Lyon College School of Dental Medicine and Arkansas Children’s announced the inaugural leadership team for the Arkansas Children’s Dental Program, an “innovative academic clinical partnership designed to expand access to comprehensive pediatric oral health care while educating the next generation of dentists,” according to a press release.
Dr. Ashley McMillan has been named the program’s inaugural medical director, and Drew Ramey, MPA, will serve as administrative director. Together, they will provide the clinical and operational leadership for the statewide program.
McMillan serves as associate dean of clinical affairs at the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine and brings more than a decade of experience in clinical care, graduate dental education and academic leadership. She was instrumental in developing the didactic and clinical curriculum that led to the successful initial accreditation of the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, the first dental school in Arkansas, the release stated.
Before joining Lyon College, McMillan served in progressively expanding leadership roles at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, culminating as director of the General Practice Residency Program. Her work has advanced curriculum innovation for the care of medically complex patients and strengthened interprofessional oral health education across Arkansas.
As administrative director, Ramey will oversee operations, strategic planning, outreach initiatives and administrative integration across the hospital-based clinic, school-based programs and mobile dental services. He previously served as assistant executive director of the Arkansas State Dental Association and chief strategy officer for Rock Dental Brands.
Ramey also served as a founding strategic adviser to the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, helping guide the legislative and institutional efforts that led to the establishment of the state’s first dental school. His experience in dental policy, health care strategy, support of the Arkansas Mission of Mercy statewide volunteer dental program and multisite dental operations positions him to help build one of the nation’s most comprehensive academic pediatric oral health programs.
“This partnership represents an extraordinary opportunity to improve the oral health of Arkansas’ children while creating an educational model that integrates hospital-based care, community outreach and dental education,” Ramey said. “Together, Lyon College and Arkansas Children’s are building a program that will expand access to care while preparing the next generation of dentists to serve Arkansas for decades to come.”
The Arkansas Children’s Dental Program will provide hospital-based care for medically complex patients and patients with special health care needs while expanding preventive and restorative services through school-based clinics and mobile dental programs across Arkansas. The partnership also will serve as a principal pediatric clinical training site for Lyon College dental students and residents, integrating patient care, education and community outreach under a unified leadership model.
READ ALSO: UAMS Opens Neurology Clinic in LR’s Doctors Building
