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Tanner College of Dental Medicine Updates
In recognition of the family that made a transformational $25 million gift last year to establish a dental college and dramatically increase access to dental care in Central Appalachia, the school has been named the Tanner College of Dental Medicine (TCDM).
Carol Goff Tanner and her late husband, Robert B. Tanner, came from families with deep roots in Eastern Kentucky. They grew up in Ashland, Kentucky, and after several years away, returned to Ashland, where they raised three children and were active in church and community affairs.
After Robert’s passing in 2018, Carol and the Tanner family decided to focus their philanthropic activity on the region they knew and loved so well. The family’s desire to increase access to healthcare and education in Central Appalachia led to this major gift to UPIKE to add a dental medicine program, which complements the university’s osteopathic medicine and optometry colleges.
As a result of Carol’s father, a Pike County native, attending then Pikeville College, she was familiar with the institution. The Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine’s placement in the US News and World Report rankings caught her attention several years ago. She was impressed with the number of primary care physicians graduating from KYCOM and practicing in rural areas and is passionate about UPIKE’s service-focused mission in Central Appalachia.
“UPIKE, in the heart of Appalachia, is ideally located to serve not only Eastern Kentucky but Southwest Virginia, West Virginia, and beyond,” stated Carol.
“UPIKE is uniquely positioned to serve an area that is traditionally underserved, providing institutional learning and opportunities for outreach programs. My family and I are very fortunate to be able to give back to this beautiful area we will always call home.”
The university appreciates the Tanners’ devotion to the region and is honored to name the college in recognition of their vision and impact.
“We are deeply grateful to the Tanner family for their transformative donation,” said UPIKE President Burton J. Webb, Ph.D. “Generations of Appalachians will benefit from their generosity. They will be cared for by dentists who trained at the Tanner College of Dental Medicine. What a gift!”
By Laura Damron, MBA ’19
At the SOAR Summit in October, Gov. Andy Beshear and U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers, who was represented by his district director, Carlos Cameron, presented more than $26.6 million in Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program funds to support economic development projects in nine counties. TCDM was selected to receive $3 million of those funds to purchase dental equipment and supplies.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded TCDM $1.5 million to fund the procurement of dental equipment and supplies through the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative. This grant is specifically for specialty clinics that will serve low-income and special needs patients in economically distressed and medically underserved counties in Eastern Kentucky.
