As the coronavirus pandemic began to reach the Midwest in early March, Scott Community College began to make contingency plans for continuing to deliver education in case of physical closure of our campuses.  On March 13, the decision was made to move all face-to-face classes to online delivery beginning on March 25, following an extension of Spring Break (originally scheduled for March 16-20) and continuing until April 6.  On March 16, the decision was made to extend online delivery through April 13, and on March 19 the campuses were physically closed.  On April 2 the decision was made to extend online delivery of classes until the end of the Spring term (May 15).  On April 27, the decision was announced to extend campus closures until May 18 and to conduct most summer classes online.  These extensions of online delivery have all been based on federal and state social distancing guidelines, including the Governor of Iowa’s decision to close K-12 schools through the end of the school year. Online delivery of scheduled face-to-face classes for the Spring 2020 semester began March 25 and will continue through the end of the term on May 15.  Summer classes will also be delivered primarily online beginning June 1, with face-to-face opportunities for hands-on labs if state and federal guidance allows and with social distancing practices.  At this time we anticipate holding face-to-face classes for the Fall 2020 semester beginning August 24, pending federal and state guidance.

Scott Community College’s transition to remote learning for the Dental Assisting program included the use of Canvas Learning Management System which allowed us to build the digital learning environment to meet our unique program challenges.  We are also utilized synchronized interactive sessions using Zoom, virtual labs, virtual office hours, discussions, and pre-recorded videos and recorded Zoom sessions that students could watch on their own time. 

Curricular content that was eliminated was pre-clinical laboratory exercises, such as an intraoral and extraoral photography lab, diagnostic model trimming and suture removal. This content was reviewed didactically, accompanied by video tutorials. Content that was re-sequenced was  the two full-mouth surveys of a peer and a patient that was made up in  the Summer 2020 session with face-to-face opportunities using small group hands-on labs at the college.

Scott Community College closed all campuses and labs and moved to online delivery on March 25, 2020.  As a result, laboratory, preclinical, and clinical instruction ceased in a face to face format.  The State of Iowa also mandated that dental offices close for elective services, halting externship opportunities for students. In order to demonstrate compliance with CODA-mandated educational requirements in Dental Assisting Clinic I (DEA 575) and Dental Assisting Clinic II (DEA 577)  our students that are projected to graduate after completion of their Summer 2020 courses did complete a minimum of 300 clinic hours. This was  accomplished by utilizing their hours earned in the last part of the Spring 2020 semester and the beginning of the Summer 2020 semester, and by using the temporary flexibility that was permitted by CODA of up to 100 hours using alternative methods, such  as online demonstrations, case studies, and virtual role playing with faculty.  When we are permitted into our college dental assisting labs we will also add simulation utilizing mannequins. Our students who are projected to graduate after completion of their Fall 2020 semester utilized the temporary flexibility that was permitted by CODA of up to 100 hours using alternative methods such as online demonstrations, case studies, virtual role playing with faculty, and simulation utilizing mannequins on campus during their Summer 2020 8-week session beginning June 1, 2020.  These students will complete the remaining clinic hours to meet the minimum 300 total in the Fall 2020 semester in extramural clinical assignments.  Curriculum will still be sequenced to allow assimilation of foundational content prior to any patient contact or clinical experiences, and is integrated and of sufficient depth, scope, quality and emphasis to ensure achievement of the curriculum’s defined competencies and program’s goals and objectives.  In order to demonstrate compliance with CODA-mandated educational requirements in laboratory and preclinical coursework for Principles of Dental Assisting (DEA 506), Dental Materials (DEA 403), Dental Radiography (DEA 302), and Dental Specialties (DEA 604) have been addressed by using the Canvas Learning Management System, synchronized interactive sessions using Zoom, and virtual labs for faculty demonstration of CODA required competencies and for student practice with peer and faculty review and for students to demonstrate knowledge of, and laboratory /preclinical competence at the in depth level.   The curriculum and competencies are sequenced to allow assimilation of foundational content and is integrated and of sufficient depth, scope, sequence, quality and emphasis to ensure achievement of the curriculum’s defined competencies and program’s goals and objectives.  These courses will maintain the same curriculum length and will conclude on May 19, 2020.  The only exception would have been if a student was unable to complete requirements due to circumstances surrounding COVID 19 the student could request an “I” – Incomplete and the Instructor and the student would have established a date for the completion of the course using the Summer 2020 session.

We had to file a formal report to the Commission on Dental Accreditation regarding our interruption of education related to Covid-19 and we were granted full approval without reporting requirements.

 We graduated 7 Dental Assisting students after the summer 2020 semester. One is accepted into Hygiene school this Fall, one is accepted into a nursing program this Fall, one moved to Texas, and the other 4 have secured jobs as Dental Assistants in the Quad Cities.  We anticipate 6 more graduates after the Fall 2020 semester.  We have implemented more admission requirements to help with attrition starting with this Fall 2020 start.  We have 15 students who will start the program in the Fall of 2020. The job outlook remains high with much demand in the Quad City area.

 Thanks for your continued support of the Scott Community College Dental Assisting program!!

Carole and Leah are trained and working on the SCHD COVID-19 team.  They are involved in case interviews, contact tracing and mitigation procedures.  They have worked with many dental offices during the pandemic.  If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please call either of them directly.  Carole 563-326-8258 or Leah 563-326-8645. 

I-Smile™

There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of I-Smile direct services for this upcoming school year. 

I-Smile has halted all preventive dental services since March 2020.  WIC services have been moved to virtual visits.  Normally most of our services are completed at WIC.  The Iowa Department of Public Health has put together infection control guidelines for Title V agencies.  We have obtained sufficient PPE and will be looking at resuming dental screenings and fluoride varnish in our immunization clinics. 

I-Smile and I-Smile Silver will be expanding Genesis’s oral health project to include Genesis Visiting Nurse Association.  Staff will receive oral health education and be provided with oral care supplies to distribute to patients receiving home based care. 

I-Smile™ Silver

During the dental “shut down” back in March, April and early May, Carole worked with Genesis Heart Institute to find a dentist who could provide oral health clearance for two patients that needed aortic valve replacements.  Thank you to the Pediatric Dentist, Oral Surgeon, and the University of Iowa who helped these very ill patients get their new valve!  On this note, Carole is having conversations with Genesis Foundation to educate them on the need to find payer sources for the patients who are not able to get oral health clearance due to their current financial situation.  While we have dentists and specialists who are extremely giving, this is not an ideal long-term solution. 

Carole has continued to provide oral health education for Genesis Registered Nurses and Patient Care Technicians during their new hire orientation skills day.  She has educated well over 250 Genesis medical professionals on oral care and its relationship to the reduction of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).  Nine Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy students have also completed rotation through the skills lab during the past few weeks. Below is an email Carole received from at DPT student.

Hi Carole, 

My name is XXX and I was a PT student at the presentation you did at Genesis Medical Center West about oral health and pneumonia correlations. 

I was very interested in your presentation because I had a patient who acquired pneumonia while at the hospital. I asked her about her oral health and no one had addressed it with her. I was going to use this situation for a case report I have to do for school as well as an in-service for the therapy department at Genesis East. I was wondering if you could help me by sending me some of the research articles you have about the topic. I would love to use them for my report and relating it to my patient. If you have any additional information that you would be willing to share with me, that would be greatly appreciated as well. I think that oral health is something the therapy staff at Genesis East would be interested in learning more about and helpful to prevent pneumonia to progress our patients. Please let me know if you are able to send me some resources.