Long-awaited med library near reality at UMC

Art Nadler

Wednesday, June 9, 1999 | 10:34 a.m.

After years of being on the critical list, the diagnosis looks good for University Medical Center's medical library.

Dr. David Westfall, University of Nevada, Reno vice president of academic affairs, said Tuesday he hopes to have medical journals available via computer by July in Reno and shortly thereafter to UMC's library.

UMC has for years been trying to get the University of Nevada School of Medicine to contribute to the hospital library, which is a resource center for the school's resident physicians.

Bill Hale, chief executive officer of UMC, said the hospital contributes between $150,000 and $200,000 to keep the library running. Recently several physicians donated $5,000 to purchase textbooks and other library materials, and drug companies donated four computers.

The medical school has neither contributed funds nor equipment to the library. Dr. Robert Daugherty, dean of the School of Medicine, said in a Sun story in 1997 that the school did not have the resources to contribute, and the library was not a priority.

That attitude seemed to change Tuesday. Thalia Dondero, chairwoman of the Health Care Education Committee of the University Board of Regents, which oversees the School of Medicine, said she wants to equip the library with 20 more computers.

"I feel pretty good about this," Jacqueline Taylor, chief administrative officer of UMC, said. "At last we are talking about having a partnership with the Reno library."

Taylor said she plans to put the additional computers in the clinical areas of the hospitals so physicians can access them for medical research.