When VCU School of Dentistry patients enter the patient reception area of the second floor of the Lyons Dental Building, they will be greeted with a new fresh look. The renovation, completed in April 2024, includes a new check-in desk, chairs, open space and digital signage designed to enhance and ease the patient experience.

Despite receiving planning authorization to construct a new dental school building in May 2024, VCU School of Dentistry is committed to continuously improving the current dental buildings to create a better experience for patients, students and faculty. 

“We are very excited by the planning of a new dental building,” said Lyndon F. Cooper, D.D.S., Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Dentistry. “In the meantime, we are committed to enhancing the current experience for patients and strengthening our commitment to giving high quality, comprehensive care.”

Carla Tinsley, director of Predoctoral Clinics at VCU School of Dentistry, led the patient reception renovation project from its early stages to its completion this spring. She expressed her belief in the importance of creating a great first impression for patients the second they walk into the reception area.

“It’s a new, modern look,” said Tinsley. “We want people to walk in and feel welcomed and confident. There is a lot of anxiety around receiving dental care and our main goal is to alleviate some of those worries by creating a comforting and professional environment.”

Among the new changes is an updated patient check-in desk. It is refreshed with new chairs, tabletops and computers. New technology also creates an easier experience for the check-in receptionists. 

Accessibility was also key when designing the new reception area. A new wheelchair lift has been added to the first floor lobby. The improved waiting area has more open space, creating ample room for patients with disabilities. New chairs create additional comfort for all patients.

Tinsley hopes that the updated reception area will reflect the values and high quality of care offered at VCU.

“Our students are professionals and offer excellent, comprehensive care,” Tinsley said. “We want this new space to be reflective of that.”

Stephanie Cook, IT systems analyst, created new digital wayfinding and video content for the waiting room.

“There definitely has been confusion with navigation in the past because we offer so many different services in three buildings,” said Cook. “The new digital wayfinding will really help people find where they need to go. It’s another way we want to offer comfort and clarity.”

Color coordinated signage points patients in the right direction for the clinic they need.

In addition, the television screens in the reception area play informative videos about the many services available in the clinics and programs offered at VCU School of Dentistry. As patients sit in the reception area, QR codes on the television screens offer information about services such as implants. Patients can read about these services and then ask their dentist if it might be the right plan for them.

Videos about the Missions of Mercy projects and the International Dentist Program are just a few of the ways patients can learn about the school.

“Showing patients what the students are doing in the community and the education they are receiving is a great way to alleviate their anxieties and inform them that they are being treated by clinicians who care,” Cook said.

Volunteering and serving the community is a core value for VCU as a whole. 

“We’re proud that our school is so diverse and offers opportunities such as the IDP program,” Tinsley said. “It’s a part of our community that we want everyone to know about.”

The renovations to the patient reception area are just a few of the ways the dental school buildings are being enhanced. This summer, the school will begin renovations of the main entrance located in the Lyons Dental Building.

The new lobby will reveal new wall surfaces, lighting, wayfinding monitors and furnishing. To enhance safety, metal detectors will be installed at the 12th Street entrance. Once installed, all patients and visitors entering the building will be required to pass through the screening portal.

“Compassion, Accessibility, Respect and Excellence” (CARE) represents VCU School of Dentistry’s commitment to providing the best possible experience for patients. A new graphic conveying this idea complete with images of our engaged community will embellish the first floor entrance wall. Additional seating will also be added.

The changes will be implemented during the summer, with construction primarily occurring outside of regular hours. 

“Providing our patients with a safe, comforting experience with comprehensive care is our highest priority,” Dean Cooper said. “We have utmost confidence and pride in our students and faculty. These changes to our reception area and lobby reflect our welcoming ongoing commitment to the health, safety and comfort of every single person who walks through our doors.”