Category:

A multi-million-dollar foundation donation...is not only the largest gift in the history of Renown Health but will also pave the way for a pediatrics residency program at the Reno regional medical center...The William N. Pennington Foundation donated $7.5 million to Renown Children’s Hospital to bolster pediatric care staffing...The money will be used to bring in several pediatrics specialists...a pediatric emergency medicine physician, with a pediatric neurologist and pulmonologist...Being able to establish a residency program with the University of Nevada School of Medicine...is also an important addition to the community...the university will be able to apply for a pediatrics residency program within 24 to 36 months. With Northern Nevada seeing huge growth once again as well as a corresponding increase in patient demand for services, access to healthcare remains a key problem for the area...

Universal Health Services Inc., operator of the Valley Health System in Southern Nevada, has purchased Desert View Hospital in Pahrump...The 25-bed, 72,650- square-foot Desert View Hospital, which was operated by Rural Health Group..."Given the growing need for healthcare services in this area, we believe that UHS has the clinical, operational and capital capabilities to further expand and take this hospital to the next level," Ken Richens, Rural Health Group executive vice president…The company already operates Northern Nevada Medical Center in Sparks and five operational acute care hospitals in Southern Nevada: Summerlin Hospital Medical Center, Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center, Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center, Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center and Valley Hospital Medical Center.

Dozens of killers are on the state’s death row, but should any of their appeals bottom out, it would be impossible to do away with any of them...One of the two drugs needed to administer an execution by lethal injection in Nevada has expired and the drug manufacturer has refused to provide any further supplies, state officials were told Tuesday...the medication provided by the drug company Pfizer....Without the drug, the state has no way to administer an execution...The department ( Nevada Department of Corrections) is moving forward with a national request for proposals to find the drug or an equivalent...the agency would use the drugs midazolam and hydromorphone to administer a lethal injection...Both of these drugs are manufactured by Pfizer..."Pfizer makes its products to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve," the company said in a statement issued earlier this year. "Consistent with these values, Pfizer strongly objects to the use of its products as lethal injections for capital punishment."

Arizona-based health services operator Banner Health said...that it was the victim of a cyberattack potentially affecting about 3.7 million patients, physicians, health plan members and others across seven states...The organization, which operates a community hospital in Fallon and facilities in Fernley, did not confirm whether any Nevada patients’ information was compromised in the attack...Jennifer Ruble said she didn’t yet have data on the number of people affected in each of the seven states in which the health system operates...The nonprofit system is mailing letters to possibly affected individuals, has contacted law enforcement and has taken actions to block cyberattackers, according to a statement...

The Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners has revoked the license of a physician accused of writing more than 600 fake prescriptions, providing more than 70,000 oxycodone pills for nonmedical purposes...Dr. Simmon Lee Wilcox, who practiced in Utah and Nevada, was found guilty of conspiracy to distribute the powerful pain-relieving drug and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance...He was sentenced to 100 months — more than eight years — in federal prison and three years of supervised release...five others pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and said they conspired with Wilcox to use his license to provide the prescriptions, creating false identification documents to carry out the ruse…

FirstMed Health and Wellness Center, a nonprofit providing discounted health care for low-income and underserved patients, opened its second clinic in Las Vegas…The clinic, located at 400 Shadow Lane, Suite 104, will offer preventative and primary care, behavioral health service and care for youth in crisis, including sexual abuse victims...Speakers at the opening included three prominent Nevada Democrats: Sen. Harry Reid, Rep. Dina Titus, and former Attorney General and current U.S. Senate candidate Catherine Cortez Masto...The health center received federal funding through Reid’s work with the Health Resources and Service Administration…

UNLV School of Medicine...says it will take over four Clark County school-based health facilities with plans for innovation...The medical school, which says it will assume control of the health centers run by the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, wants to focus on “prevention, primary care and behavioral health” at the facilities…UNLV previously announced plans to assume control of the Reno school’s Las Vegas-based residency programs and much of the Southern Nevada staff over the next year as the Northern Nevada institution changes it focus...The centers are targeted to reach students from low-income and underserved areas, operating half the day, once a week at each school during the standard Clark County School District year... the centers were based at West Prep Academy, Grant Sawyer Middle School, Kermit R. Booker Sr. Elementary School and Matt Kelly Elementary School...Tracey Green, UNLV School of Medicine vice dean for clinical affairs, said the medical school has multiple long-term goals for the facilities...

...VA has been expanding elsewhere. There's now an East Campus Outpatient clinic on Corporate Boulevard (Reno) , an eye clinic in Franktown Corners and, now open, a dental clinic in the old Smith's Shopping Center near the Atlantis..."A patient can drive up, park right in front of the clinic, walk in and have their dental needs met," says Lisa Howard, Director of VA Sierra Nevada Health System…The idea is to ease the pressure on the main campus, leaving it for in-patient services and bringing the out-patient care into the community, making it more accessible...The new dental clinic occupies what was once a furniture store, lots of room for exams and procedures inside, easy access outside..."Part of what we look at when we're going to situate a new clinic is access to bus service and access to parking," says Howard...More is planned. A north campus offering several outpatient services is in the works, location to be determined. The result, beyond a more efficient operation, should be better care for the vet.

...Henderson Hospital — the anchor tenant for Union Village...is slated to open Oct. 31...They’re adding much-needed beds to the Henderson area. They’re really building a true integrated health campus...The 142-bed facility will create between 500 and 700 full-time, part-time and per diem jobs...It...boasts a UV-lighting system built into the ceiling to kill bacteria for purposes of infection control, and offers noise-reducing technology, which will bring a whole new definition to the idea of a "quiet" hospital...Union Village would not have succeeded without an anchor hospital...This has allowed them to start building out the rest...The project is on its second phase of infrastructure development…Union Village plans on selling 38 acres to a world-class apartment developer to build 1,000 apartments; a 40-bed long-term acute care hospital; a 140-bed skilled nursing facility; a 300-unit senior living community, which will include independent, assisted and memory-care living; a dialysis clinic; and a wellness center...

The state’s first public medical school launched a new look complete with updated logo and branding identity...The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine in July officially added “Reno” to its name after a decades-long history of being the University of Nevada School of Medicine, following approval of the new name by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents...“An organization’s branding is far more than a name or logo; branding is the perception of our school in the minds of our many constituents,” said Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. “Our new name and logo represent the stunning and positive changes taking place as we build a full clinical, teaching and clinical research campus in Reno...The new branding rollout campaign will take place over the next several months...