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.

Nevada ranks 46^th among states in the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 people and 47^th in the percentage of adults with a dedicated healthcare provider.³ All 17 counties in Nevada have a partial or whole-county shortage of primary care health professionals.^4,5 Clark County, which is home to over 70% of Nevada’s residents, has a ratio of one primary care physician for every 1,760 residents.⁶ Rural areas and underserved communities face additional social 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 primary care providers. These investments are part of the health plan’s commitment to Nevada Medicaid’s Primary Care Investment program. These investments include:

• Dispatch Health: $3M for three new mobile health units in Las Vegas and Reno.
• Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada: $1M to expand capacity and hire additional OBGYN providers.
• Dr. Nader and Associates: $600k to hire new OBGYN providers.
• OBGYN Associates in Northern Nevada: $500k to support staffing and infrastructure of an expanded clinic.
• Community Health Alliance: $300k to support recruitment and staffing, including a Clinical Pharmacist.
• University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine: $500k to expand programs related to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
• Nevada Health Centers: $390k to hire providers and administrative staff.
• REACH Community Health Center: $245k to staff nurse practitioner and community health worker roles.
• Hope Christian Health Center: $662K to hire new staff and support a mobile clinic.

Together, these investments represent critically-needed support to bolster the health care workforce serving people across Nevada. We recognize the important role that primary care providers have in driving population health outcomes and reducing health disparities. 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.