Colleges told to deal with state shortage in health care industry

Art Nadler

Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999 | 11:18 a.m.

The state of higher health care education in Nevada is lagging far behind what the public is demanding, a study commissioned by the Legislature has reported.

The "Health Care Education Study" was released Wednesday to members of University and Community College System of Nevada. It showed, in part, that while the national average of physicians per 100,000 population should be 256, in Nevada it is 155. Clark County was even lower with 148 physicians per 100,000 people.

The number of registered nurses working in Nevada also was lower than the national average. The survey showed that in the United States, the average should be 713 physicians per 100,000 people, and in Nevada it is 640. Clark County had 620 physicians per 100,000 people.

"We want this report to set in motion that the system needs to put together a committee of each campus to see what should be prioritized," said John Packham, research coordinator of the study. "I think that the study is a good starting point."

The campuses include UNLV, University of Nevada in Reno, Community College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, Truckee Meadows Community College and Western Nevada Community College.

The study showed that the projected job openings for nurses in Nevada through 2006 will be 760 a year. In comparison, the number of projected degrees awarded by all the campuses from 2000-01 will only be 339.

A need for 200 licensed practical nurses through 2006 was cited, but only 54 degrees and certificates for students now in school are projected for 2000-01.

Regent Mark Alden was concerned that the number of medical students graduating from the University of Nevada School of Medicine was too low.

The school currently graduates 53 students a year, and Packham said there are usually 140 openings annually throughout the state. The school is projecting to eventually graduate between 60 and 75 medical students.

"We need to get the maximum number of doctors and nurses graduating from our schools now," Alden said.

"We don't need to cut back in any professions," Jane Nichols, vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, added. "In the eastern part of the country, the numbers of doctors (per population) is much higher."

The study, which began in July, surveyed 32 health care professions throughout the state including doctors, dentists, dietitians, dental hygienist, nurses, dental assistants, etc.

In other business, the committee approved hiring a consultant to study the medical school's practice plan. This is the system under which the school generates money from faculty physicians who treat and bill patients.

Currently, the practice plan is showing a $845,000 deficit. But Dr. David Schapira, senior associate dean in Las Vegas, said a less complicated billing computer system and improved patient collections should eliminate the deficit by December.

Dr. Joseph Crowley, president of the School of Medicine, reported that the search for a new dean of the school will close on Feb. 1 and a selection made by May or June.

A 29-member search committee is currently fielding applications to replace retiring medical school chief Robert Daugherty. Advertisements are being run in trade magazines, Crowley said, and letters written to all medical schools nationwide.

Crowley wouldn't comment on how many applications were received to date.