- Sisolak calls for state office closures, limits on large gatherings to slow ‘rapid spread’ of coronavirus (thenevadaindependent.com)Sisolak announces statewide school closures until April to reduce coronavirus spread (thenevadaindependent.com)MGM Resorts to suspend operations in Las Vegas because of COVID-19 (lasvegassun.com)Wynn Las Vegas, Encore to close for 2 weeks out of coronavirus concerns (lasvegassun.com)Wynn Resorts to use thermal cameras to check guests for fever (lasvegassun.com)
Gov. Steve Sisolak said that while a testing kit shortage makes it impossible to tell how much coronavirus has affected Nevada, the pace of the virus’ spread around the world means Nevada must “act quickly” to slow it — including taking drastic measures such as shutting state offices, limiting the size of gatherings and encouraging employees to work from home if possible...the governor asked local governments to enforce a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline that all events with attendance above 50 be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks...READ MORE
- Sisolak: Don’t panic, but practice basic hygiene to prepare for coronavirus (thenevadaindependent.com)No coronavirus cases confirmed in Nevada, but state officials prepare for possibility (thenevadaindependent.com)
Gov. Steve Sisolak...delivered a message of unity and calm Friday afternoon as Nevada prepares for possible coronavirus cases...There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus...in Nevada, Sisolak said, before urging residents to continue practicing basic hygiene methods, such as washing hands with soap and water, coughing into your elbow and staying home from work or school if sick...“We’re going to prepare, not panic,” he said at a press conference in Las Vegas. “We’re going to choose collaboration over chaos.”...READ MORE
- Nevada State Board of Pharmacy – Newsletter October 2019 (bop.nv.gov)
New Online Renewal Process
One-Hour Nevada Law CE RequirementNational Pharmacy Compliance News October 2019
- USP Postpones Official Dates of USP General Chapters Revisions and Additions
- FDA Issues Statement on Compounded Bulk Drug Substances Ruling
- HHS, FDA Publish New Action Plan for Importation of Certain Prescription Drugs
- Pain Reliever Misuse Decreased by 11% in 2018, NSDUH Survey Indicates
- Additional Efforts Needed to Improve Naloxone Access, CDC Say
- Altaire Pharmaceuticals Recalls Multiple OTC Ophthalmic Products
- Dental board’s lax oversight fails patients (reviewjournal.com)Governor cancels state dental board meeting following RJ investigation (reviewjournal.com)
Painful Mistakes...Does Nevada discipline dentists who injure patients? Our investigation found complaints have climbed, while sanctions have plummeted...Many say the dental board needs an overhaul...Nevada’s dental board members have faced allegations of conflicts of interest, illegally required dentists to contribute to nonprofits with ties to board members and failed to investigate complaints against the board’s own president, a Las Vegas Review-Journal investigation found...The allegations, detailed in audits, public records and complaints, so outraged Gov. Steve Sisolak that he directed the Nevada Board of Dental Examiners, whose members he appoints, to undergo training by the Nevada Commission on Ethics...READ MORE (pay wall)
- Sisolak declares state of emergency over COVID-19 outbreak (thenevadaindependent.com)Nevada Health Response: COVID-19 Prepare, Don't Panic (nvhealthresponse.nv.gov)Coronavirus outbreak causes empty Nevada sportsbooks, reduced gaming and hotel revenues (thenevadaindependent.com)
Sisolak announced during a press conference in Las Vegas that he had signed the emergency declaration, which included activating a State Emergency Operation Center and emergency team to centralize response to the virus, loosening regulations for government agencies to purchase food and other supplies, creation of a website with centralized information and reinforced the attorney general’s office’s ability to enforce consumer protection laws...“At this time it has become clear that this extra step is necessary in order to meet the goal, to ensure that the public health and safety of our citizens and to ensure that we have the resources at our disposal to immediately and aggressively respond,” Sisolak said...READ MORE
- University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine report addresses statewide physician shortage, challenges and opportunities for growth (med.unr.edu)
A physician shortage continues to be a problem in Nevada and is hindering patient care access hardest in rural regions, according to a recent report focusing on health care workforce trends in the Silver State...According to the latest data published in the report, "Physician Workforce in Nevada: A Chartbook - January 2020," demand for physicians in Nevada continues to exceed the current supply. While the number of licensed physicians in the state has increased over a decade, Nevada ranks 45th for active physicians per 100,000 population, 48th for primary care physicians per 100,000 population and 50th for general surgeons per 100,000 population...READ MORE
- EDITORIAL: Gov. Steve Sisolak has headaches over Nevada licensing boards (reviewjournal.com)
Gov. Steve Sisolak last week took a small step toward dealing with Nevada’s rogue dental regulatory board. Let’s hope he doesn’t stop there...He should also consider a re-evaluation of all the state’s licensing boards, which too often function as protectionist entities more concerned with shielding existing interests than with promoting competition and public health and safety. The dental board is hardly the only problem...Last week, for instance, Gov. Sisolak revealed that the state Board of Pharmacy for more than a decade has often failed to conduct the required background checks of drug wholesalers. Last year, a report presented to the state executive audit committee cited numerous oversight issues with the more than three dozen occupational regulatory boards operating at the state level...READ MORE
- Live blog: Conventions, meetings cancel in Southern, Northern Nevada (thenevadaindependent.com)
Dozens of major conferences, concerts, gatherings or other events have now been limited, postponed or outright canceled in the wake of mounting fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus...READ MORE
- Nevada’s 2019 Hospital Safety Rankings Are Out
Leapfrog’s highest “A” rated hospitals for 2019 has remained unchanged from last year. These are Henderson Hospital, Mountainview Hospital, Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown South Meadows Medical Center, and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center of Reno.
The Leapfrog Group hospital grading system is based on Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data collection and represents a single metric that evaluates a hospital’s overall safety performance. The nonprofit is dedicated to transparency and has created the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade as a quality standard for comparing health care institutions.
The “B” team consists of North Vista Hospital, Valley Hospital Medical Center, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus, St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus, and Renown Regional Medical Center.
The good news is two of these hospitals have shown a marked safety improvement by moving up from a “C” rating to a “B” rating; these are: Valley Hospital Medical Center, and Renown Regional Medical Center.
These hospitals are to be applauded for consistently maintaining high standards and striving to improve patient care.
The bad news is the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada continues to struggle with its’ “D” rating.
By Chase
12.30.2019
- Dental board members, staff resign amid critical audit, Sisolak criticism (thenevadaindependent.com)Dental Board Scandal Cover Up (dentalboardscandal.com)3 Nevada dental board members resign, top staffers terminated (reviewjournal.com)
Three members of the state’s dental occupational licensing board, plus two top staff members, have resigned from the board amid a scathing audit and sharp criticism from Gov. Steve Sisolak...Sisolak announced...during a meeting of the Executive Branch Audit Committee that three members of the board had resigned immediately, and that he had opted not to reappoint three board members whose terms ended in October...The board’s executive director and general counsel have also opted to resign their positions and will leave the board on December 5...Sisolak referenced “salacious and false accusations” made in an anonymous letter sent by dental board staff to a Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter yesterday suggesting unethical connections between Sisolak, his chief of staff and the Nevada Dental Association, a critic of the dental board...READ MORE