Giunchigliani seeks expanded role for medical school

The University of Nevada School of Medicine should have a greater presence in Southern Nevada, according to Las Vegas mayoral candidate Chris Giunchigliani, although school officials say that's a more difficult undertaking than it appears .

"This is an opportunity," Giunchigliani said, adding that she does not want to remove the medical school from the University of Nevada, Reno.

"I don't want people frightened by taking something away," she said. "We need to build on what we have."

A medical school could be part of a "medical district" she has discussed that could be based around University Medical Center or part of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The program could share space and classes with UNLV's dental school, she said, allowing students to complete their medical education without leaving Southern Nevada.

That has been talked about, but there are significant obstacles, said Dr. Cheryl Hug-English, interim dean of the medical school at UNR.

"There have been some discussions about whether or not the dental school and the school of medicine could have the first two years of training together," she said. "That would be very difficult to do with a combined program with dental students."

Some science classes are in common, but accreditation standards for medical schools increasingly call for schools to introduce clinical instruction alongside the science, she said.

It "would be difficult to integrate" the programs, Hug-English said, "That model was not unheard of in the past, but anymore it is not done."

The topic has come up at forums featuring Giunchigliani and her opponent, Carolyn Goodman, who face each other June 7 to see who will be the city's next mayor. Giunchigliani's remarks came during a meeting with health care professionals Tuesday.

Currently, UNR's campus is home to the state's medical school. Students spend two years there doing course work and then two years in hospitals and clinics across the state.

About half spend that hospital time in Southern Nevada and half stay in the Reno area, said Hug-English. All students must also go through a one-month rotation in rural Nevada.

"The school really is designed to be a statewide school," she said.

Goodman said this territory has already been explored by the city and her husband, outgoing Mayor Oscar Goodman, in trying to bring academic medicine to Symphony Park downtown.

"At least three times that I can recall it was attempted to entice local medical groups to get involved and build this ... and it failed," she said.

The city searched for outside partners and found the Cleveland Clinic, which is now part of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The Cleveland Clinic is also looking at building on an additional three parcels in Symphony Park.

"They, of course, have come in and done this wonderful thing," Carolyn Goodman said. "My feeling is, you support the guy who came to the dance with you."

Though a mayor can advocate for a school, the power to make it happen rests with the Legislature and the Nevada Board of Regents. UMC, the county's public hospital, is overseen by the Clark County Commission, of which Giunchigliani is a member.

The regents have some capital funding set aside for such a school, Giunchigliani said.

No timeline has been set for the proposal.

Regent Jack Schofield said it will take a lot of politicking to get Northern Nevada lawmakers on board with the idea.

"If we do it and be nice to them, we can get it on," he said. "This is the right thing to do. But we've got to be nice."

Early voting in the mayor's race starts May 21.

Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.