News & Events
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
• KRNV Channel 4 News
Every county in Nevada is facing a shortage of health professionals, but three counties - Esmeralda County, Eureka County, and Storey County - have no licensed physicians at all. "A rural community that may only have two or three practicing physicians, if they lose one, that becomes a problem if not a crisis," explained John Packham, associate dean of the UNR School of Medicine.
• KUNR
Dr. Mark Pandori is the director of the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. He said they are prepared if there were to be an outbreak in the state, and are actively gathering information from California.
• Northern Nevada Business Weekly
Over its 51 year history, the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine has established itself as a health care leader — transforming health care learners into health care leaders, driving biomedical research, providing critical sources of patient care and contributing to the quality of life in our communities.
• Northern Nevada Business Weekly
Members of the state’s new Patient Protection Commission had a lot to say about the status of health care in Nevada, but the general consensus was clear – costs are too high and there are too few providers. “I believe that this commission provides us with a unique opportunity to examine and address issues of health care access, affordability and quality,” said Dr. John Packham, the chairman of the commission. “With that said, I think our task is fairly daunting.”
• KUNR
Health care was a top issue for many voters in the Democratic primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. As the Nevada caucus is quickly approaching, KUNR’s Anh Gray talked with John Packham, a state health policy expert, to break down how the national debate might shape issues of affordability and access in the state.
• Contagion - Infectious Diseases Today
Mark Riddle, MD, DrPH, associate dean of clinical research, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, associate chief of staff for research, VA Sierra Nevada Health System, speaks to Contagion at ACG 2019 about the results of a study looking into microbiome changes associated with single-dose antibiotics for the treatment of traveler's diarrhea.
• KOLO Channel 8 News
“The majority of cardiac arrests happen in the home...and so this could mean saving your grandmother's life, your sister's life, your mother's life,” UNR Med and Carson Tahoe Health Cardiologist Dr. Lorrel Toft explains.
• KTVN Channel 2 News
Dr. Lorrel Toft gives an update on the latest recommendations in CPR
• KTVN Channel 2 News
Antibiotics were an enormous medical breakthrough, but now we're seeing some backlash of the miracle invention. Dr. Charles Krasner of UNR Med talks about the use and overuse of antibiotics.
• KOLO Channel 8 News
The state public health lab is charged with testing samples and confirming diseases, water contamination, and hazardous biological specimens—among other things. Now it is capable of testing for the novel corona virus. Test kids arrived at the Nevada State Public Health Lab on Friday February 2, 2020 from the CDC.
• KRNV Channel 4 News
According to the University of Nevada and American Association of Medical Colleges, Nevada is 45th for active physicians per 100,000 people, 48th for primary care physicians per 100,000 people, and 50th for general surgeons per 100,000 people.
• KTVN Channel 2 News
A physician shortage continues to be a problem in Nevada. Not only finding the right doctor, but waiting to get in can be tough, sometimes. Even though the number of doctors has increased, it hasn't kept pace with the growth in population, here in northern Nevada. Valentina Bonaparte spoke with the UNR School of Medicine about it.
• KOLO Channel 8 News
They looked excited, eager to learn, if a little long in the tooth, in their newly donned lab coats. They were, in fact, state and community leaders enrolled, at least for the day, in the UNR School of Medicine and they had a full day ahead of them.
• KRNV Channel 4 News
Nevada continues to struggle with a physician shortage, according to a new report from the University of Nevada, Reno. The data published by the Nevada Health Workforce Research Center ranks Nevada at 45th in the country for active physicians, 48th for primary care physicians and 50th for general surgeons, all per 100,000 population.
• Nevada Independent
“I believe that this commission provides us with a unique opportunity to examine and address issues of health care access, affordability and quality,” said Dr. John Packham, the chairman of the commission. “With that said, I think our task is fairly daunting.”
• Elko Daily Free Press
A physician shortage continues to be a problem in Nevada and is hindering patient care access hardest in rural regions, according to a recent report focusing on health care workforce trends in the Silver State. According to the latest data published in the report, “Physician Workforce in Nevada: A Chartbook—January 2020,” demand for physicians in Nevada continues to exceed the current supply.
• Las Vegas Review Journal
With the recent news that Nevada’s population has surpassed 3 million residents, the demand for health care has never been greater. For years, our state has been unable to meet its health care needs.
• Vegas PBS
Here in Nevada, healthcare continues to be a challenge for 300,000 Nevadans living in our state's rural lands. Hospital closures, reductions in emergency services, and a lack of specialized healthcare providers are putting rural residents’ health at risk. On this episode of Nevada Week, we talk to providers on the front lines of rural healthcare about the possible solutions to this ongoing problem.
• Reno Gazette Journal
The University of Nevada, Reno is celebrating its part in making Reno a true college town. On Friday, it was announced that UNR has received a Carnegie classification for Community Engagement. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine increased the number of community faculty from 636 to more than 1,100. Its Project Echo telehealth clinics provided more than 300,000 rural Nevadans with healthcare in 2017.
• The Record Courier
The American Heart Association Northern Nevada is kicking off American Heart Month 10 a.m. today at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. February marks American Heart Month.
• Health News Digest
Research by a University of Georgia psychologist shows that targeting one particular symptom of schizophrenia has a positive effect on other symptoms, offering significant promise for treating an aspect of schizophrenia that currently has no pharmaceutical options. A team led by Gregory Strauss published a study confirming that successfully treating the symptom avolition—reduced motivation—has a positive effect on other negative symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition to Sayama and Zamani Esfahlani, co-authors on the most recent paper include Brian Kirkpatrick (University of Nevada, Reno); Remy Luthringer (Minerva Neurosciences); Mark Opler (Medavante-Prophase LLC); and Michael Davidson (Minerva Neurosciences and Tel Aviv University).
• ScienceBlog
Research by a University of Georgia psychologist shows that targeting one particular symptom of schizophrenia has a positive effect on other symptoms, offering significant promise for treating an aspect of schizophrenia that currently has no pharmaceutical options. A team led by Gregory Strauss published a study confirming that successfully treating the symptom avolition—reduced motivation—has a positive effect on other negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The results, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, were based on a phase 2b trial of the compound roluperidone by Minerva Neurosciences. Co-authors on the most recent paper include Brian Kirkpatrick (University of Nevada, Reno); Remy Luthringer (Minerva Neurosciences); Mark Opler (Medavante-Prophase LLC); and Michael Davidson (Minerva Neurosciences and Tel Aviv University).
• Nevada Sagebrush
Dr. Max Coppes, a professor of the university’s School of Medicine, wrote a report on the use of the various products. “Electronic cigarettes in various forms have become the most commonly used tobacco product among youth,” Coppes wrote. “With an estimated 3.2 million adolescents vaping and an estimated additional 10 million teens at risk to start using e-cigarettes.”
• KOLO Channel 8 News
Over at UNR’s school of medicine, Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Nicole Jacobs says the trend has been a gradual, decades-long process. “Back in 1966 only 7% of medical students were female,” explained Jacobs. ”I’ve been here for over 12 years and have seen the class sizes slowly increasing.” Jacobs added that while UNR’s medical school is almost exactly 50/50, nationally there are more women in medical schools.
• Northern Nevada Business View
On Dec. 19, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced the appointment of 11 members and an executive director to the Patient Protection Commission (PPC). John Packham, Ph.D., associate dean for the Office of Statewide Initiatives at the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, was named chairman of the panel that is tasked with identifying ways to improve healthcare affordability and quality in Nevada.
