White Bird Clinic Dental Program News
White Bird Clinic Honored by OHSU
for More Than a Decade of Dental Education Partnership
EUGENE, OREGON – White Bird Dental Clinic has received a surprise award from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) recognizing more than a decade of impactful partnership with the OHSU School of Dentistry. The award honors White Bird’s long-standing commitment to mentoring future dental professionals while providing high-quality, compassionate care to the community.
For more than ten years, White Bird Dental Clinic has served as a community-based teaching site for OHSU’s fourth-year dental students. Through week-long clinical rotations, students gain hands-on, real-world experience while working alongside White Bird’s experienced dental providers, who serve as preceptors and mentors.
“This award was a complete surprise to us – we were not aware of the nomination,” said Itzy Ornelas, White Bird’s Dental Clinic manager. “We believe the recognition reflects our providers’ dedication to teaching, mentorship, and clinical excellence, as well as the positive impact they have on student confidence and professional development.”
White Bird dental providers focus on:
- Bridging classroom learning with practical patient care
- Providing exposure to community-based dentistry
- Fostering professional growth through direct mentorship
- Supporting students as they transition into professional practice
This preceptorship plays an important role in both dental education and community care, helping students understand the realities of serving diverse and underserved populations.
“This recognition speaks not only to the skill and dedication of our dental team, but to White Bird’s broader commitment to meeting people where they are with compassionate, community-based care,” said Amée Markwardt, Executive Director of White Bird Clinic. “From medical and dental services to crisis intervention and social supports, our programs are deeply interconnected. Training future providers in this environment ensures they understand both clinical excellence and the human realities of the communities they serve.”
Interestingly, the partnership began somewhat accidentally in 2010 under former Dental Director Michael Kelley. A former White Bird employee who had entered dental school at A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ASDOH) hoped to return to White Bird for a clinical rotation. At the time, White Bird became credentialed through OHSU to support outside rotations. Soon after, OHSU began placing its own students at White Bird, a collaboration that has continued and evolved ever since.
White Bird Dental Clinic provides emergency, preventative, and restorative dental care to individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, low-income, or unhoused. Services include fillings, crowns, endodontics, extractions, prophylaxis, fluoride and sealant applications, and oral health education. The clinic accepts Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Trillium, PacificSource, and private dental insurance.
White Bird Dental Clinic
1415 Pearl Street
Eugene, OR 97401
Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Phone: 541-344-8302