Desert Companion - August 2017

Breathing new life

INTO MEDICAL EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN NEVADA

08 AUGUST

17

TOP DENTISTS

BEST

DOCTORS Find the right physician with our list of the valley’s best

168 dental pros worth smiling about

CAN HOUSING BE A FORM OF HEALTHCARE? + THE MOB HENCHMAN WHO BECAME A VEGAS TOUR GUIDE + WOULD YOU EAT SOMETHING CALLED ‘FLACKERS’?

MAKE THE MOVE THAT MAKES YOUR CAREER. Southwest Medical Associates, part of OptumCare, is now hiring. We’re inviting Physicians, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners to consider joining a team that is patient-focused and care-driven.

As part of our team, you’ll be part of a coordinated care model that provides more ways to collaborate with colleagues and put the needs of your patients first. And with top-tier benefits, you’ll experience a professional environment that’s rewarding in every sense of the word. That’s how we make care better. For everyone.

Find out more at smalv.com/en/careers.

• $50,000 SIGNING BONUS for Primary Care Physicians

• Generous compensation and benefits

• 30 valley locations, so the office is always close

• Opportunities in 9 specialties,

Pediatrics, Adult Care, Home Health, Palliative Care, and Hospice

• Reduced administrative burdens for more time with patients

• Substantial growth opportunities

SMALV.COM Southwest Medical Associates is part of OptumCare, a leading healthcare delivery organization that is reinventing healthcare to help keep people healthier and feeling their best. Southwest Medical is a trademark of Southwest Medical Associates, Inc. Optum and OptumCare are registered trademarks of Optum, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ©2017 Southwest Medical Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

We go the distance to bring you high-quality water.

Your drinking water begins its journey in the highest reaches of the Rocky Mountains.

Drawn from Lake Mead into one of the world’s most advanced water treatment facilities, it is treated and tested by experts to meet strict national safety standards before being delivered to you.

Safety is our focus at the SNWA, and we know not everyone likes the taste of naturallyoccurring minerals or the chlorine added to protect your water. That’s why we provide free, objective information about in-home filtration systems. To learn more, visit snwa.com.

The SNWA is a not-for-profit public agency.

Our Primary Care is yours.

See your own personal physician at the Southern Highlands location.

For routine physicals, ongoing care, and occasional minor emergencies, you and your family now have a personal doctor close to home. See us for your own Primary Care Physician—a doctor who understands your entire health history and focuses on your overall wellness rather than treating you only when you’re sick.

702.383.CARE umcsn.com/primary For all Quick Care and Primary Care locations

All major insurance companies accepted.

TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA HAS BEEN LEADING THE WAY SINCE 2004

MORE THAN

Teaching future doctors, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and educators

caring for our community.

GRADUATES SINCE 2004

TOURO GRADUATES LICENSED IN NEVADA

for Nevada at no cost to taxpayers while

3,400 925 $ 630

$$

ECONOMIC IMPACT

MILLION

0

$

COST TO TAXPAYERS

For more information about supporting Touro University Nevada or if you are interested in a campus tour, please call 702.777.3100 or

visit www.tun.touro.edu

874 American Pacific Drive, Henderson NV 89014 Touro University Nevada is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and licensed in Nevada by the Commission on Post-Secondary Education. Touro University Nevada does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, color, creed, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability in its employment, programs, or activities.

Chase your dreams.

This should help.

The 2017 Outback takes you wherever the heart leads. Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with ®

X-MODE, plus 32 mpg.* It’s a 2016 IIHS Top Safety Pick+ with EyeSight. And it’s enabled with ®

®

available SUBARU STARLINK™ Automatic Collision Notificaiton.† Prepare to find yourself in a very happy place. Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.

Outback. Built to take you to the place you’ve never been. Well-equipped at $25,645** Subaru of Las Vegas 5385 West Sahara Avenue (702) 495-2100 Subaruoflasvegas.com Subaru, Outback, EyeSight, and X-MODE are registered trademarks. *EPA-estimated hwy fuel economy for 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i models. Actual mileage may vary. †Activation with subscription required. Includes one-year trial subscription to Safety Plus connected service. See your retailer for details. **MSRP excludes destination and delivery charges, tax, title, and registration fees. Retailer sets actual price. Certain equipment may be required in specific states, which can modify your MSRP. See your retailer for details. 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited pictured has an MSRP of $32,390.

