Med school dean mending
Atkinson surgery gives UNLV scare ahead of debut class
Barbara Atkinson, the founding dean of the UNLV School of Medicine, is making “positive gains every day” in the hospital after suffering a “very serious” illness, university officials said Tuesday.
The comments came after the Las Vegas Review-journal published an article quoting two sources familiar with the situation as saying the 74-year-old dean was fighting for her life at University Medical Center in Las Vegas after suffering a ruptured intestine that triggered a serious infection.
Hours later, UNLV officials responded. While saying they were limited in what they could disclose about Atkinson’s condition by federal health privacy law, they indicated that she was improving.
UNLV administrator Maureen Schafer said Atkinson, the former dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, had undergone “a very serious surgery … (but) continues to
ATKINSON
make incremental positive gains every day.”
“Her doctors have advised the family that she can make a full, positive recovery,” said Schafer, chief of staff at the medical school.
Diane Z. Chase, UNLV executive vice president and provost, said in a statement that Atkinson was admitted over the July Fourth weekend to UMC, which will serve as the main clinical teaching center for the region’s first public medical school, and “underwent successful surgery.”
On the brink of a milestone
The timing of Atkinson’s illness could not have been worse, coming just days before she was to welcome the landmark medical school’s first class of students on Monday.
The sources, who spoke with the Las Vegas Review-journal on condition of anonymity, said Atkinson suffered an intestinal rupture at home before being hospitalized, then battled an infection, a not-uncommon after-effect.
Citing privacy law, Schafer did not go into specifics on the dean’s surgery and hospitalization. But she said the dean is not now fighting an infection.
It was unclear how long Atkinson might be sidelined as she recovers, but UNLV officials, including Chase and President Len Jessup, have met to discuss appointing an acting dean to fill in until she is ready to resume her duties, said Dr. Mark Doubrava, a physician and member of the state Board of Regents.
“That would be the normal process if a dean was absent for an extended length of time,” Doubrava said.
Vince Alberta, UNLV’S chief marketing officer, noted that Chase met with faculty and staff early last week and has had follow-up communication with them “for input on the potential appointment of an acting dean.”
“Weexpecttogetinputfromdr. Atkinson about it,” he said, noting that an acting dean “would just be holding down the fort” until Atkinson returned to work.
While saying she did not want to diminish the fact that the dean had a veryserioussurgery,shaferalsosaid she does not want to alarm people who care about UNLV, Atkinson and the new medical school.
“There is a positive prognosis for herrecovery,”shafersaid.
‘A dream come true’
Three weeks ago, the renowned educational leader, clinician and researcher — Atkinson was elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 1997 — said she was eager to see the first class of 60 students begin school.
“This is going to be a dream come true for many people in Southern Nevada,” said Atkinson, who didn’t start medical school until her own children began grade school. “I want to be there when they graduate in 2021.”
Sources close to the medical school say that Atkinson has built a foundation for the school to carry on if she is forced into an extended absence.
“Shewentafterandgotthebest people for this school,” one said.
Atkinson came out of retirement in 2014 when UNLV officials sought her help in starting a medical school from scratch. In 2017, Nevada lawmakers provided $27 million to get the school up and running, and in the recent legislative session they budgeted an additional $53 million.
Atkinson became planning dean for the school in May 2014 and was named founding dean 18 months later.
It’s a huge job. She oversees installation of the curriculum and accreditation, recruits faculty and manages school operations, philanthropy and community outreach.
She has also crafted the framework for the school’s faculty practice plan, graduate medical education program, hospital affiliation agreements and community clinical teaching sites.
Successful fundraiser
She has also succeeded as a fundraiser. With the Engelstad Family Foundation’s backing, she helped raise $13.5 million in 60 days in 2015 to fund 135 scholarships for future medical students — including the entire charter class. The school will also give out 25 scholarships valued at $27,000 a year to the classes admitted in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
In June, a $25 million gift that Atkinson helped cultivate with Jessup — the donor chose to remain anonymous — was given to the medical school. That gift, along with another $25 million chipped in by the Legislature, goes toward a $100 million medical education building to be built in the Las Vegas Medical District, the planned 674-acre cluster of medical offices, retail and residential space near UMC.
The medical school has interim space reserved at UNLV’S Shadow Lane Campus, which is across the street from UMC and Valley Hospital.
Doubrava said he believes fundraising efforts continue as normal in Atkinson’s absence.
“Everyone is just waiting to see Dean Atkinson’s return,” he said.
Contact Paul Harasim at pharasim@reviewjournal.com or
702 387-5273. Follow Follow @ paulharasim on Twitter. Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@ reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @Nataliebruzda on Twitter.