US Surgeon General praises Touro at scholarship fundraiser

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stood before a crowd of fashionable donors and faculty as well as a few students in white coats Sunday evening, heaping praise on Touro University Nevada.

Touro, a private, nonprofit educational institution for health care careers, held its annual fundraising gala at the Four Seasons with Murthy as the keynote speaker. All money raised from the event will go to student scholarships.

The surgeon general, whose recent speaking engagements have emphasized health activism and the water crisis in Flint, Mich., complimented the number of programs the school has developed in the 12 years since it opened.

“You could not have built these programs at a better time since the country, and Nevada in particular, are in need of skilled healthcare workers,” he said.

He also lauded the university’s community outreach efforts, emphasizing the importance of preventive medicine.

Dean of Touro’s College of Osteopathic Medicine John J. Dougherty said prevention is one of the fundamental philosophies of Touro’s physician-training program.

“It’s not really popular because it’s not highly reimbursed, but you know what? If it’s your mom or your grandma, it’s probably super important,” he said.

Dougherty said Touro has also taken the community aspect of medicine to heart, using mobile clinics to reach out to veterans, the homeless and students to deliver health care to those who may not otherwise be able to get it.

“We’re working to get the students out of the classroom and into the community, and when a student does that, they’re more likely to do it when they’re a therapist or a physician,” he said.

Dougherty added that Murthy’s willingness to speak at the gala and interact with the students will be a huge boost to Touro’s reputation.

Following Murthy’s keynote address, Touro University Western Division CEO and former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley presented Murthy with a certificate naming him a Touro adjunct professor as a token of appreciation.

Touro is the only fully established medical school based in Southern Nevada.

Both UNLV and Roseman University are developing M.D.-granting medical schools, which are expected to welcome their first classes next year.

Contact Pashtana Usufzy at pusufzy@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563. Find her on Twitter: @pashtana_u