Pirate Nation Gives preview
Veteran Richard Spruill of Greenville received care from fourth-year student Cara Mills during ECU Smiles for Veterans last year. Donors make programs like this one possible. (Photo by Spaine Stephens)
Dental school highlights Pirate Nation Gives priorities and challenges
East Carolina University’s 10th Pirate Nation Gives is slated for March 4 — and the university’s annual day of giving is set to boost funding priorities that support the ECU School of Dental Medicine’s mission and vision.
This year, the dental school’s fundraising efforts during Pirate Nation Gives will focus on three funding priorities: student development and leadership experiences, faculty development and recruitment programs and the school’s Patient Care Funds, which partially cover the cost of oral health care for qualifying patients.
“The gifts we receive through Pirate Nation Gives are particularly meaningful because they impact every member of our dental school family as well as the rural communities we serve,” said Jon Jones, assistant dean and senior director of advancement and alumni affairs. “Friends and supporters of the School of Dental Medicine have traditionally participated in Pirate Nation Gives in ways that have helped advance our mission of educating dentist leaders for North Carolina and opening doors of access to care for the patients who need it most.”
School of Dental Medicine funding priorities
Student development and leadership experiences
Part of the ECU School of Dental Medicine educational journey includes an emphasis on leadership; activities and experiences help shape students into dentist leaders for North Carolina. Our students consistently participate in service- and specialty-focused organizations on campus, in the region and state, and nationally. ECU students often attend national meetings, are elected to national leadership roles in organizations like the American Student Dental Association and the Student National Dental Association and even participate in advocacy events for the dental profession in Washington, D.C. These opportunities help students prepare to be community and professional leaders after graduation.
Funding in support of these experiences is an invaluable part of the equation for our students — including offering them unique opportunities to advocate for organized dentistry and the profession at the state and national level.
Faculty development and recruitment programs
Our faculty are experts in their field, bringing a wealth of experience in general dentistry, specialties, research and leadership that benefit every class of students. Part of keeping our faculty engaged and dynamic is through programs and resources that support their professional growth and development. By attending educational seminars and workshops, pursuing leadership opportunities and engaging in collaborative learning experiences, we are able to nurture our faculty’s unique talents that they, in turn, share with students in classrooms and clinics.
Funding support allows our school to provide these experiences to those who prepare our students to succeed in dentistry. These programs will also support efforts to attract and retain talented faculty members in a competitive profession.
Patient Care Funds
Created on the promise to improve the oral health care of North Carolinians by making oral health care more accessible, the Patient Care Funds (PCF) program partially covers the costs of dental care for qualifying patients.
Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean of the dental school, calls the PCF program a “quadruple win.” Not only do patients benefit from the financial support, but students gain experience creating a custom care plan for their patients that factors in the costs covered by the PCF. The donor and school also benefit from the PCF system — it offers a streamlined option of giving for donors and helps the school meet its mission.
Dental Medicine Pirate Nation Gives challenges
As part of Pirate Nation Gives, the dental school is offering these exciting challenges this year, including:
Student Professional Opportunities Endowment Fund
Established by Dr. Kurt Bryan ’17, with a commitment of $12,500, to create an endowed fund for students to attend professional development conferences across all areas of dentistry. He challenges his fellow alumni to join him with a gift in support of this endeavor.
Veteran Patient Care Fund
Ret. Col. David McCracken will match gifts up to $5,000, doubling your impact for the veterans we proudly serve.
“These priorities and challenges have been carefully selected to ensure that the 10th Pirate Nation Gives event makes a difference for students, patients and every member of our school community,” Jones said. “Support of these causes paves the way for our mission to continue to make an impact across North Carolina.”