Summerlin Dental Clinic

Roseman Adds Another Dental Practice to the Family

Treating Children with Systemic Disease and Their Families with Compassion and Care ROSEMAN DENTAL in Summerlin

On a quiet floor in what is now a bustling building treating 100 pediatric patients a day, as well as opioid- and stimulant-addicted mothers and their children via Roseman’s Empowered Program, is the newly opened and highly anticipated Roseman Dental clinic, the clinical practice of Roseman University College of Dental Medicine. Roseman Dental serves pediatric patients of Cure 4 The Kids Foundation (C4K) who are coping with life-threatening conditions including childhood cancers, blood disorders and rheumatological diseases. Because families are also deeply impacted by a child with illness, Roseman’s clinic also sees families of patients. Non-profit and communitybased, the clinic is the first of its kind in Nevada and provides specialized care and attention to patients who have complex medical cases and thus need a higher level of oral and dental care.

Overall health and wellness are closely linked to oral health. The mouth is a portal for infection, which can allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream. Conversely, systemic disease may include symptoms such as rapid tooth decay, or oral pain. For many people, grappling with acute systemic disease might deprioritize dental care and oral health, as patients may not have the emotional and physical energy or resources to tackle preventative care, or even severe/ serious dental issues, and there may be fears in exposing a child to a busy dental clinic unfamiliar with the needs of children with acute illnesses.

By Vanessa Maniago

Roseman Dental is a brand new, state-of-the-art clinic providing pediatric preventative care including cleanings and X-rays, anxiety management, composite restorations (fillings), pulp therapy, crowns, extractions, sedation dentistry and, through our clinic in Henderson, orthodontics including braces and retainers. The practice connects with the care team within C4K, offering an interprofessional approach to treatment. Breaking down barriers and silos that can exist in trying to coordinate complex care dramatically benefits the patient. In the case of Roseman Dental, providers can simply walk down the hall to discuss diagnosis, treatment plans, prescription interactions and psychosocial support for patients already being seen within C4K. The clinic is small, brightly lit, private, quiet and peaceful -- truly a haven of calm in both its design, décor and in the tenor of the providers inside it.

At the helm of the new clinic opening is Dr. Michael Cottam. With almost 20 years of experience, and specialty training in pediatrics and special needs care, Dr. Cottam has great expertise in treating children with medically complex cases. Dr. Cottam has a passion for treating children, patients who respond easily and profoundly to dental care, care that can set the course for a lifetime of good dental health. As Dr. Cottam got deeper into his career, he found himself more and more interested in treating children with complex medical situations. The complexity of treating patients with underlying disease is a challenge Dr. Cottam welcomes as it keeps him continually learning and growing as a practitioner. “Treating children with systemic maladies is complex, and there is always something new to learn, as well as the opportunity to be there for parents who really just need more support.”

There is another level of care that is needed in support of the patient and their family. Dr. Cottam explains this as a “need to talk, slow down, and to counsel,” as patients and their families navigate their way through uncharted territory. Sometimes it is a kind word or gesture that can make all the difference in letting patients know that you are there for them, as their advocates, and there for their families, as a guide or simply a support. Interestingly, Dr. Cottam changed careers as a young ornithologist and wildlife biologist, deeply immersed in avian biology, behavior, and environment, a protector of sorts of fragile species. With a desire to be more present in his own family’s life, Dr. Cottam transitioned that passion and care to a career in pediatric dentistry, and to nurturing children with underlying disease. Dr. Cottam comes to Roseman from Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware, where, as the Program Director of the Pediatric Dental Residency, and Division Chief of Dental Surgery, he taught medical and dental residents and participated in hospital-based practice. Over 70 percent of his patients were medically complex cases. When the opportunity to collaborate with Roseman Dental presented itself, Dr. Cottam jumped at the chance to help shape and run the new clinic.

Looking ahead a year from now, Dr. Cottam hopes to increase patient volume in the clinic and to offer more support to the patients of C4K and their families. The clinic accepts multiple insurances and aids those under or uninsured. Roseman University is incredibly proud to add this clinic to its growing dental practices in Nevada, Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, and in Utah, Roseman Dental. The clinic fulfills the mission of Roseman’s Dental clinics -- to improve the oral health of the public with special attention to underserved populations in Utah, Nevada and the Intermountain West. This mission is achieved by educating healthcare professionals, conducting educational and clinical research, providing on-site and community-based health services, treating patients with highquality, compassionate, affordable, evidence-based care and setting the standard for healthcare leadership. To learn more, go to www.rosemandental.com/home-sm/ or call 702637-9259.

Roseman University College of Medicine, joined by Las Vegas City Councilman Cedric Crear, officially launched its GENESIS program at an event on the steps of Las Vegas City Hall on March 30 to a crowd of community leaders, partners and supporters.

Funded in part by a $300,000 American Rescue Plan Act grant through the City of Las Vegas, GENESIS is a household-centered approach to aligning healthcare, public health, and social services to help vulnerable households achieve resiliency. Following the launch event, GENESIS is poised to begin servicing households in select underserved areas in Las Vegas before expanding across the Las Vegas Valley.

“The overall health of patients is mostly driven by social, economic and environmental factors, with the home as the nexus of these factors,” said College of Medicine Dean Dr. Pedro “Joe” Greer, Jr. “Eighty to 90 percent of disease is not attributable to biologic causes, but rather the social determinants of health such as family, income, safe housing, and education.”

