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Nevada leaders file legislation to address state's doctor shortage

Senate Homeland Security
Greg Nash/Pool via AP

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to discuss security threats 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Nevada is facing a dire shortage of doctors.

More than 83 million Americans live in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, and all 17 of Nevada’s counties have some populations in areas under that designation due to low ratio of doctors to residents.

Nevada U.S. Representative Susie Lee and Senator Jacky Rosen said during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee hearing that Nevada ranks 48th in the nation in physicians per capita.  

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Lee and Rosen have filed bipartisan legislation in the Senate and House that would increase access to doctors, clinicians and specialists in the state.   

The bill would create a $20 million, five-year pilot program to support physicians through roughly 100 Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Centers nationwide. 

Glad to see @RepSusieLee introduce our bipartisan Improving Access to Health Care in Rural & Underserved Areas Act in the House!Nevada is facing a health professional shortage, & this bill would help our state expand access to care in the areas we need it most. https://t.co/C6uQWSZDgO — Senator Jacky Rosen (@SenJackyRosen) April 5, 2022

Kristen DeSilva (she/her) is the audience engagement specialist for Nevada Public Radio. She curates and creates content for knpr.org, our weekly newsletter and social media for Nevada Public Radio and Desert Companion.
KNPR’s Morning Edition Host, Rick Andrews, joined Nevada Public Radio as an announcer in 2003, shortly after we split into two stations.