Rogers to hear to hospitals’ alternative plan

Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

University system Chancellor Jim Rogers said he is all ears regarding local hospitals' plan to submit an alternative proposal to expand health care services in Las Vegas in conjunction with the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Local hospitals want to expand current services without partnering with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to build an academic medical center in downtown Las Vegas, Rogers said. Ann Lynch, vice president of government affairs and community affairs at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, is scheduled to bring a coalition of other hospital officials to meet with Rogers Aug. 23.

Lynch is also tentatively scheduled to present the hospital plan to the Board of Regents at the board's September meeting in Las Vegas, Rogers said. Lynch and Sunrise physician Dr. Benjamin Venger, who Rogers said has also pushed for a more localized plan to expand medical services, could not be reached for for comment this morning.

Nevada System of Higher Education, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh officials announced earlier this month that they had reached an agreement to develop a master plan for the site by January, but Rogers said the system is still looking for input from local doctors.

"We are going to look at everything there is to look at," Rogers said.

UNLV and UNR officials were in lengthy talks Wednesday discussing how both universities will be involved in the project, Rogers said, and there is still much to be worked out about how the academic medical center will function.

Rogers and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman have each said that the Pittsburgh university's involvement would bring additional expertise and funding to create the academic medical center. The University of Pittsburgh is world-renowned for its medical centers in Pennsylvania, which specialize in organ transplants.