Beers wants to pull dental school

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2005 | 11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state could save more than $23 million over the next two years by eliminating the dental school at UNLV and sending the students to other schools, says Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas.

"It was originally sold to the Legislature as not costing us anything and the price tag has continued to escalate," Beers said. "It's not nearly a cost-effective way to create dentists as the WICHE program."

In the WICHE (Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education) program, the state financially helps Nevada students get into out-of-state professional schools such as optometry, veterinary medicine and physical therapy.

Beers, during a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee Monday, asked Ron Sparks, the Nevada director of the WICHE program, to determine how much would be saved if the dental school in Las Vegas was eliminated and the students got grants to go to out-of-state dentistry schools.

Patrick Ferrillo, dean of the dental school, and Gerry Bomotti, vice president of finance for the school, said the dental school does more than educate students. It performs a major public service in treating children in the Medicaid program.

"We have worked with 150,000," said Ferrillo. He said 31,000 high school students throughout Nevada received education on cancer. And the examinations found 900 students who have a pre-cancerous condition, said the dean.

Bomotti said the funding of the school has not deviated from the original budget. He said he did not know if it would be feasible to close the Nevada school and move students into the WICHE program. Ferrillo said it would be "difficult" in WICHE states to absorb the 300 students in Nevada.

Beers, asked outside the committee meeting if he thought there was any support for abolishing the school, said he hoped the Legislature would take a look at the issue.

"Everything we do is under constant review," he said.

He suggested the budget was $25 million during the next two years.

"Other states are getting out of the dentistry business," Beers said. "It's probably inevitable ours will too. It's just a matter of time" before Nevada abandons its program of dentistry.

Ferrillo said he did not know of any state that is eliminating its dental program. There were some closures in the early 1980s, he said. In fact, he said North Carolina is considering opening a second dental school.

The Nevada school expects to graduate its first class of 72 students next fiscal year. Gov. Kenny Guinn's budget recommends $7.5 million for next fiscal year and $7.6 million in the 2007 fiscal year for the dental school.

An estimated $3.8 million will be collected each year in student fees.

The school was promoted by former Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, who still teaches a course at the school but is not paid.

Rawson was a major advocate of the school in the Legislature and once said it would not cost the state any money. Rawson later amended his statement to say the state should support the school in its operation just like it does other professional schools.

Beers defeated Rawson in the last election and took his place on the Senate Finance Committee. He said "Most observers feel its genesis was political and not education," he said, referring to the push by Rawson.

Beers said the equipment, which is fairly new, could be auctioned off and "we could probably get most of our money back." He said the building could be converted to other uses.

Ferrillo, however, said much of the equipment is tailored to education and private dentists would probably not be interested in its purchase. He said it would take a major overhaul to convert the present school building to other uses.

Bomotti said he did not know of another state that does not support its dental school with general fund money. In fact, he said the general fund support of the school is "relatively low" because the students are "paying a significant amount"

He said the state appropriation makes up only 17 percent of the school operation when other income is included, such as payments from Medicaid.

Ferrillo said the school has acquired $6.5 million in grants. In addition, he said the school will receive a $3.5 million grant later this year to start a two-year orthodontist specialty program at no cost to the state.

Ferrillo said the program has been accredited and it will go through its final visit in April 2006. The students who graduate next year will be accredited, he said.