Roseman University College of Medicine’s GENESIS to Address Health and Social Needs of Vulnerable Las Vegas Households

By Jason Roth

GENESIS will address the social determinants of health by coordinating clinical and social services to households in medically underserved communities through household visits, interprofessional clinical practices, and patient navigation. Care teams that include learners from Roseman University’s Colleges, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine and eventually Medicine; their faculty; and GENESIS community outreach workers use a mobileaccessible health app to assess and track households’ medical and social risks, develop and implement care plans, and measure outcomes over time. GENESIS also connects households with professional experts from other areas of specialty through its trusted network of community resources.

Through GENESIS household members receive comprehensive, tailored services while also providing real-world learning opportunities for Roseman’s students training in the health professions, says Dr. Luther Brewster, the College of Medicine’s Senior Executive Dean for Community Health Innovation.

“GENESIS is community-dependent, meaning it relies on the already robust community resources in southern Nevada. Combining these with our care teams we can enable and promote connections that more closely align service offerings with each unique household’s needs so that the opportunity for better health flourishes for the most vulnerable in our community,” said Dr. Brewster. "Not only will GENESIS help these households and students in the health professions, but it will also benefit Las Vegas by reducing healthcare spending on emergency room visits by those who currently lack healthcare resources and support.”

“Roseman is prime to make a difference not only in the quality of healthcare in southern Nevada, but also in the pathways of students and faculty to become physicians and to go into research,” Crear said. At the launch event, GENESIS also introduced its Apple Art Initiative through the unveiling of two GENESIS vehicles. The Apple Art initiative was created to amplify idealism in the community. Partnering with local artists, GENESIS vehicles are themed with a focus on idealism and the social determinants of health.

“Through artistic representation, GENESIS vehicles are visualizing issues such as housing, mental health, and health disparities, among others,” said Sheyla Pierre, MBA, MSW, Roseman University College of Medicine’s director of equity development and community engagement. “Our first vehicle was designed by Las Vegas’ very own Juan Muniz, who beautifully imagines mental health, an issue near and dear to him. Our second car was a collaborative effort by Nancy Good of Core Contemporary in partnership with two of her Core Scholars from West Preparatory Academy. The theme of this car is housing.”

The GENESIS vehicles will be driven by community outreach workers as they conduct home visits and outreach events. Each car will have a QR code that links to more info on Apple Art and GENESIS, says Pierre.

ALUMNI

Spotlight

Dr. Eileen Rendon, Class of 2012

Dr. Eileen Rendon is a Roseman University College of Pharmacy alumni from the class of 2012. Having attended high school and undergrad in Las Vegas, she considers herself a local. She received her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management, and Operations from the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. She decided to go into pharmacy in 2009 and chose Roseman University as her school of choice. Many factors appealed to her about Roseman, but her top two reasons were its unique three-year option and to be close to her family. She has worked at the CVS Pharmacy as a Staff Pharmacist, a VA Clinical Pharmacist, and as the Pharmacy Manager at the North Tampa Behavioral Health Hospital. She is currently the Pharmacy Manager for Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock, Texas, which is the only children’s freestanding hospital in the region.

Dr. Rendon enjoyed her time at Roseman University. “Roseman has prepared me well for the field of pharmacy,” she said. “Having to persuade my teammates when we did not agree provided me the skills to work with other pharmacists as well as other disciplines to provide my point of view to aid in decisions being made for patients or the hospital.” Dr. Rendon expressed her gratitude for the team-building activities done in every block. Her favorite teacher was Dr. Decerbo, his style of repeating important topics helped her walk out of lecture feeling confident and more at ease.

Roseman University specializes in having an accelerated pharmacy program, which makes each course more rigorous due to the reduction in course length. Dr. Rendon declared that the hardest block was a tie between HIV and nutrition. “I believe that HIV was difficult because of my limited experience with the material. The nutrition block was very tough because it takes a very good handle on comorbid conditions to determine what elements of nutrition are altered or require repletion. To wrap your head around these topics in a week was much harder for these topics than any of the others that I encountered,” Dr. Rendon said.

Dr. Rendon advises current and prospective students to gain knowledge from every interaction. Whether it is with a nurse, doctor or pharmacist, there is always a lesson to be learned. Knowing how your actions impact other disciplines and vice versa is invaluable.

The Class of 2012 continues to share moments of each other’s work and personal lives on their Facebook group. Dr. Rendon is in charge of preparing for their ten-year reunion which is set to be held this fall. “So many things have changed in ten years and it is so impressive to see the different ways my classmates have gone out in the world and made their mark. I feel that we’ve all done Roseman proud. Now that I look back, I can honestly say all the sleepless nights and hours of studying were worth it,” Dr. Rendon said. Roseman University is eager to welcome back the Class of 2012 this fall at their reunion.

An Educational Series Focusing on Community Health & Well-Being

Join us monthly for in-person presentations on a variety of healthcare topics featuring expert speakers from Roseman University. Learn alongside your neighbors, friends and members of Nevada’s healthcare community during these free community events.

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Join us Thursdays at 5:30 – 7pm every month!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 Dr. Dustin Christensen-Grant, PharmD, BCPS, & Pharmacy Students CVS Spanish Pathways *Spanish Heritage Month THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022 Dr. Aanshu Shah, Head of Women’s Imaging at Steinberg Seeing Inside the Human Body:

Innovations and Advances in Imaging and Radiology

*Breast Cancer Awareness Month THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2022 Eric Farbman, MD

Alzheimer’s: Learning How to Deal With a Difficult Diagnosis

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2022 Karin Esposito, MD, PhD Keeping healthy and happy during the Holiday season *Seasonal Depression Month

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