Championing Legislative Change to Strengthen Graduate Medical Education
Touro University Nevada is proud to support Senator Julie Pazina’s bill that focuses on supporting graduate medical education (GME), the critical goal is to expand resident training sites in Nevada that will decrease healthcare provider shortages.
Nevada Senate Bill 262 was approved by Governor Joe Lombardo on June 11 and was signed by him on August fourth witnessed by Dr. Wolfgang Gilliar, Dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine who testified in support of the bill, as well as other campus leaders and Touro Nevada stakeholders.
“It is our duty as medical professionals and educators to support legislature that improves our community’s healthcare access,” shared Dr. Gilliar. “I am excited to see this step toward improving GME funding structure that will allow us to begin to reshape and expand opportunities that will keep more of our graduates in Nevada.”
GME funding supports residency and fellowship training programs for physicians upon graduation from medical school that are the next step in their education. In their final year in medical school students select their specialty where they will match to an opening at a participating site. Nevada has approximately 400 residency spots available every year and has not had any significant expansion in over 25 years despite the massive population growth the valley has experienced in that time. The Las Vegas metro area is one of the fastest growing in the United States, however our healthcare workforce has not expanded at the same rate.
“The entire country is lagging in healthcare, and Nevada is positioned at the bottom among US states for the number of doctors per capita,” said Patricia Salkin, Provost & Chief Academic Officer. “Touro Nevada was established over twenty years ago with a mission to address critical workforce shortages, and we remain committed to fulfilling that mission, by collaborating with community partners and producing graduates that drive meaningful change.”
Dr. Kelsie Little was a medical student when she testified in support of the bill and is now a resident in primary care staying in Las Vegas. She enthused, “I'm ecstatic that a long-needed bill for GME funding has been passed. As a native Nevadan and now family medicine resident I've seen first-hand the need for primary care and specialized physicians in our state. This opportunity will allow medical students trained here to stay here as residents and support the community that raised us.”
Dr. Gilliar adds, “this is a tremendous first step that aids all medical schools and students as we come together in a focused effort to invest in our future for better healthcare and physicians.”
