LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada is directing more than $50 million toward rural healthcare, with a focus on recruiting and retaining doctors, nurses, and other providers in small communities across the state.
The Nevada Health Authority announced the awards Monday under its Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding is divided into three areas: rural medical residencies, provider recruitment and retention, and apprenticeships and clinical training.
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Residency programs and medical education
About $4.8 million will go toward launching new rural residency and fellowship programs, including obstetrics and family medicine in communities such as Fallon. The funding will also support a new statewide rural graduate medical education consortium.
The largest share of the funding — $32.3 million — is designated for recruiting doctors, dentists, and behavioral health providers to towns including Mesquite, Pahrump, Elko, Tonopah, Fallon, Incline Village, and tribal communities. Services targeted include primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, orthopedics, and mental health.
Workforce training and career pipelines
An additional $14.3 million will expand rural clinical training programs, including nursing and EMT-to-paramedic apprenticeships, as well as new programs in lab science, dental assisting, imaging, social work, and public health. The funding also supports K-12 pipeline initiatives aimed at steering local students toward healthcare careers.
The grants are drawn from a five-year federal rural health initiative. Nevada received approximately $180 million in the program’s first year.
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