Officials address doctor shortage in unprecedented joint meeting

NEWS: The City of Las Vegas and Clark County Commission joined forces to address medical issues.

13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER....SEAN DELANCEY IS LIVE....IN THE CENTER OF THE LAS VEGASMEDICAL DISTRICT....WHERE THEY'RE WORKING.....TO FILL THOSE GAPS....IN THE FUTURE... SEAN.TODD - TRICIA - - THERE ARENOT ENOUGH DOCTORS IN THISAREA - - BUT THIS EMPTY LOTCOULD SOON BECOME A DOCTORFACTORY.HOPEFULLY PREPARING A GROWINGPOPULATION - FOR A PANDEMIC -JUST LIKE WE'RE SEEING NOW.RIGHT NOW - NEVADA RANKS 47THIN THE U- S - - IN THE NUMBEROF PHYSICIANS COMPARED TOPOPULATION SIZE.A COLLOSAL SHORTCOMING - - WELLRECOGNIZED BY DOCTOR JOHNFILDES - - INTERIM DEAN OF THEU-N-L-V SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.FILDES "THIS IS GOING TO BE ACHALLENGE FOR US OVER THE NEXTCOUPLE OF YEARS..." FILDESJOINED OTHER LEADERS IN THEMEDICAL FIELD - - IN ADDRESSINGAN UNPRESCEDENTED JOINT SESSIONOF THE CLARK COUNTY COMMISSIONAND CITY OF LAS VEGAS.THE MISSION: KEEP IT LOCAL.GROW TALENT HERE IN THE VALLEY.JOHN FILDES/UNLV SCHOOL OFMEDICINE "WHAT WE WANT TO DO ISTRAIN OUR OWN, BECAUSE WHENWE'RE CHALLENGED BY THINGS LIKETHE CORONAVIRUS, WE WANT TOHAVE A MUCH DEEPER BENCH."FILDES SAYS THE FLEDGLINGMEDICAL SCHOOL CAN ONLY ACCEPT60 DOCTORS IN TRAINING A YEAR -BUT PLANS TO BUILD A BRAND NEWMEDICAL SCHOOL BUILDING ALONGSHADOW LANE - WOULD DOUBLE THATANNUAL OUTPUT.HOPEFULLY - KEEPING THEM HERETO FILL JOBS.FILDES "WE EXPAND THE SIZE OFOUR CLASSES, WE EXPAND OURRESIDENTS, AND BEGIN TO KEEPDOCTORS IN NEVADA." LAS VEGASDIRECTOR OF ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT BILL LAWRENCE SAYS,FUTURE PLANS ASIDE...THERE'S STILL A SERIOUSPROBLEM RIGHT NOW.LAWRENCE "WE LAG BEHIND.WE LAG BEHIND WITH PHYSICIANSIN THE COMMUNITY." JUST TO GETTO THE NATIONAL MEDIAN NUMBER -- WE'D HAVE TO ADD NEARLY 17HUNDRED MORE (1,679) OR MORETHAN ONE AND A HALF TIMES - THEENTIRE PHYSICIAN STAFF OF THEUNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER.SOMETHING - LEAVING NEVADAUNPREPARED FOR A PANDEMIC.FILDES "QUICK MOVING INFECTIONSLIKE H1N1 OR THE CORONAVIRUSDON'T REALLY GIVE THE COMMUNITYMUCH TIME TO RAMP UP.WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR ASSETS INPLACE, AND THAT'S REALLY WHATTHIS IS ABOUT."FILDES SAYS THEIR FIRST CLASSOF MEDICAL RESIDENTS WILLGRADUATE IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR.THEY ALSO PLAN TO BREAK GROUNDON THE NEW BUILDING - - SOMETIME IN 20-21.SEAN DELANCEY - - 13 ACTIONNEWS.THANKS SEAN.MORE DETAILS ON THE CORONAVIRUS