On Oct. 29, Nevada Health & Bioscience Corporation (NHBC), a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing healthcare research, education, clinical assets and programming in Nevada, broke ground on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine’s new medical education building at 625 Shadow Lane within the Las Vegas Medical District.

Upon completion, the new medical education building will span approximately 135,000 square feet and accommodate a class size of up to 120, doubling its current capacity. The medical school building is currently slated to be completed in 2022.

The majority of the project has been funded by more than $150 million in private donations, including contributions from the Engelstad Foundation and Lincy Foundation, among others.

“Today marked another important accomplishment for this project, our future medical professionals and, ultimately, the sustained vitality of all Southern Nevadans,” said NHBC CEO Maureen Schafer. “From our donors to our partners throughout Nevada, consistent collaboration has resulted in today’s event. The work will now continue to ensure the building will soon be ready for the UNLV School of Medicine and our community.”

“The new medical education building being constructed with the generous support of our donors will allow the school of medicine to better realize its mission, to ‘care for the community’ while providing for economic development and diversification of the Las Vegas economy,” added Dr. Marc J. Kahn, Dean of the UNLV School of Medicine

The design of the building, created by TSK Architects, reflects UNLV’s forward-thinking curriculum with training spaces for clinical skills, simulation and anatomy – both virtual and cadaveric dissection. The classrooms will also be various sizes to support problem- based learning, administrative offices and a learning resources center.

A Brookings Mountain West / Tripp Umbach study found that a new medical school in Las Vegas would make residents less likely to leave for medical care, and it would be a boon to the economy, equating to an infusion of $1.2 billion per year locally after its first 15 years of startup.

Image: Rendering of the UNLV School of Medicine’s medical education building, courtesy of NHBC