Sen. Jacky Rosen addresses reporters at the UNLV School of Medicine Monday, April 15, 2019. As the wife of a radiologist, Rosen said she understands the need for more medical resources in Nevada.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019 | 2 a.m.
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Invest in a Southern Nevada medical community, and physicians will invest in Southern Nevada.
That’s the hope for the still-growing UNLV School of Medicine and the reason why the school is important for the greater Las Vegas community, Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said Monday during a tour of the downtown medical campus.
Rosen met with some of the school’s first medical students, Dean Barbara Atkinson and school staff to discuss ways to increase medical residencies in Southern Nevada and to bring more physicians to the state.
As the wife of a radiologist, Rosen said she has great respect for physicians and understands the need for more medical resources and specialists in Nevada.
“Thank you for embarking on your career of service,” she told medical students during the visit.
All of Nevada’s counties face shortages of health professionals based on population, an issue Rosen hopes to address through federal legislation, including two bills that could help grow UNLV's medical school.
The first bill, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, would add 1,500 medical residencies nationwide. The residents would train at new medical schools in medically underserved areas, such as at UNLV.
The second bill is the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, which would reestablish incentives for international physicians in specialized medical fields to come to communities lacking sufficient medical resources.
By bringing 35 new international physicians to each state, this bill would not only reduce Nevada’s physician shortage, but it would also bring more specialized doctors that are lacking in Southern Nevada, such as oncologists, pediatricians and OB-GYNs.
“That’s going to help fill the gap for specialties,” Rosen said.
Throughout her remarks, the senator emphasized the importance of the UNLV medical school, the first of its kind in all of Southern Nevada. Offering a training opportunity for would-be physicians here in Las Vegas will hopefully produce more doctors to serve the region, Rosen said.
More doctors in the region could also bring additional stable, permanent jobs, such as nurses and assistants, she added.
“What happens is when people train somewhere, that’s where you make your roots. That’s where you invest in your community, and you want to stay here and build a practice,” she said.
For these reasons and more, Rosen said she sees great potential for UNLV's med school and hopes to continue advocating for it in Congress.
“This is a fantastic medical school. I just can’t wait to see what our graduates are going to do,” she said.