The best just got better...

MEET LAS VEGAS’ NEWEST PLASTIC SURGEON, DR. ANDREW SILVER Dr.’s Anson, Edwards & Higgins of Plastic Surgery Associates are pleased to announce their new associate, Dr. Andrew Silver. Dr. Silver has impeccable training with a specialty fellowship in facial aesthetics.

Schedule your complimentary consultation with Dr. Silver by calling 702.822.2100.

For a list of services and specials please visit us online at www.plasticsurgeryvegas.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Dr. Michael Edwards, Dr. Goesel Anson, Dr. Terrence Higgins, Dr. Alison Tam, Dr. Andrew Silver

PLASTIC SURGERY ASSOCIATES 8530 W. Sunset Rd. #130 Las Vegas, NV 89113

Excellence. Innovation. Compassion.

For more than two decades, Urology Specialists of Nevada has provided advanced care with a combination of leading-edge technology and forward-thinking expertise. Our team includes the top talent in the field of urology, equipped with the latest tools and treatments. The result is a unique convergence of innovation and dedication.

SEE US FOR: • Urinary tract infections • Incontinence • Prostate conditions

• Female pelvic health • Men’s sexual health • Vasectomy & reversal

• Cancer treatments • Kidney stones • Urethral stricture disease

702.877.0814 Get to know our physicians and their specialties at usonv.com CENTRAL CAMPUS Goldring Medical Plaza 2010 Goldring Ave., Suite 200 Las Vegas, NV 89106

GREEN VALLEY CAMPUS Pecos Commons Office Park 58 N. Pecos Rd. Henderson, NV 89074

NORTHWEST VALLEY CAMPUS 3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 165 Las Vegas, NV 89128

Never stop learning.

BECOME A WELL-ROUNDED PERSON. Expand your skills. Learn something new. Be curious and creative in your ideas and your solutions. Become more well-rounded, and your life will see the benefits—both personally and professionally. In fact, many of today’s employers are demanding well-rounded employees.

UNLV Continuing Education professional development courses and certificate programs will prepare you for emerging fields and evolving roles.

Information Technology & Cybersecurity • Health Care & Allied Professions Community Management • Mediation • Nonprofit Management • Sommelier Legal Studies & Interpretation • Human Resources • Web, Graphic & Fashion Design Live Event Production And this fall, we’re launching a new certificate program. The Medical Interpretation: Spanish Certificate Program prepares students to become certified medical interpreters for an ever-diverse society.

For more information on this and our other certificates and courses, you can view the Fall 2017 catalog online or call us.

| 702.895.3394

NEED IT? WANT IT? DOES IT MATTER? 8 DEPARTMENT STORES 25 DINING CHOICES 250 STORES IN THE HEART OF VEGAS.

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WE’RE MORE THAN JUST A LIST Best Doctors identifies and partners with the best medical experts across over 450 specialties and subspecialties to solve misdiagnosis and eliminate medical uncertainty.

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Are you a Best Doctors member?

Ask your HR representative if Best Doctors is a benefit.

Bestdoctors.com 1.800.223.5003

EDITOR’S NOTE

58

WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

I

t says a lot about our hair-trigger, hyperpartisan age that a word as seemingly benign as healthcare has become so fraught, so charged. The word used to refer to the machinery of the medical industrial complex — think healthcare industry, healthcare sector. Now, so often hitched to the word debate, it’s become shorthand for the big question of how a society should promote and protect the mental and physical health of its citizens.

I’m always down to get philosophical. So when Shelley Berkley called us to propose a roundtable discussion about the state of medical education in Nevada and its broader role in healthcare, I was intrigued. I’m also allergic to being bored to death. But Berkley, a seventerm congresswoman and now CEO and senior provost of Touro University, spoke with her signature cheerful urgency and forthrightness, pointing out that the ongoing development of three medical schools in Southern Nevada has the promise not just of solving our state’s dire doctor shortage, but enhancing our economy and transforming our community. Also, in the meantime, a presidential election happened, and healthcare all of a sudden became the No. 1 screamo topic for pundits and angry people with signs. In other words, newsy! For our feature, “A healthy discussion” (page 86), Heidi Kyser and I brought in Berkley, UNLV School of Medicine Dean Barbara Atkinson, and Roseman University President Renee Coffman to discuss those issues and more, from the policy dimension of training doctors to the challenges of rural healthcare. It’s more lively, relevant, informative and, yes, even more fascinating than you might expect. (Who knew they’ve invented a hypochondriac robot that complains NEXT on command, or that some docs still MONTH love them old-school cadavers when It’s our 10th it comes to teaching anatomy?) We’ve anniversary also worked with the team at “State of issue! *blows out candles* Nevada” to produce a complementary

