Anthem's $2 Million Endowment Creates a UNLV Rheumatology Fellowship as Nevada Faces a Specialist Shortage

What happened

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Nevada has given $2 million to UNLV to train more rheumatologists, the Las Vegas Sun reported. University officials announced the gift Wednesday, Nov. 4, at a check presentation at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine.

The money sets up the Anthem Fellowship Fund, a permanent source of funding for specialist physician training at the school. Officials said the goal is to address a shortage of specialists and encourage more doctors to remain in Nevada.

How the fellowship works

One fellow every two years

According to the Sun, the fund will pay for two years of training for one fellow, who will work under experienced rheumatologists at the medical school. A new fellow will be chosen every two years. Interim Dean Alison Netski said the program gives the school stable, lasting financial resources for rheumatology, and noted that money is sometimes a major barrier.

What rheumatologists do

Rheumatologists diagnose and treat autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that affect bones, muscles, joints and internal organs. Those conditions include rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Joy Thomas, president and executive director of government operations for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Nevada, said symptoms can be severe enough to keep patients from working, attending school or handling daily tasks.

A shortage patients feel

A study published in Arthritis Care & Research projects that by 2037 Nevada will have only about 44% of the rheumatology workforce needed to meet demand, the Sun reported. That would be the third-lowest share in the country.

Wait times at UNLV Health

UNLV Health, the university's network of community clinics, handles about 250,000 patient visits a year across Southern Nevada and has roughly 150 physicians. Executive Director Joann Strobbe said that is not enough. She said appointments with UNLV Health rheumatologists are booked six to eight weeks out, which makes timely care harder to get.

Personal experiences

Thomas, whose daughter sees a rheumatologist, said she knows how hard it is to get appointments in the specialty. Medical school spokesperson Paul Joncich said he waited months for his daughter to see a rheumatologist, which he attributed to the shortage of specialists in Southern Nevada. Thomas said Anthem had worked with the medical school for about two years to create the endowment.

Keeping doctors in Nevada

UNLV President Chris Heavey said medical school graduates often leave Southern Nevada when they cannot find local residency positions, and that gifts like Anthem's can help keep that talent. He described the region as constantly trying to catch up with the health needs of a fast-growing community.

An Association of American Medical Colleges analysis covering 2014 to 2023 found that about 60% of physicians practice in the state where they completed residency, the Sun reported. Yet between 2021 and 2025, 42% of residency placements for Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine graduates were in Nevada, according to a report from Brookings Mountain West and the Lincy Institute.

Netski said part of the school's mission is to build a pathway for Nevada high school students to enter medical school and finish their training in the state, though limited residency positions can make staying difficult. Thomas said Anthem hopes the doctors trained through the fund will serve Anthem Medicaid members and the broader community. More health and local stories are in our community section.

What to watch next

• Selection of fellows under the Anthem Fellowship Fund, with a new fellow chosen every two years, according to UNLV officials.
• Whether the program encourages more doctors to stay in Nevada, which officials said they hope it will.
• Nevada's rheumatology workforce, which a study in Arthritis Care & Research projects will meet only about 44% of demand by 2037.