LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Patients are waiting an average of 26 days for a scheduled appointment with a doctor according to a new survey by Merritt Hawkins. The group polled more than 1,000 physician offices looking at average wait times among family medicine, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and cardiology.
In Las Vegas, appointment wait times are even longer according to Dr. Marc Kahn, dean of the UNLV Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine.
“When you look at the number of physicians per capita in nearly every specialty, we rank near the bottom. We don’t break the 50th percentile. I think the closest is cardiology and even that’s less than the 50th percentile. There’s a shortage of doctors but let’s be frank, there’s a shortage in nurses, dentists and in physical therapists. It’s really across the spectrum of healthcare providers that we see these shortages in our community,” Dr. Kahn said.
In October, UNLV opened a brand new state of the art medical school, with the hopes that it will attract better talent and double each class size of future doctors.
“Part of the reason that this medical school at UNLV was given legislative approval was to care for the community but also increase access to healthcare,” Dr. Kahn said.
Dr. Kahn says more state funding is also needed to increase the number of residency positions for training at local hospitals. Adding those positions should encourage medical students to stay and work in the valley.
“Without the residency program, there’s only a 50/50 chance that one of our graduates is going to stay in state,” Dr. Kahn said.
