More than $8.5 million awarded to graduate medical education residency programs in Nevada
By Lucia Starbuck
More than $8.5 million is going toward five medical education programs in Nevada. Funds will go to graduate residency programs for specialties like pediatrics, oncology, family and internal medicine. The recipients are the University of Nevada, Reno, School of Medicine, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Medicine, and Dignity Health.
Nevada ranks lower than the national average for the number of licensed physicians per capita. There are also more undergrad medical students than available residencies and fellowships in the state, which forces students to go elsewhere for training.
Gov. Steve Sisolak and the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology made the announcement Tuesday. He said the funding will train 20 new physicians per year, with the goal of retaining more doctors in Nevada.
More than half of Nevada voters support Jan. 6 investigation, according to new poll
By Maria Palma
According to a new poll, more than half of Nevada voters support the House investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection and attack on the U.S. Capitol. To date, the House Select Committee investigating the attack has interviewed more than 1,000 people and held several public hearings.
In Nevada, a new survey from Public Policy Polling found that 51% of voters support this investigation. The polling firm surveyed roughly 500 Nevada voters in late July.
The report found that 50% of survey participants consider the investigation to be very important when it comes to protecting democracy. Over half of voters are also concerned with Republican Senate candidate Adam Laxalt’s denial of the 2020 election and his spreading of conspiracy theories.
The poll was funded by Project Defend Democracy, a group advocating for election integrity to make sure voters determine election outcomes.
Funding for federal program supporting low-income parents and children set to lapse
By Madelyn Beck, Mountain West News Bureau
A federal program helps send nurses and social workers into the homes of thousands of lower-income or at-risk parents in our region to help before, during and after a baby is born. However, its funding will soon lapse. It’s called the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).
Dozens of child welfare organizations wrote a letter to Congress last month asking members to reauthorize its funding, which was about $350 million for fiscal 2021. They’re also asking for the program’s first funding increase in a decade, and they want more resources going to tribal nations.
Emily Allen is with the nonprofit Idaho Voices for Children, which was part of that letter. She said home visiting services have proven results, from improved prenatal health to better readiness for school.
“MIECHV in our state is basically the core funding mechanism that allows this to happen,” Allen said. “[The] loss of MIECHV funding in Idaho would essentially collapse the existing infrastructure for home visiting services in our state.”
Beyond that, Allen added that home visits can help prevent abusive situations. The funding for the program is set to lapse at the end of September. In Nevada, more than 1,000 people in 519 households participate in MIECHV.
Local agencies hosting back-to-school vaccine clinics in Reno
By Jose Davila IV
The Washoe County Health District is partnering with two other organizations to host back-to-school vaccine clinics. The events will have all of the vaccines necessary for attendance in Nevada’s schools, including the newly-required meningitis vaccine for 12th graders. The clinics will be hosted on Aug. 13 and Aug. 20 at 1001 East Ninth Street. Families are asked to make an appointment with the health district.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy appoints Denise Frohlich as deputy director
By Shelby Herbert
The Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy appointed Denise Frohlich as its newest deputy director. The office oversees programs across the state in order to position Nevada as a producer, conservator and exporter of energy.
Frolich brings more than a decade of public service experience in state and local government. Most recently, she served as the interim administrator for the Nevada Grant Office and deputy administrator for the Nevada State Library. She holds a Master of Science in Leadership and Project Management from Northeastern University.
