The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), in partnership with Renown Health, is proud to announce that its Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) residency program has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), expanding graduate medical education and strengthening women’s health care in Northern Nevada. 

“This accreditation marks a transformative moment for our students and for Nevada,” Alison Westfall, M.D., FACOG, assistant professor and OB/GYN clerkship director, said. “For the first time, our UNR Med graduates who choose OB/GYN will be able to stay here — at home — to complete their residency, and we know that physicians often practice where they train.” 

ACGME accreditation allows UNR Med and Renown Health to officially launch the region’s first OB/GYN residency training program. The program is expected to welcome its inaugural class of three residents in July 2027, addressing a critical need for specialized women’s health providers in the region. 

“Nevada has one of the lowest ratios of OB/GYN physicians to population in the United States,” said James Alexander, M.D., chair of obstetrics and gynecology at UNR Med and Renown Health. “This residency will provide critical training for physicians who desire to practice obstetrics and gynecology, many of whom will remain in Nevada after their training is complete. This will have a great impact on meeting the need for high-quality health care in our state.” 

Obstetrics and gynecology residency training in northern Nevada is essential to advancing maternal health equity and ensuring access to comprehensive women’s health care across underserved, rural and frontier communities. Currently, more than half of Nevada’s counties have no routine labor and delivery services and no OB/GYNs, forcing long travel times for prenatal care and deliveries.  

“By training physicians locally, our residency program will help address these critical shortages in women’s health care,” said Morgan Marlow, D.O., director of the OB/GYN residency program. “Sustained investment in our OB/GYN residency program is a direct investment in safer pregnancies, healthier families and stronger communities throughout the region.” 

Located in the heart of Reno, the OB/GYN residency program will be based primarily at Renown Regional Medical Center, with additional teaching and research facilities on the UNR Med campus. Residents will train in a collaborative academic medical environment, supported by a dedicated faculty and access to world-class clinical facilities. In 2025, Renown Women’s Health had 76,392 outpatient visits and delivered over 4,100 babies.  

“Built on our strong partnership with UNR Med and the support of our community, this milestone ACGME approval brings a critical new training program to our region,” said Brian Erling, M.D., MBA, president and CEO of Renown Health. “This new OB/GYN residency will help keep care local, foster a high-quality learning environment, and expand access to clinical research and innovation, creating lasting benefits for our patients, learners and communities across Northern Nevada.” 

The new residency program will prepare future OB/GYN physicians through current, evidence-based practices while emphasizing compassionate, patient-centered care.  

“We are making great strides in our intentional plan to stand up five new training programs by 2030,” said Paul J. Hauptman, M.D., dean at UNR Med. “UNR Med is focused on growing the state’s health care workforce. Initial accreditation from the ACGME to allow us to launch the OB/GYN residency is an important step forward.” 

For questions related to the residency or application process, please contact Morgan Marlow, D.O., program director, at morgan.marlow@renown.org, or Alyssa Ontiveros, residency program administrator, at alyssaontiveros@med.unr.edu.