UNR medical school breaks ties with Southern Nevada

Nevada’s first public medical school is leaving Las Vegas after more than 30 years.

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine will break most of its Southern Nevada ties as it undergoes a redevelopment plan, a move that also comes as the UNLV School of Medicine prepares for the launch of its own campus in July 2017.

After discussions with UNLV and the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents, UNR had agreed to turn over most of its Southern Nevada functions to UNLV and focus on Northern Nevada.

The Reno-based institution — the state’s only currently accredited public medical school — is expected to turn over control of Las Vegas-area residency programs and send dozens of staff and faculty members to UNLV’s medical school.

The two public medical schools hope to have Las Vegas-based faculty and residents transferred from UNR to UNLV by July 1, 2017, UNLV School of Medicine spokeswoman Pamela Udall said. About 120 faculty members are expected to make the transition.

Eligible UNR students will still be able to take elective courses at UNLV.

“Because we’re going through a transformation, we decided to engage in a very broad approach to our strategic plan,” said Dr. Melissa Piasecki, executive associate dean for the medical school, who is leading the strategic planning process.

Though the school already had a framework in place, it decided to start from scratch with the strategic plan, soliciting input from staff, students and community members who are “reimagining the school,” Piasecki said. A launch party also was held Tuesday in Reno.

The plan emphasizes five areas: graduate medical education; curriculum expansion, strategic recruitment, research and scholarship, and the school’s internal and external reputation.

The Reno-based school’s focus will shift to the northern part of the state, where it will “build a full clinical and research campus in Reno in collaboration with Renown Health, the Sierra Nevada VA Health System, community physicians and other partners,” medical school dean Dr. Thomas L. Schwenk said earlier this month.

On July 1, the school officially added “Reno” to its name, a small but symbolic step in a series of maneuvers aimed at developing the school’s brand.

“It is a very emotional thing when you think about it. Our identities are incredibly personal and meaningful to us, and even a small name change can be very personal and impactful,” Piasecki said.

UNLV will also have the option of taking over the school’s clinics in Southern Nevada, according to a University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine statement.

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