University of Pacific, PDS Health Technologies Partner on Integrated Medical-Dental Care

The collaboration will bring Epic EHR system to the university's dental school, enhancing patient care and provider collaboration.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 11:09pm by

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A ghostly, translucent X-ray image of a human tooth and surrounding bone structure, glowing against a dark background, conceptually representing the integration of medical and dental data to provide comprehensive patient care.A shared electronic health record system will enable deeper collaboration between medical and dental providers, enhancing patient care and outcomes.San Francisco Today

The University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry is partnering with PDS Health Technologies to implement the Epic electronic health record system across its medical, dental, and ambulatory surgery center settings. This integration aims to advance medical-dental collaboration and improve patient care by providing a unified platform for providers to access comprehensive health information.

Why it matters

The integration of medical and dental care is becoming increasingly important as patients live longer with chronic conditions and take more medications. Having a shared EHR system will allow for better coordination of care, improved transparency, and more efficient reimbursement processes for both patients and providers.

The details

Under the partnership, PDS Health Technologies, a subsidiary of PDS Health, will provide the dental-optimized instance of Epic and revenue cycle management services to the University of the Pacific. This will be the first time a dental school in the U.S. has implemented Epic across its healthcare settings. The goal is to strengthen collaboration and education for providers while enhancing patient care by giving them access to a broader spectrum of services on the university's campus.

  • The University of the Pacific opened an integrated clinic last year.
  • The partnership with PDS Health Technologies and implementation of Epic will take place in 2026.

The players

PDS Health Technologies

A subsidiary of PDS Health that provides technology support and revenue cycle management services to external healthcare organizations.

University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

A dental school in San Francisco that is the first in the U.S. to implement the Epic EHR system across its medical, dental, and ambulatory surgery center settings.

Elisa Chávez, DDS

Interim dean of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry.

Preston Raulerson

President of PDS Health Technologies.

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What they’re saying

“We have patients who are living longer, living with chronic diseases and managing more medications, so it's really to everyone's benefit to have care that's integrated. Electronic health records are a key part of that, and many of our partners in the Bay Area, other healthcare providers, are using Epic as well. So, it made sense to be on the same platform.”

— Elisa Chávez, DDS, Interim Dean, University of the Pacific School of Dentistry

“This really will be novel and valuable to have this breadth of services available on a dental campus, and it will allow us to see a broad spectrum of patients with various health needs. We have an opportunity to collaborate right on our campus with other healthcare professionals, as well as with partners who are outside the building, in a more efficient way. Using Epic in this environment will greatly enhance the patient care and education we can provide, right on our own campus.”

— Elisa Chávez, DDS, Interim Dean, University of the Pacific School of Dentistry

“The patient has better transparency. The clinician is being appropriately reimbursed for the value they're creating for that patient's wellness, and we're spending less time, less energy, less money doing that on the backend for something that is not part of care. [Payers] have a more efficient process because we're giving them what they expect from us, without the denial and the kickback and the back and forth.”

— Preston Raulerson, President, PDS Health Technologies

What’s next

The University of the Pacific and PDS Health Technologies plan to continue exploring opportunities to scale the Epic platform and enhance medical-dental integration at other healthcare institutions.

The takeaway

This partnership represents a significant step forward in the integration of medical and dental care, leveraging technology to improve collaboration, transparency, and patient outcomes. As more healthcare providers adopt shared EHR systems, the future of holistic, coordinated care is becoming a reality.