LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We have heard from many of you that booking a doctor's appointment in Southern Nevada isn't easy. But there's hope. We're now learning more local doctors are choosing to stay and practice here.
Among those doctors is a graduate of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine who trained at Stanford and then came back to her hometown, determined to strengthen our healthcare system here.
Dr. Diana Peña knows firsthand how hard it can be to get a doctor's appointment in Southern Nevada.
"I always had the goal of coming back to help serve this community, help serve the community that is my home, the kids that we have here," Peña told me.
In 2021, Peña graduated from the first class at UNLV's Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine.
"You completed your school here at the School of Medicine, did your residency at Stanford, but now you're coming back. Why?" I asked her.
"Being here as a medical student, I knew that there was a shortage. Just from doing my own rotations in pediatrics, I saw it firsthand," Peña said.
WATCH: Dr. Peña explains what drew her back to Southern Nevada after her residency
Now she's back home, working as a pediatrician at UNLV's pediatric offices and helping families navigate Nevada's doctor shortage.
"We have doctors here who are the primary care doctors, doctors who are at the front line a lot of the times, but we also need subspecialists for a lot of these patients," Peña said.
Just how critical is the doctor shortage in Nevada?
We found that right now, Nevada has just 52 pediatricians per 100,000 kids — well below the national average of 87. What does that look like? Imagine a school with 1,000 kids. In our state, there would be only about five pediatricians to care for them. In most other states, that number would be closer to nine.
Overall, Nevada ranks among the lowest states for doctors per capita.
"I'm so thankful that we have, you know, the School of Medicine now. We have, in a few years, the children's hospital that's going to be opening. And I think with all of that, I'm hoping that we will be attracting more people," Peña said.
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Progress is being made.
Over the past decade, the number of nursing graduates in Nevada jumped 63%, with 82% of them staying here. Last year, lawmakers approved more funding for school nursing programs, but when it comes to doctors, the shortage continues.
"We need to continue to focus on building our healthcare infrastructure here in the city," Peña said. "Bringing in more trainees, more residency programs — because a lot of the times, they will stay in Las Vegas to practice after."
And for many families, this isn't just about convenience — it's about access to care when it matters most.
"I want to make sure that our healthcare system for our kids is also stronger every year," Peña said.
Now, I want to hear from you.
How has the doctor shortage in Nevada impacted your life? What healthcare stories does our community need to hear? Reach out with your thoughts and comments by emailing me at abel.garcia@ktnv.com, or find me on Instagram @abelgnews.
Abel Garcia
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