Nevada faces a significant shortfall of physicians, ranking near the bottom of the nation for doctors per capita. In response, Las Vegas HEALS, a local nonprofit, rolled out Med‑Path in August, an online portal that connects Clark County educators with health‑care professionals willing to share their experiences in classrooms, on hospital tours, and through hands‑on activities.
Connecting teachers and professionals
The platform allows teachers to request volunteers from a diverse pool of specialists—ranging from cosmetic surgeons and primary‑care doctors to end‑of‑life doulas. By facilitating these interactions, Med‑Path aims to broaden students’ awareness of the many career paths available in the health‑care field, beyond the traditional roles of doctors and nurses.
Local educators see early benefits
Jennaya Fernane, a physical‑education teacher at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Performing Arts Center, praised the program’s impact. “Students get medical experience before they even graduate high school, which I think is just amazing,” she said. Fernane noted that the platform is especially valuable for students who lack family members in the health‑care sector to guide their career decisions.
Fernane’s own daughter, Samantha, a junior interested in sports medicine, is using Med‑Path to explore the field further, illustrating how the program can influence personal career choices within families.
Addressing Nevada’s workforce gap
Diego Trujillo, CEO of Las Vegas HEALS, highlighted the urgency of the shortage: Nevada is estimated to be short by about 27,000 health‑care workers compared with the national average. By exposing students early to a variety of health‑care roles, the nonprofit hopes to inspire the next generation to pursue careers that will help close that gap.
Trujillo added that the platform continues to expand, regularly adding new professionals to its roster. “We want students to see that health‑care is not just one job—it’s a whole ecosystem of opportunities,” he said.
Statewide context
A 2023 report from the Nevada Health Workforce Research Center, using 2021 data, placed Nevada at 45th nationally for active physicians per capita, 48th for primary‑care physicians, and 49th for general surgeons. These rankings underscore the need for initiatives like Med‑Path that cultivate a home‑grown pipeline of health‑care talent.
How to get involved
Teachers interested in using Med‑Path can learn more and sign up at medpath.healsfoundation.org. The nonprofit encourages health‑care professionals across the state to volunteer, emphasizing that each interaction helps build a stronger, more resilient Nevada health‑care workforce for the future.
Original reporting: KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas (local) — read the source article.
