JUNEAU – The SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) is pleased to welcome two new, permanent dental providers to the Haines dental staff. Dr. Raymond Reeves, DMD and Dental Therapist, Summer Lynch, are joining Dr. Lucia Nascimento at the organization’s newly opened Haines Health Center Dental Clinic.
Dr. Reeves was born and raised in Anchorage and is a graduate of Dimond High School. He is a General Dentist and received his Bachelor of Science from University of Alaska, Anchorage and earned his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry from Oregon Health and Sciences University, graduating with honors. Additionally, he completed a one year General Practice Residency receiving advanced training in all phases of general dentistry.
Dr. Thomas Bornstein, SEARHC Director of Dental Services, said, “For dentists, residency is optional and requires an extra year or two of training. It’s important to note nearly all SEARHC dentists have completed residency training, and both Dr. Nascimenrto and Dr. Reeves did so as well before coming to work in Haines.” He added, “SEARHC is pleased to have such a high-caliber team providing much needed dental care in Haines.”
Ms. Lynch is a lifelong Haines resident and a graduate of both the University of Alaska, Southeast and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium/ Dentex training program. As a Dental Therapist, Summer can perform many dental procedures, including filling teeth and perform tooth extractions under the supervision of a dentist. Her intensive training required her to spend two years away from home; one year in Anchorage and one year in Bethel. Following that, she performed a four-month preceptorship under the direct supervision of a dentist to gain practical experience and additional training.
While having just one permanent dentist has been challenging, SEARHC continually sent general dentists as well as dental specialists to Haines on a rotating basis to cover the caseload and ensure coverage of as many areas of dentistry as possible. Having two permanent dentists and a Dental Therapist in Haines will have an extremely positive impact in the area.
The dental needs in Haines have continued to grow, creating the need for the larger dental clinic which opened this spring and additional dental providers. Having all of these elements now in place allows for more flexibility and convenience for SEARHC dental patients when scheduling appointments and will most certainly be welcomed by the community.