In The News: Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at 51ԹϺ
The inaugural class of the 51ԹϺ School of Medicine can breathe a sigh of relief now that their first year is over as of Monday.
About 10:15 p.m. Oct. 1, trauma surgeon Dr. Deborah A. Kuhls and her team at University Medical Center in Las Vegas got a call that there had been a shooter on the Strip. They were to prepare for injured patients.
As doctors wheeled 75-year-old Mary Kay Duda into surgery for a pancreatic tumor, she turned to her daughter, Katie, and said, “See you on the flip side.”
Nevada’s economy is growing at a healthy pace, especially when looking at where the Silver State was a decade ago. More than 250,000 new jobs have been created in the state since the recession, a number that will be increasing with the dozens of new projects across the state, including the $1.9 billion Las Vegas Stadium and the $4 million Apple shipping and receiving warehouse in downtown Reno. But despite these promising job growth numbers coming to the state, there is still work to be done. The need for doctors in the state of Nevada is a very real problem, and because of the state’s low reimbursement rates, it’s an issue that won’t be going away anytime soon.
On Shadow Lane, it’s crunch time. The last exam of the semester is coming up in two weeks for the inaugural class of 60 students at 51ԹϺ’s new medical school.
The turmoil surrounding 51ԹϺ President Len Jessup in recent weeks spilled directly into the university’s School of Medicine, where Dean Barbara Atkinson found herself facing uncertainty over whether she would be allowed to remain at the head of the school.
The founding dean of 51ԹϺ’s medical school will be on the job for at least another year.
Uncertainty over the leadership of the 51ԹϺ School of Medicine has been resolved, at least in the near-term.
The Las Vegas Valley’s hospitals are struggling, according to newly released safety grades from a non-profit watchdog group.
As someone who has lived and worked in both Las Vegas and Reno, is a graduate of UNR and is now a student at the 51ԹϺ School of Medicine, Sierra Kreamer-Hope has experienced the state’s north-south political tensions from both regions.
Tougher gun laws, improved mental health care services, clear backpacks, metal detectors and armed school staff. These preventative measures are just a few that students, parents and voters are calling for in the wake of the country's recent mass shootings.
Another piece of Nevada’s health care system – its ability to respond to a public health crisis — is drawing unwelcome attention.