Dr. Daniel Spogen, professor of family and community medicine, was recently named chair of the University of Nevada School of Medicine's Department of Family and Community Medicine in Reno where he will oversee the scholarly, clinical and administrative operations of the department.

Spogen is a practicing clinician in the school's Family Medicine Clinic in which nearly a dozen attending physicians and residents provide medical services ranging from minor surgery to obstetric care and pediatrics.

"In this position, Dr. Spogen will continue to provide his acclaimed skills as a physician educator to the department and its patients on behalf of the School of Medicine," said Dr. John McDonald, vice president of health sciences and medical school dean.

In addition to his clinical and academic duties, Spogen provides guidance to the school's Student Outreach Clinic where each month medical students care for Washoe County's medically underserved.

Every clinic is supervised by a licensed faculty physician. Spogen regularly provides that supervision in addition to serving on the Student Outreach Clinic board.

For his contributions to the Student Outreach Clinic, Spogen is a two-time recipient of the prestigious Association of American Medical Colleges Humanism in Medicine Award, an honor for which the recipient is nominated by his or her students. He is also a Diplomate of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Spogen's research projects include a current study on the barriers to healthcare access and cancer prevention amongst indigent populations in Reno and a study on utilization of Internet resources to create interactive methods of teaching.

Before joining the School of Medicine, Spogen worked in private practice in Reno and Sparks for nearly 12 years.

He is a graduate of the UCLA School of Medicine and he completed his residency training in family practice at the Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale, Calif. Spogen earned a masters of science in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California and his undergraduate degree in biophysics from Occidental College in Los Angeles.

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.

Emily Wofford Cobb, public relations manager for the School of Medicine, can be reached at ecobb@medicine.nevada.edu.