By Paul Takahashi (contact)

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 | 5:15 p.m.

Barbara Atkinson

UNLV officials announced a new dean who is charged with shepherding a proposed UNLV medical school into reality.

Barbara Atkinson, who formerly served as emeritus vice chancellor and dean of the University of Kansas School of Medicine, will become the planning dean for the UNLV School of Medicine, effective May 19.

Atkinson, 71, will work with the university campus to develop a vision for the first public allopathic medical school in Southern Nevada. She will oversee preliminary planning for curriculum, raise funds for construction and establish a community advisory committee to align regional needs to the schools mission.

Barbara is a dynamic leader with a unique mix of research, academic and administrative experience, John Valery White, UNLVs executive vice president and provost, said in a statement. Were confident in her ability to develop a comprehensive vision for the UNLV School of Medicine that will serve the health care and workforce needs of Southern Nevadans.

Atkinson comes to UNLV after leading the University of Kansas medical school for a decade, from 2002 to 2012. Under her tenure, the University of Kansas medical center campus adopted a new curriculum, opened a state-of-the-art research building and medical office building and increased research funding and doubled donations to the school.

To address Kansas physician shortage, Atkinson opened a new campus in Salina, Kan., and expanded the Wichita, Kan., campus from a two-year program to a full, four-year program. In 2012, the University of Kansas School of Medicine became the 67th school nationally to earn National Cancer Institute designation.

From the moment I engaged in discussions about this position and the UNLV School of Medicine, it was clear that the university and the Nevada System of Higher Education are deeply committed to expanding public medical education in Southern Nevada, Atkinson said in a statement. There is no doubt we need to enhance health care capacity in Southern Nevada, and I believe that by fusing the passion of Nevadas higher education leadership with an increasingly engaged medical and business community, we can turn this vision into reality.

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UNLV taps planning dean for proposed medical school