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radio story that highlights and expands on many of the insights in the print piece; find it at knpr.org. And, elsewhere in our health and medicine issue, don’t miss our annual Best Doctors and TopDentists lists, which give you a snapshot of the valley’s most recommended physicians and dental professionals — and, oh yeah, “Who moved my cheeseburger?,” the story on page 60 where Scott Dickensheets and I tried a bunch of different wacky health food. (Who knew they’ve invented an antioxidantrich smoothie that tastes just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or flax crackers that taste like spiritual desolation?)

Finally, a farewell of sorts — to the old Desert Companion. Next month marks Desert Companion’s 10th birthday, and our mega-special 10th Anniversary Issue, which will possibly be made of cake, will celebrate a decade of existence by existing even more intently and jubilantly than usual, stuffed with bonus features and basted in a rich, retrospective lookback sauce. It’ll also feature a complete redesign that focuses on freshness, fluidity and readability. But what won’t change is our commitment to telling the stories that define Las Vegas with well-chosen words and compelling photography. Heck, we’re just turning 10.

Andrew Kiraly editor We’re barely getting started!

FOLLOW DESERT COMPANION facebook.com/DesertCompanion twitter.com/DesertCompanion

You can let the bank’s shareholders keep the earnings if you want, or you could receive full benefit as a member/owner at non-profit CCCU. Your commercial banking account qualifies for our bonus dividend program. This year, we paid out $3 million dollars, and since 2001, it’s been $56 million.* • ScanCheck Service (RDC) • ACH Services • Merchant Services

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Estimate your own dividend reward at CCCULV.org/Your-Bonus-Dividend.aspx

(702) 228-2228 • CCCULV.ORG * The CCCU board of directors declares the bonus dividend when earnings exceed financial requirements. Dividends are not guaranteed annually.

August 2017

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letters@desertcompanion.vegas

SAY HELLO TO SISYPHUS

I

f predicting the future is, as economist Jeremy Aguero told us in 2010, “a Sisyphean task,” the weird thing about reviewing your old predictions is that now you’ve kind of become your own stone, rolling back on the Sisyphean you who did all that forward thinking years before.

As longtime readers might recall, the issue of January-February 2010 saw us round up some of the valley’s best writers and mover-shakers for a package we called “2020 visions” — 19 pages of crystal-ball gazings, entrail readings, and geysers of speculative optimism about the possible state of the city a decade hence. You have to hand it to Sisyphus. That would have been a ballsy and ambitious undertaking even if there hadn’t been a recession and foreclosure crisis complicating the view.

Enthusiasm in the face of instability was even more deeply embedded in “Art optimism,” a sprawling feature we ran a few months earlier, in SeptemberOctober 2009. The editors followed their list of recession-driven blows to the cultural community with this frank admission: “We decided that things had gotten so bad that we should resort to optimism.” Then we enumerated 25 reasons to be hopeful.

Now we’re three-quarters of the way from 2010 to 2020, and, as Desert Companion finds itself contemplating a different 10-year time frame — our existence as a magazine — it seems like a good time to examine our foresight with the benefit of hindsight.

Turns out we were right about some things: the growing clout of the Hispanic community; the mad skills of artists Lance Smith and Brian Porray;

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the success of The Smith Center; the post-recession rebound of the Strip. Good job, us!

We were wrong about some, too: the cultural institutions (Contemporary Arts Center) and spaces (Henri & Odette gallery) that would survive as engines of the arts scene; residential development at Symphony Park; how Nevada “could lead the national transition to a new era of population and economic stability based on a shift to locally available renewable energy and sustainable resource use”; that “voters will approve property-tax increases to fund schools”; that the Clark County School District would be replaced “by several smaller districts, some of them privatized.” (Almost!)

For a few, of course, it’s still too early to make a call: “I’m betting that yet another period of wild and crazy American self-indulgence will kick off right around 2020 ... for which Las Vegas will once again be the in-sync epicenter.” The bottleservice industrial complex will be glad to hear that.

