Nevada System of Higher Education
Health Sciences System Newsletter 

May 2013

   
The Health Sciences System (HSS) was established by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents in 2006. Its purpose is to address Nevada's community health issues through a system-wide effort to integrate and expand the education of health professionals and to foster collaborative research in health and health care.  Through collaboration among the NSHE institutions and a broad range of external partners, the HSS intends to be a catalyst for improvement in the health and wellness of Nevada.  Visit us at:  http://system.nevada.edu/
Nevada State College and Truckee Meadows Community College form nursing articulation agreement 

Providing an efficient and seamless pathway for Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) students to also complete a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, Nevada State College (NSC) and Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) have partnered to form a collaborative nursing program. With the completion of a new articulation agreement, the program will admit its first students during the fall 2013 semester.   

 

"We are pleased to work with TMCC in order to provide quality educational opportunities for our students and future nurses," said NSC President Bart Patterson. "Together, we will develop a highly-educated nursing workforce in Nevada to meet the State's focus on building and expanding the healthcare sector."   

 

The development of the program is in response to the recommendation by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for registered nurses (RNs) across the nation to complete their bachelor's degree within 10 years of receiving their ADN. The Future of Nursing report released by IOM in 2010 also encourages 80 percent of nurses to become baccalaureate prepared by 2020.    

 

"Our partnership with NSC will not only benefit students but will meet the emerging needs of the healthcare industry," said TMCC President Maria C. Sheehan. "Together, we look forward to the growth and success of the program."

 

Click here to read more 

 

 

UNLV Report Details Health of Nevada's Kindergarteners

 Nevada's kindergartners are adopting healthier habits, according to a report issued by the Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) at UNLV. The NICRP found that while 29.6 percent of Nevada kindergarteners are overweight or obese, the numbers are dropping. That is a 3.9 percent decrease since last year and a 7.8 percent decrease in the last five years.

 

Nevada children entering kindergarten also are watching less television and , drinking less soda than last year, according to the report.

 

But more families are uninsured compared to last year, more children do not have a primary care provider, and more families are reporting barriers to accessing health care. Parents cited lack of money and lack of insurance as the most common obstacles.

 

"While we are seeing some areas of improvement, like a decrease in kindergarteners starting school overweight or obese, parents continue to experience barriers to accessing healthcare for their children," said Tara Phebus, interim executive director of the NICRP. "Progress has been made, but we still can take many steps to boost the health of our state's youngest citizens."

   

 

 

UNR Sanford Center for Aging publishes Elders Count Nevada 2013 

The Sanford Center for Aging, Division of Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno and their partners, the Nevada State Health Division and the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division are pleased to announce the arrival of Elders Count Nevada (2013) and a two-page Legislative Brief.   

 

Elders Count Nevada provides a detailed look at the current health and well-being of Nevada's senior population. Teresa M. Sacks, MPH, health research analyst, Sanford Center for Aging, served as project director for the report along with Angela Broadus, Ph.D, special projects coordinator, Sanford Center for Aging, who is the primary author.

 

Elders Count Nevada (2013)is the third installment in a series of reports published in 2007 and 2009. The 2013 report utilizes data from authoritative sources and has been expanded considerably to include information by geographic region of residency (i.e., urban and rural/frontier regions); our state's older veteran population; impact and prevalence of substance use, misuse, and abuse; and a new chapter on transportation and infrastructure as it relates to access, safety, and ridership; and a focus on veterans.    

 

The report is available for download at Elders Count Nevada (2013)

  


Reno Gazette-Journal:  Reno aid to Uganda:  TMCC instructor helps set up rural nursing school


Click here to read an article in Reno Gazette Journal featuring TMCC nursing instructor Karen Fontaine.


School of Medicine graduates 59 new physicians

UNSOM 2013 graduates Fifty-nine new physicians entered the workforce last month when the School of Medicine graduated the Class of 2013. Photo by Matt Lush.

   

Commencement ceremonies for the University of Nevada School of Medicine Class of 2013 took place on Friday, May 17 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno. The 59 graduating students celebrated the completion of their medical education by receiving their academic hoods and reciting the Hippocratic Oath, which reaffirms their commitment to the medical profession.

 

Carl Sievert, PH.D., professor of physiology and cell biology, served as the ceremony's keynote speaker.


The Class of 2013 has a short break before they begin their residency training programs across the country.

 

In addition to celebrating the graduation of the Class of 2013 at hooding, the School of Medicine honored emeriti and current faculty who have supported the philosophy and goals of the medical school and have made significant contributions to the health care field in Nevada. 

 

The 2013 emeriti faculty for the School of Medicine are:

*           Richard Bjur, professor of pharmacology

*           Leslie Goldberg, assistant professor of speech pathology and audiology

*           Kenneth Maehara, associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine

*           Stephen de St. Jeor, professor of microbiology and immunology;

*           Dennis Uken; assistant professor of speech pathology and audiology

 

The Dean's Distinguished Service Award went to Maehara for his outstanding teaching abilities and his commitment to instill the desire for life-long learning in students and to challenge them to achieve their greatest potential.

 

The annual Thomas J. Scully Praeceptor Carissimus Award went to Jacob Manjooran, M.D., a psychiatrist who has precepted students and provided constructive and effective feedback in an engaging and positive manner.

 

The inaugural Perillustris Docere, or "honored teacher" aware went to Sievert, professor of physiology and cell biology, for his ability to form special bonds with his students as a distinguished teacher of anatomy.

 

 

 

Did you know: 
The Nevada System of Higher Education has 150 distinct Health Sciences programs throughout eight institutions with an estimated total of 18,000 enrolled students.

Join Our Mailing List