$1.2M Dental Clinic Expansion In Progress at Lakeshore College
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1/15/2025
CLEVELAND, WI —
Construction on the expansion of Lakeshore College’s on-site dental clinic began Dec. 16 with an anticipated completion date of June 1, 2025. The clinic is expected to be fully operational for training and hosting the college’s Community Dental Clinic by June 30.
During construction, Lakeshore’s dental assistant program students are practicing skills and completing clinical evaluations two days a week at Lakeshore Community Health Care in Manitowoc. Thanks to a new partnership between the two organizations, Lakeshore Community Health Care is also providing a mobile dental unit for the students to work on skills one day a week on Lakeshore’s Cleveland campus.
“Expanding our dental clinic and launching a dental hygiene program are crucial steps to meeting the growing needs of our community,” said Lakeshore College President Dr. Paul Carlsen. “We are grateful for the Lakeshore Community Health Care partnership that allows our students to gain essential hands-on experience while we are addressing the critical shortage of dental professionals in our region.”
“We are proud to partner with Lakeshore College by providing clinical space for students. This collaboration not only ensures hands-on training for future dental professionals but supports our mission to expand access to dental care in our community,” said Kristin Stearns, CEO of Lakeshore Community Health Care.
“Wisconsin faces a significant need for dental hygienists,” added Stearns. “Lakeshore College recognized this challenge and is working quickly to expand their dental program to include an associate degree in dental hygiene.”
In May of last year, Lakeshore secured over $1.2 million in new funding to support the expansion of the college’s dental clinic and the development of an accredited dental hygiene program. Carlsen said the accreditation process takes approximately 18 months, leading to an anticipated program launch in the fall of 2026.
Information about Lakeshore’s dental assistant and other programs can be found at gotoltc.edu.
ABOUT LAKESHORE COLLEGE
Lakeshore College, formerly known as Lakeshore Technical College, is a comprehensive community and technical college educating more than 9,000 students annually. Students enroll at Lakeshore to master real-world, employable career skills and start their pursuit of a bachelor’s degree. Lakeshore faculty and staff are focused on providing each student an individualized learning experience.
Lakeshore College is a nationally recognized two-year college. The college was ranked #2 in the nation by Washington Monthly, #17 in the nation by Forbes, #20 in the nation by WalletHub.com, a top-150 two-year college by the Aspen Institute, a 2024 Bellwether Award winner, and named the 2021 Large Business/Industry of the Year by the Chamber of Manitowoc County.
Approximately 800 students graduate from Lakeshore each year, and associate degree graduates report earning a median salary of $55,698 within six months of graduating. In addition to the Cleveland campus, Lakeshore educates students at learning campuses in downtown Manitowoc and downtown Sheboygan. Classes are also offered at additional sites throughout the district. Visit Lakeshore at gotoltc.edu.
