Many great things are happening at Roseman University’s Summerlin campus. The team at the College of Medicine continues to grow as we build a medical school that will not only educate new generations of humble and compassionate physicians, but will help build a pipeline of students who have not been represented in medicine.
The College of Medicine recently launched ASPIRE, a critical pathway program designed to inspire and educate aspiring medical students. ASPIRE aligns with the College of Medicine’s mission to educate diverse students to provide comprehensive care to the Southern Nevada community. ASPIRE’s age-specific programs are designed to be longitudinal to track students from as early as elementary school to medical school – with one major goal – to increase the diversity of the physician workforce by exposing and providing learning opportunities for students traditionally underrepresented in medicine. ASPIRE will engage the families of potential students to ensure the success of the student throughout their journey.
Last month, ASPIRE presented “A Rose Grows in the Desert,” an event for dozens of pre-registered middle and high schoolers from Las Vegas and North Las Vegas who had the opportunity to learn through hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). The event was presented in partnership with community organizations Teaching & Uniting Ladies to Inspire Positive Success (TULIPS), Ty’s Place, Gentleman by Choice, Leaders in Training Las Vegas (LIT-LV) and the NAACP. It was truly amazing to see these kids engaged in activities and eager to learn. I look forward to many more similar events in the coming months.
To help us with our pipeline development, NBA Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood has joined our Dean’s Advisory Council. From early on in his life, Spencer has fought hard for fairness and access. His Supreme Court victory 50 years ago helped open up professional basketball to many of the greatest talents the sport has ever seen. Today, he’s passionate about opening up healthcare to underserved populations. This includes advocating for expanded patient care, building trust in medicine within minority communities, and inspiring minority youth to follow their dreams and pursue careers in medicine to help serve their communities in the future. We are honored to have Spencer as part of the College of Medicine team and we look forward to working with him over the coming years.
I’d like to close this month’s report by acknowledging some recent additions to the College of Medicine team. Judy Hanrahan, JD, MA serves as Assistant Dean, Faculty Affairs & Learning Innovation; Helen Tempest, PhD serves as Associate Dean for Foundational Education; Sheyla Pierre, MBA, MSW serves as Director of Equity Development & Community Engagement; Kelly Bounchareune, MPA serves as Director of Medical Education; and Andria Peterson, PharmD serves as Executive Director of EMPOWERED. Each of these individuals bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the College of Medicine. I look forward to their contributions as the College continues to take shape.
I’d like to close this months report with an invitation to attend the September 16 virtual Neighborhood Health Series featuring Dr. Cheryl Brewster, the College of Medicine’s Senior Executive Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She will share how racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals has been shown to promote better access to healthcare and improved healthcare quality for underserved and vulnerable populations, and to better meet the health needs of an increasingly diverse population. She’ll also share why it’s important to create pathways like ASPIRE to encourage and recruit underrepresented students into the health professions. It’s an interesting topic you won’t want to miss. You can register for this event and see what’s coming up by visiting speakers.roseman.edu.
Pedro “Joe” Greer, MD
Dean, College of Medicine