Improving access to primary care across Nevada

Primary care is critical for improving population health and reducing disparities in health outcomes.¹ Patients who have a usual source of care are more likely to receive preventive care services and experience lower overall healthcare costs.² In Nevada, a shortage of primary care providers limits residents’ ability to access the benefits associated with primary care: the state ranks 48th among states in the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 people.³ All 17 counties in Nevada have a partial or whole-county shortage of primary care health professionals.^4,5 Rural areas and underserved communities face additional barriers to accessing care, contributing to disparities in access and in health outcomes.

To address these challenges, UnitedHealthcare Health Plan of Nevada Medicaid is strengthening the local health care system through a multi-million dollar investment in local primary care providers. This comes as part of a broad commitment to Nevada Medicaid’s Primary Care Investment Program. These investments are strategically designed to create more equitable access to primary care in communities across the state, ultimately driving better health outcomes for Nevadans.

This funding will be used to close gaps in care, recruit and retain providers, and reach underserved communities. These investments include:

• Cure 4 The Kids: staffing an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse at Southern Nevada’s treatment center for children battling cancer and rare diseases, helping more children access the care they need.
• Boulder City Hospital: supporting a mobile MRI machine at a Critical Access Hospital that has served the Boulder City community for nearly 100 years
• Mesa View Medical Group: purchasing a straight arm X-Ray system at a multi-physician clinic serving Mesquite and surrounding rural areas
• Northern Nevada HOPES: launching a new maternal health program to improve access to care and support early intervention of preventable diseases
• Community Health Alliance: staffing two medical providers and two behavioral health providers, supporting an on-site pharmacy and a prescription food pantry within a federally qualified health center that operates six locations throughout Reno and Sparks
• Nevada Pediatric Specialists: recruiting four pediatric primary care providers to serve the Las Vegas Valley community, increasing access to pediatric care in the community
• Incredicare Pediatrics: funding a mobile clinic, staff and equipment that provides both primary care and urgent care to children in Las Vegas, helping families overcome transportation barriers to accessing care
• Hope Christian Health Center: supporting infrastructure for a mobile outreach clinic operated by a federally qualified health center to reach underserved communities in the Las Vegas area

These investments build upon a series of investments by UnitedHealthcare Health Plan of Nevada Medicaid in recent years. Last year’s investments through Nevada’s Primary Care Investment program supported the following organizations:

• Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada: expanding capacity and hire additional OBGYN providers.
• Dr. Nader and Associates: hiring new OBGYN providers.
• OBGYN Associates in Northern Nevada: supporting staffing and infrastructure of an expanded clinic.
• Community Health Alliance: supporting recruitment and staffing, including a Clinical Pharmacist.
• University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine: expanding programs related to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
• Nevada Health Centers: hiring providers and administrative staff.
• REACH Community Health Center: staffing nurse practitioner and community health worker roles.
• Hope Christian Health Center:  hiring new staff and support a mobile clinic.

We recognize the important role that primary care providers have in driving population health outcomes and reducing health disparities. Through this series of investments, we are bolstering the health care workforce that serves communities across the state, ultimately driving greater access to care and improved health outcomes. By investing in primary care providers, we aim to strengthen the local health care system and ensure that more Nevadans have access to quality primary care.

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