2015 Renown Health Annual Report | Page 26

TRAINING TOMORROW’S DOCTORS RIGHT HERE Reaching the goals of community health means many things — including providing greater access to care for everyone in the region. To accomplish this we must address Nevada’s shortage of doctors. Our landmark affiliation with the University of Nevada School of Medicine is one step in that direction. Although the partnership with Renown and the School of Medicine dates back decades, the newly announced affiliation agreement is supported by a $5 million commitment from Renown with additional funding provided by the state legislature. Announced in 2014, the agreement is based on a five-year plan calling for the joint creation and development of programs to expand the school’s teaching capacity, allowing it to become a full-fledged, four-year medical school right here in Reno. In addition, Renown Health is expanding its residency training program. 24 This expansion will bring a significant — and vital — increase in the number of doctors who train and practice in our community. But that’s not all. The Renown Health-University of Nevada School of Medicine Steering Committee is already busy at work on a plan to further bolster our pool of healthcare professionals with a physician assistant program. We are scheduled to take our first students in 2017. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to transform medical care and education in northern Nevada.” — Thomas L. Schwenk, MD Dean, University of Nevada School of Medicine COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIPS 25