For immediate release: March 1, 2007
Contact: Emily Wofford Cobb
Public Relations Manager
775-784-6006
ewofford@unr.edu
School of Medicine program provides educational tours and demonstrations of rural outreach programs to state legislators
CARSON CITY, Nev.—In observance of the 30th Anniversary of the Nevada State Office of Rural Health, the Center for Education and Health Services Outreach provided educational tours and demonstrations of rural health outreach programs at the Nevada State Legislature today.
Educational tours of the Miles for Smiles mobile dental van and state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) trailer were available on the legislative mall, while demonstrations of automatic external defibrillators were provided inside the State House. The tours were aimed at generating awareness for the public health outreach programs provided by the Office of Rural Health, a program of the Center for Education and Health Services Outreach at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, and highlight the need for continued rural health services.
In addition to the demonstrations, a short public address was held to commemorate the occasion and focus upon the significant health and dental issues facing rural Nevada. State Senators Maggie Carlton (D-Clark) and Joseph Heck (R-Clark) each commented upon legislation aimed at addressing the health needs of rural and frontier populations.
Senator Carlton, who has long fought to address oral health services in Nevada, brought attention to the ongoing needs of vulnerable populations, such as children and rural populations who have difficulty accessing care. She also highlighted the importance of specific outreach programs that work to bring dental sealants to children.
“One of the most critical issues we must address in this legislative session is access to affordable, quality medical care,” Senator Carlton said. “Nevada has one of the highest rates of people without healthcare coverage in the nation. This is a problem that impacts all Nevadans, whether they live in an urban or rural part of our state. We must look for real solutions to make quality medical care more accessible and more affordable for working families and retirees.”
Senator Heck, who is a former rural volunteer ambulance attendant, provided an overview of his proposed legislation that will establish a funding mechanism for supporting volunteer EMS training, equipment and communication and highlighted the unique problems facing Nevada’s EMS system.
“Those of us who live in the urban areas are fortunate to have full-time, paid, professional emergency medical services and we take it for granted,” said Senator Heck. “But for our fellow citizens in the rural areas, the response to their medical emergency shouldn’t depend on the success or failure of the volunteer company’s bake sale or car wash. These men and women give of themselves. When the siren blares or the pager beeps, they leave work in the middle of the day. They leave their families at the holiday dinner table. They leave their warm beds on a snowy winter’s night. It is for them, and for the people who call upon them, that I submitted Senate Bill 6.”
The 30th Anniversary celebration of the Office of Rural Health was held in conjunction with the Nevada Rural Hospital Partners Legislative Day. Demonstrations of the AED equipment were held as part of Nevada Heartbeat, the partnership project between the Office of Rural Health and the State EMS Division. Training staff were also available to answer questions regarding the Miles for Smiles mobile dental van, the state EMS trailer, and the Nevada Electronic EMS Data System (NEEDS) program.
For additional information about Office of Rural Health programs and the Center for Education and Health Services Outreach, please visit www.medicine.nevada.edu/dept/CEHSO .
As the state’s only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been meeting statewide healthcare, educational, and clinical needs since 1969. The School of Medicine encompasses 16 clinical medical education departments, including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, as well as ten nationally-recognized departments within basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. As the largest multi-specialty healthcare focus within the state, the School of Medicine employs more than 185 doctors who both teach and practice medicine throughout Nevada. The school’s statewide faculty physician practice group has a combined 25 different medical specialties with seven physician practice offices located in the Reno-Sparks area and five physician offices located in Las Vegas.
The University of Nevada School of Medicine utilizes a best-practice approach to medicine and is committed to addressing the health needs of Nevada now and in the future. For more information, please visit www.medicine.nevada.edu .
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