LETTERS: UNLV medical school needs full support
To the editor:
At the Board of Regents meeting in Elko in September, the Health Sciences System Committee directed the presidents of the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, along with the UNR medical school dean, to develop plans to create full-scale, four-year allopathic campuses in Reno and Las Vegas. The ultimate result would be a separate, independent, free-standing UNLV School of Medicine.
As a result of the committee’s directive, a Memorandum of Understanding was entered into by the Nevada System of Higher Education, UNR, UNLV and the School of Medicine. The MOU was discussed Dec. 5 and unanimously endorsed by the full Board of Regents. The MOU focuses on designing, financing and building a major facility to create full clinical and basic science teaching and research capacity in Las Vegas. The MOU also focuses on creating full clinical and basic science teaching and research capacity in Reno.
As a result of that unanimous vote, the committee directed UNR, UNLV and the School of Medicine to form campus-specific committees with broad stakeholder support to focus on facilities, staffing, time frames, Liaison Committee for Medical Education accreditation, funding (private and state), and operating and capital requirements for each phase of campus development. The committees will also focus on graduate medical education and the partnerships necessary with teaching hospitals and community physicians, as well as increasing the number and quality of residencies and fellowship training. These committees will report back to the Health Sciences System Committee at its next meeting in March.
The development of each campus will be entirely dependent on available resources, both private and state. It is time for Las Vegas and the entire state of Nevada to wholeheartedly support this critical endeavor. Financial support and expertise from Las Vegas and Nevada will result in significant economic impacts, as well as dramatic changes in medical education, research, training and patient care, all leading to a healthier Nevada.
I am grateful for the enthusiastic support from my colleagues, as well as leadership from the Nevada System of Higher Education, UNLV, UNR and the School of Medicine. I would like to thank members of the Clark County Commission, Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, Clark County Medical Society and members of the public who took time to attend our meeting and extend their support. We need support and guidance from all Nevadans. Please join us as we turn this dream into reality.
JAMES DEAN LEAVITT
LAS VEGAS
The writer is a member of the Nevada Board of Regents and chairman of the Health Sciences System Committee.
Nuclear agreement
To the editor:
President Barack Obama was recently quoted as telling the American people that we won’t be any worse off if Iran reneges on the new nuclear treaty. Secretary of State John Kerry recently defended the Iran nuclear deal. These leaders, and anyone else who believes that Iran will not continue on its quest to build nuclear weapons, are either completely naive or have lost all means of intelligent thought.
Iran is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. True, if Iran doesn’t live up to the terms of the deal, global sanctions will be reactivated. But in the meantime, Iran gets ahead of the game through $7 billion in sanction relief. Who is the idiot here? When will our government ever learn, especially from history, regarding enemies of the free world?
We are not alone in the pact. Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia were our partners. But which country has the most to lose?
JOE SCHAERER
LAS VEGAS
