North Carolina’s approach to community-based health professions education is gaining international attention! In January 2026, NC AHEC joined its partners at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry (UNC ASOD) in welcoming a delegation from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), which is preparing to launch a new dental program focused on community-centered care and workforce needs.

The SDU delegation included four leaders from its Faculty of Health Sciences: Dr. Ole Skøtt, Dean; Iben Rausgaard, Senior Consultant; Merete Munk, Head of Education and Secretariat; and Dr. Mohit Kothari, Associate Professor and Senior Researcher.

During the visit, Caroline Collier, Associate Director of Continuing Professional Development with NC AHEC, met with the SDU delegation to share AHEC’s mission to recruit, train, and retain health professionals and how workforce development, continuing education, and community partnerships support care in rural and underserved communities across North Carolina.

“AHEC is committed to preparing and supporting the health workforce so communities can thrive,” said Collier. “This exchange highlighted how recruitment, training, and retention efforts can work hand in hand with dental education to create durable solutions to both community needs and workforce challenges.”

The visit highlighted the strong partnership between NC AHEC and UNC ASOD through the Dentistry in Service to Community (DISC) Program and the UNC Program for Oral Health Policy. Through these efforts, dental education is closely integrated with workforce development strategies and community-based clinical training sites across the state.

“Our partnership with AHEC allows us to connect dental education with workforce development in a way that is practical, scalable, and rooted in community,” said Dr. Zachary Brian, associate professor and director of the DISC program and Program for Oral Health Policy at UNC ASOD. “Sharing this model with international colleagues underscores the global relevance of what we are building together here in North Carolina.”

Together, NC AHEC and UNC ASOD are demonstrating how education, workforce strategy, and community engagement can work hand in hand to prepare providers to serve where they are needed most. The SDU visit reflects growing interest in North Carolina’s model as other regions seek sustainable approaches to addressing workforce shortages and improving access to care.

To learn more about the Dentistry in Service to Community (DISC) Program, please contact DISC@dentistry.unc.edu. And, to learn more about NC AHEC’s partnership with UNC Adams School of Dentistry, please contact Dr. Zachary Brian, Director, Dentistry In Service to Community (DISC) program, at zbrian@unc.edu.