Submitted by Providence
Since opening in 2019, the Neighborcare Health Dental Clinic at Providence St. Peter Hospital has provided a huge benefit to the community by offering general and emergency dental services to families and individuals who have difficulty accessing care, Medicaid patients in particular. All are welcome, and no one is turned away due to their inability to pay.
As of July 2023, access to the clinic will expand as three dental residents will begin seeing patients.
“The addition of this program will be an exciting benefit to the community,” said Darrin Wiederhold, DMD, MS, residency director at the clinic.
Dental residents are recent dental school graduates with at least two years of patient care experience who are licensed to practice as dentists. Through the residency program, they benefit from the mentorship of our more experienced providers to build on their skills while access for patients is expanded.
Dr. Wiederhold is one of three providers who see patients at the clinic, along with dentists Gurpreet Kaur, DDS and Virginia Bautista, DDS. The clinic serves walk-ins, referrals from Providence St. Peter’s emergency center and patients seeking routine dental care. Several appointments are held open each day for emergencies. Neighborcare accepts Medicare, Medicaid and most private dental insurance plans and offers a sliding fee discount based on family size and income. The clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday.
The clinic also has space in Providence St. Peter Hospital operating rooms for complex cases.
“We are able to help a lot of people that can’t be seen in other dental clinics,” said Dr. Wiederhold. “Providence has equipped St. Peter with state-of-the-art equipment for complex dental care.”
To learn more about the clinic or make an appointment visit the Neighborcare website or call 360.456.8844. To learn more about the general practice dental residency, visit the Providence St. Peter General Practice Dental Residency or call 360.493.4041.
Meet the Residents
When they begin the residency program in 2023, Matthew Goodwin, Sarah Eberle and Daniel Hovander will be licensed dentists with the experience and training needed to care for patients.
“That’s what’s different about dental residencies,” said Dr. Wiederhold. “Unlike in medicine, you don’t have to do a residency to practice dentistry. This is voluntary.” These residents will gain some great experience working in the clinic and rotating throughout the hospital while committing their time to supporting community health. These residents are a great fit for the Providence/Neighborcare program and are excited to be a part of the team.
“They are really a dream trio.”
Sarah Eberle
The daughter of a nurse practitioner and teacher, Sarah Eberle, is passionate about making dental care more equitable for underserved populations.
“As a child, I would attempt to read my mother’s anatomy textbooks and stow away her stethoscope to ‘play doctor.’ My father, a third-grade teacher, has always been one to make me ask ‘why’ and encouraged me to dive deeper into subjects that interest me,” Sarah says. “Every patient encounter is unique, and I am dedicated to continuing to improve myself so that I can give my patients the best possible care.”
Sarah has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lewis-Clark State College and is graduating with Dental Surgery from the University of Washington. She has volunteered and worked at several dental programs, including the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program at UW. She is a member of the American Dental Association, American Student Dental Association, Washington Academy of General Dentistry, and Washington State Dental Association.
Matthew Godwin
Graduating from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Matthew Godwin does not want to treat only teeth and mouths but also individuals.
“I have an inspired my vision for myself as a clinician — competency in a wide range of general dentistry techniques with the training required to assess and manage patients with varied and challenging presentations,” Matthew says. “General dentistry and its ability to affect my patients’ lives is exciting and compelling.”
He looks forward to evaluating and treating patients of all backgrounds and complexities. He is thankful for the many patient experiences he has already had. Godwin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida before coming to Harvard. He currently volunteers with the Give Veterans a Smile and Give Kids a Smile programs at Harvard. He is a member of the American Student Dental Association and enjoys mountain climbing.
Daniel Hovander
An accident as a child led Daniel Hovander to see how rewarding a career in dentistry could be. Now preparing to graduate from the University of Washington Dental School, Hovander wants to help ease patients’ fears which he remembers as a seven-year-old.
“My experience has taught me about the inaccessibility of dental care in the United States,” he says. “I look forward to furthering my dental journey by providing a substantial amount of experience in oral surgery, restorative, endodontics, sedation, and many other fields of dentistry. I plan on using this knowledge and experience to increase the accessibility of dental treatment to those who are frightened of dentists due to their limited dental knowledge.”
Daniel has a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience from Western Washington University. He is the president and founder of the Oral Pathology/Oral Medicine Club at UW and has coordinated several community service events through the American Student Dental Association, where he serves as Community Service Chair. He is also a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and is interested in hiking, football and cooking.
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