care and instruction for our DMD students since the School’s Evans Building opened in 1915, this is such a vital and historically significant space for the School. Its new state-of-the-art environment and clinical care resources will have a positive impact on so many levels.”
The opening of the Schattner Clinic, situated on the second floor of the School’s Evans Building, is the culmination of the transformation of the historic Evans Building, which over the past two years has undergone a renovation that impacted all four levels of the building. The Evans Building renovation was a top priority for former Dean Kinane, who saw the project through its completion before stepping down from the deanship at the end of December after eight and a half years in the leadership post.
“We are honored that Dr. Kinane could return to celebrate the opening of the Schattner Clinic with us,” says Dr. Graves, “and give us all the opportunity to thank him for his vision and leadership in helping to make this project and all the changes throughout the Evans Building a reality.”
The 10,000-square-foot Schattner Clinic features a total of 74 dental operatories, including four dedicated to digital radiography. Each operatory is outfitted with a chairside monitor for accessing digital patient records and capability for performing chairside digital dentistry. Streamlining operations is on-site sterilization for the Clinic’s all electric handpieces and a laboratory on the west end of the clinic that features state-of-the-art equipment for computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing of clinical restorations.
Adding to the unique, inviting environment of the Clinic is the incorporation of natural light. Dramatic two-story windows, mimicking the space’s original 1915 windows, line the north side of the Clinic, and the original windows on the east and south sides of the Clinic were revealed and restored.
This project was made possible through the support of Penn Dental Medicine alumnus Dr. Robert I. Schattner (D’48), who contributed $15 million before his death in 2017 to this renovation and to the construction of the Schattner Pavilion to be completed in June 2018. The Pavilion is a two-story addition to the School’s Robert Schattner Center, extending beyond the existing atrium of the Schattner Center and creating a dynamic new space on two levels, including a patient waiting area for the Schattner Clinic.
Penn Dental Medicine students and faculty are major providers of dental care to the West Philadelphia community, having served approximately 87,600 patients within its teaching clinics in FY17. Individuals interested in learning more about the School’s dental care services can call 215-898-8965 for an appointment.
View photos from the open house »