Heartland Dental and �鶹��ý Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Develop Co-Branded Campus

New campus in Florida will train up to 190 dental hygienists and dental assistants annually

KANSAS CITY, Mo. and EFFINGHAM, Ill., Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- �鶹��ý, the healthcare education division of , and today announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to develop a co-branded campus for dental hygiene and dental assistant programs. Heartland Dental is one of the largest dental support organizations in the nation, with more than 23,000 employees at more than 1,750 supported dental offices.

The partnership is designed to help address Heartland Dental-supported practices' significant demand for dental hygienists and dental assistants in specific markets. The first campus, scheduled to open in fall 2025 in Fort Myers, Fla., will train up to 120 dental hygienists and 72 dental assistants annually using �鶹��ý's curriculum, instructors and student support services. Heartland Dental is funding the total cost of the construction, including durable equipment and initial supplies. The company will also provide scholarships to students.

"In all my years in the dental field and at Heartland Dental, our investment in education and commitment to making opportunities available for individuals to grow their skills has been at the heart of who we are. Our partnership with �鶹��ý has supported this commitment and our culture of education for many years. We know there is a strong need in the communities we serve for dental care, and the opportunity to establish a co-branded campus with �鶹��ý to help meet this need with skilled dental hygienists and dental assistants is remarkable. We knew �鶹��ý was the right partner for this venture given their deep expertise and strong curriculum in these areas," shared Pat Bauer, Heartland Dental President and CEO.

"This groundbreaking partnership builds upon the alliance of two organizations that are committed to increasing access to dental services across the United States," said Kevin Prehn, President of �鶹��ý. "Through our existing partnership with Heartland, we have seen how they are invested in their employees and are continually innovating to ensure the success of their supported practices. And, as one of the leading educators of dental hygienists and dental assistants in the nation, �鶹��ý is uniquely positioned to help meet workforce needs in Heartland-supported practices while creating pathways to employment for our graduates."

Nationwide, employment of dental hygienists and dental assistants is projected to grow 7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations. In states where �鶹��ý has multiple campuses, the demand is significantly higher. In Florida, dental hygienists and dental assistants have a 15.8% and 15.7% projected job growth, respectively, between 2023 and 2031.

�鶹��ý currently has more than 1,900 students in its dental hygiene and dental assisting programs, which are offered at 14 and 16 of �鶹��ý's 17 campus locations, respectively. The institution's dental hygiene curriculum blends online and on-ground coursework with in-person lab instruction and clinical experience to prepare students to enter the dental industry in as few as 17 months. The institution's dental assistant diploma curriculum combines foundational concepts of dental care and front office operations with an externship to prepare students for the profession in as few as eight months.

Heartland Dental has collaborated with �鶹��ý for several years to address its need for dental hygienists, including , company-sponsored dental hygiene labs on campus and graduate pinning ceremonies. The company also supports �鶹��ý's pediatric community events that offer free dental services. To date, Heartland has hired 325 �鶹��ý dental hygiene graduates.

For more information about Heartland Dental, visit . To learn more about �鶹��ý's dental programs, visit Dental Programs | �鶹��ý.

About �鶹��ý
�鶹��ý, the healthcare division of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI), operates 17 healthcare focused campuses across eight states under the brands �鶹��ý Career College and �鶹��ý Career Institute, preparing America's next generation of health care and dental professionals for rewarding careers. The �鶹��ý blended education model combines online coursework with in-person lab classes and clinical settings. �鶹��ý's 25 student-focused academic programs and personalized support prepares graduates for in-demand careers in nursing, dental, respiratory, diagnostic, and other healthcare roles. �鶹��ý schools are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Council on Occupational Education (COE). For more information, visit concorde.edu or or, or visit us on LinkedIn at @�鶹��ý and @UniversalTechnicalInstitute or on X (formerly Twitter) at @�鶹��ýCareer or @news_UTI.

About Heartland Dental
Heartland Dental is the nation's largest dental support organization providing non-clinical, administrative support services. What started from the entrepreneurial spirit of Rick Workman, DMD, with his single dental practice, has evolved into affiliating with over 2,800 doctors in over 1,750 locations across 39 states and the District of Columbia. The company is majority owned by KKR, a leading global investment firm. For additional information, please visit .

Media Contacts:
Sharon Rolenc
srolenc@uti.edu
612-720-2083

Heartland Dental
Jessica Thompson
media@heartland.com
561-690-1465

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook for and nationally, 2022-2032, viewed July 30, 2024.
Source: for Dental Hygienists and Dental Assistants in Florida 2023-2031, viewed July 30, 2024.
Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course schedule. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. �鶹��ý does not guarantee admittance, graduation, employment, or salary.

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Program length may be subject to change dependent on transfer credits and course load. Please refer to current course catalog for more information. �鶹��ý does not guarantee admittance, graduation, subsequent employment or salary amount.
Professional certification is not a requirement for graduation, may not be a requirement for employment nor does it guarantee employment.
Financial aid is available to those who qualify but may not be available for all programs. �鶹��ý does not guarantee financial aid or scholarship awards or amounts.
Clinical hour requirements and delivery may vary by campus location and may be subject to change. �鶹��ý does not guarantee clinical site assignments based upon student preference or geographic convenience; nor do clinical experiences guarantee graduation, post-clinical employment or salary outcomes.
Registration and certification requirements for taking and passing these examinations are not controlled by �鶹��ý, but by outside agencies, and are subject to change by the agency without notice. Therefore, �鶹��ý cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take these exams, at all or at any specific time, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.
Externships are a non-paid in-person learning experience, whose length and location may be subject to change. �鶹��ý does not guarantee externship placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.
Virtual externships are a virtual learning experience offered through �鶹��ý’s learning management system. �鶹��ý does not guarantee placement, graduation, post-externship employment or salary outcomes.