As Northern Nevada continues to grow, so does the need for healthcare professionals equipped to serve a rapidly expanding and increasingly complex patient population. Meeting that demand requires more than recruiting providers to the state – it requires creating opportunities for them to learn, train and build their careers right here.
That is one of the defining benefits of an integrated academic health system.
When the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and Renown Health formalized their historic 50-year academic affiliation in June 2021, they strengthened a shared commitment to patient care, research and education. The affiliation created new and expanded opportunities for learners to train alongside experienced clinicians, develop their skills in real-world settings and establish meaningful connections to the communities they may one day serve.
Five years later, the impact is increasingly visible. By expanding residency and fellowship programs across multiple specialties, the affiliation is advancing graduate medical education (GME) in Nevada, creating more opportunities for physician training and helping build a sustainable pipeline of healthcare providers for the region.
Training physicians where they are needed most
Today, Renown serves as UNR Med's primary teaching hospital, where learners at every stage of their professional journey train alongside experienced clinicians and gain hands-on experience caring for patients.
For physicians-in-training, that experience continues through a growing portfolio of GME programs that prepare residents and fellows for independent practice and specialized care.
Research from the Office of Statewide Initiatives at UNR Med consistently shows physicians are more likely to practice where they complete their residency training. In Nevada, more than 60% of residents and fellows remain in the state after graduation. That figure rises to nearly 80% for learners who complete both medical school and residency training in the state.
Recognizing the connection between physician training and workforce development, the state of Nevada recently committed more than $15.7 million to GME programs statewide through the Nevada Health Authority. Several UNR Med programs received funding, including nearly $2 million for an Obstetrics & Gynecology residency program, $1.67 million for a General Surgery residency program under development and more than $900,000 for a Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellowship program.
These investments reflect growing recognition that residency and fellowship programs are among the most effective tools for addressing physician shortages and improving access to care across the state.
UNR Med currently offers residency programs in:
- Family and Community Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
- Obstetrics and Gynecology (first cohort begins in 2027)
Fellowship programs include:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Geriatric Medicine
- Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- Sports Medicine
- Wilderness Medicine
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (first cohort begins in 2027 or 2028)
In addition to the existing graduate medical education programs, UNR Med is in the development phase of a Surgery Residency program based at Renown.
For Timothy Grunert, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of family medicine at UNR Med and primary care physician at Renown Health, expanding these programs is one of the most important investments the region can make. Grunert earned his medical degree from UNR Med in 2019, followed by his residency training in family and community medicine in 2023.
"We have so much data showing that when someone attends residency in an area, they're more likely to remain there to practice," Grunert said. "Having the clinical support for more and more learners will only give patients more access and help our community lessen provider shortages."
Staying local, serving local
One of the clearest signs of the partnership's impact is the growing number of physicians who choose to build their careers in Northern Nevada. By creating pathways from medical school to residency, fellowship and practice, the affiliation strengthens the region's healthcare workforce while fostering long-term connections to the communities it serves.
For Nikki Clifton, D.O., a recent graduate of the sports medicine fellowship program, the decision was personal.
"I have chosen to stay and work locally as a primary care and sports medicine physician because I feel strongly about the community ties I grew up with," Clifton said. "Reno is a growing yet close-knit community, and I have found it incredibly rewarding to provide care here."
Clifton's experience reflects a broader goal of the partnership: developing healthcare professionals who not only train in the region but choose to remain and practice in the area.
Ginger Nguyen, D.O., chief pediatric resident, sees the impact of that investment every day. “UNR Med’s residency programs are critical to the future of healthcare in Northern Nevada,” she said. “By training physicians across a growing number of specialties, they help ensure our communities have access to the care they need.”
Nguyen also points to the expanding network of physicians committed to teaching and mentorship as a key factor in the success of the programs. "More and more physicians are joining Renown Health who are interested in teaching and mentoring residents toward their academic and professional goals," she said.
"The affiliation builds a pipeline by investing in residents from the start," said Armando Reyes-Yparraguirre, M.D., a recent graduate of the internal medicine residency program. "By the time we graduate, we already know the system, have strong relationships, and are ready to practice here. I'm just grateful for everything Renown and UNR Med have given me over the past three years. The training, the mentors and the opportunities have shaped me both as a physician and as a person, and I'm excited to give back to this community."
A full-circle journey
For Bailey Ivory, M.D., who recently transitioned from medical student to pediatric resident, the affiliation has come full circle.
"As a medical student, I was trusted with meaningful responsibility, encouraged to ask questions and challenged to grow by faculty who believed in me," Ivory said.
Those experiences helped shape her interests in pediatrics, teaching and service.
"It's incredibly meaningful to begin residency in the same health system where those passions first took shape," she said. "I now have the opportunity to care for children alongside many of the physicians who inspired me as a student while helping train the next generation of learners who will follow."
Her experience reflects one of the partnership's most important goals: creating an environment where today's learners become tomorrow's teachers, mentors and healthcare leaders.
Through the academic affiliation, UNR Med and Renown Health are investing in a long-term solution by creating more opportunities for learners to train, specialize and build their careers in Nevada.
By strengthening residency and fellowship programs, expanding mentorship opportunities and connecting education directly to patient care, the partnership is helping ensure that more patients have access to the care they need while building a healthcare workforce prepared to serve the region for generations to come.
