Wallace McKenzie DMD, and his wife Kathryn from Welches Oregon began mobilizing  this project in 2003 by providing the design and collecting the modern dental equipment which was shipped by Global  Health Ministries.   The clinic includes a library/training space, two   operatories for high tech dental needs, and  two operatories  for low tech dentistry. It opened January 2007 under the direction of Chief Dental Officer  Charles Rabemahefa DDS MPH from Madagascar. He is now assisted by Dr. Francis Mdoe. The dentists saw 1321 patients the first year.   Planned training from visiting short-term dentists is key to the program. Dr. James Herrick, Austin Minnesota is a returning trainer.

The DCMC program established a dental team in Dodoma and started a prevention and nutrition program in two Dodoma town schools.  The prevention program  has been introduced  in village  schools in Ntyuka,  Nkuhungu, Chamkoroma  and Lwihomelo. Patients from as far away as Dar es Salaam and Arusha seek DCMC dental services. Generous donors to DTHD have established a poor fund to help provide care for those  who are unable to pay.

The Health Center which is adjacent to the DCMC Dental Clinic started providing outpatient services to patients from Dodoma town and the neighboring  village in August 2008.  The programming and community outreach from the center has the potential of changing Central Tanzania's grim maternal/child mortality statistics.  When fully operational the Health Center will continue to offer ambulatory care for all patients with a special focus on:

• Full reproductive and child services including well-child, prenatal and high risk pregnancy evaluation and management and family planning.
• Comprehensive  HIV/AIDS services

DCMC manages three rural Lutheran dispensaries located in Kondoa, Lwilhomelo, and Chamkoroma; DCMC's neighbor, Ntyuka village, recently asked DCMC to provide oversight for their dispensary.

Community involvement and outreach from a dispensary can have a great public health impact on a community.  Maximizing the role of prevention  and public health is the assignment of DCMC's first Community Health Director Katrin Boehl.  During the year 2007  the dispensaries treated a total of 6,521 patients. Children  under five accounted for  2,023   of that number. Malaria or upper respiratory infections were the most common diseases.

Accomplishments in the rural area include:

• Participatory Rural Appraisals to engage community
• Building improvements
• Installation of communication radios, water filters, and necessary equipment
• Development of management systems and controls
• RCH activities, HIV/AIDS prevention and nutritional program

DCMC has identified the pressing need for improved staff housing for the rural workers  and DTHD has taken on the fund raising efforts. Westwood Lutheran Church and Calvary Lutheran Church in Minneapolis have been generous contributors.  The dispensaries also have German partners. 

 Drexler Plus Partners from Munich Germany is supplying architectural services for the hospital. In preparation, DCMC personnel toured many hospitals in Tanzania and developed room schedules.  A flexible modular plan has been developed which could accommodate as many as 150 beds and achieve the goals of cost effectiveness and good medicine. Four areas of specialties  are needed in the Dodoma area.

• Complicated OB/Gyn including vesico-vaginal fistula repair
• Traumatic and restorative orthopedics
• Cardiology with a focus on acquired pediatric diseases
• Maxillo-facial/plastic surgery

Dodoma Innovation and Production Company will provide the construction utilizing the bricks made on site and creating a cost savings to DCMC. This company was formed by investors to provide for-profit businesses to insure  future sustainability for the hospital.

 DCMC's goal is to develop a Tanzanian-US dental andmedical center partnerships to provide intercultural exchange, training, sustainable excellence and mutual growth. A University of Minnesota delegation made DCMC made one of their stops to explore possible partnership connections this summer.   DCMC Guest Flats provide volunteers with a place to stay

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