For immediate release: May 7, 2009
Contact: Anne McMillin, APR
Health Science Communication
Office 775-682-9254
Mobile 702-292-4247
amcmillin@medicine.nevada.edu
School of Medicine partners with Las Vegas elementary school
to provide free health care to students
Grand opening ceremony at Matt Kelly Elementary School on May 8
LAS VEGAS, Nev.—The University Nevada School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics in Las Vegas, in partnership with the Nevada Youth Alliance and the Clark County School District, will provide free health care at the Matt Kelly Empowerment Elementary School for any student in need attending there.
Matt Kelly Empowerment Elementary School will celebrate the grand opening of a new community health center that will provide free medical services to students. The celebration on May 8 from 9 to 11 a.m. at 1900 J St. (at the corner of J and Doolittle Streets), will include a ribbon-cutting and tours of the health center services room and parent center.
One of the main goals for the collaboration was to make health care accessible to youth who don’t have access and are affected by gang violence and other unhealthy circumstance that create obstacles to their success.
School of Medicine faculty pediatricians will also teach health education and disease prevention including: physical, dental and mental health; hygiene, asthma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and smoking cessation.
“This is much needed and appreciated addition to the community,” said Las Vegas Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow. “Giving students access to free medical care where they go to school will ensure that they get the basics so they can focus on learning. I am thankful for this great collaboration and what it brings to this community.”
Lack of access to medical treatment in the area was an issue raised in support of the Operation Lasting Peace, a community mobilization initiative, operated through the Southern Nevada Community Gang Task Force, the Nevada Youth Alliance, the city of Las Vegas and other community partners to bring a message of non-violence and safety to Las Vegas Valley families.
As the state’s only public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine has been a leader in healthcare, medical education and research in Nevada since 1969. The School of Medicine includes 16 clinical departments including family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and five nationally recognized departments in basic science including microbiology and biomedical engineering. The more than 185 doctors of University Health System, the school’s clinical practice, offer care in more than 40 medical specialties and subspecialties with eight physician offices in the Reno/Sparks area and seven in Las Vegas. The school is committed to a best practices approach to medicine and is dedicated to exceptional healthcare for Nevada now and in the future. For more information visit www.medicine.nevada.edu.