But, fun as it is, scorecarding our hits and misses is only part of the point here. What really jumped out at us as we reviewed those earlier features was a spirit common to both. Dealing with the future, whether you’re predicting it, as in “20/20 visions,” or calibrating your attitude toward it, as in “Art optimism,” requires an act of civic imagination. Creatively extrapolating the now into the then. Turns out we did so based on the strength of what’s best about this city. No one grounded their future vision on, say, a cynical view of local politics, however tempting that must’ve been, or on how sucky the traffic would be, or on a decline in cultural resources. From water to energy to business to the arts, everyone assumed that the future would be shaped by the city’s manifold upsides, not limited by its downsides. If that idealism led to a bit of naïve overreach here and there — one contributor predicted finger-crossingly that race would dwindle as a major element in civic affairs by 2020 — well, we do share with Sisyphus a certain necessary belief that the bleeping rock will eventually go over the bleeping hill. If Peter Drucker is right that the only way to predict the future is to create it, surely the first step is to envision it the way you want it to be. So, whatever the next 10 years brings us, Desert Companion will always be ready to resort to optimism.

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Crave-worthy Fare • Rave-worthy Views

Visit HawthornGrillLV.com for menus and reservations or call 702-507-5955

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August 2017

VO LU M E 1 5 I S S U E 8

www.desertcompanion.vegas

75 BEST

81 TOP

A roundup of the most skilled, committed, caring doctors in Las Vegas, as chosen by their peers

If you’re going to have someone working inside your mouth, you want that person to be one of the best in town. Here’s a list.

DOCTORS

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DENTISTS

86 A HEALTHY DISCUSSION

Advancements in medical education are poised to change the practice of medicine in Southern Nevada. We gathered the heads of three teaching institutions to talk about it.

AT K I N S O N , C O F F M A N , B E R K L E Y : B R E N T H O L M E S

FEATURES

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AN EVENING OF CLASSIC

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August 2017

www.desertcompanion.vegas

VO LU M E 1 5 I S S U E 8

48

36

64

DEPARTMENTS ALL THINGS

38 SOCIETY

52 PROFILE

111 THE GUIDE Consume your weight in culture!

where the health is

When you’re learning to live with blindness, it’s good to have a little help

By Michael Lyle

In her quirkily titled new novel, H.G. McKinnis writes about the real Las Vegas

By Desiree Scheck

30 PROFILE A well

42 CHECKING IN

25 EDUCATION Change

comes to CCSD 28 HEALTH Home is

rounded momma 32 ZEIT BITES Dealing

with “violence brain” 34 TRENDSETTER

There’s something about sweet potatoes

Omerta? How about nomerta — a few minutes with Frank Cullotta, professional former mobster

By Geoff Schumacher

36 OPEN TOPIC Forget

48 TRAVEL

the overhyped fight that everyone’s talking about — real boxing fans should look to a different bout

Wanna get away? Try the Mission architecture and cultural riches of Riverside, California

By Greg Thilmont

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59 DINING 60 THE DISH What has four thumbs and tried to eat healthy stuff? These two guys.

63 EAT THIS NOW

Salmon, meet Benedict 63 COCKTAIL It’s like

striptease in a glass!

64 AT FIRST BITE

Culinary complexity takes flight at Sparrow + Wolf

119 END NOTE You bet we’d buy that for a dollar!

M C G R E G O R / M AY W E AT H E R : R YA N O L B R Y S H ; B L I N D C O N N E C T : LU C K Y W E N Z E L ; S PA R R OW + W O L F : S A B I N O R R ; R I V E R S I D E : G R E G T H I L M O N T

38

LOCALS GET 2-FOR-1 TICKETS!

Use offer code “LOCALS” online, by phone or at the Box Office.

Limited time offer. Subject to availability. Management reserves all rights.

Baby’s Bounty provides baby bundles to over 50 newborns in need every month. Each bundle is filled with a portable crib, car seat, front Help give carrier, infant bathtub, a good start to clean clothes, diapers Newborns in need and hygiene items. by donating the We also accept essential items donations of gently they require. used baby items.

Volunteers collect, sort and clean the items and prepare them for distribution.

To Donate To Volunteer

babysbounty.org/donate-to-las-vegas/ call 702-485-2229 or help@babysbounty.org

SUPREME OFF-ROAD CAPABILIT Y T H E 2 0 1 7 L A N D R O V E R D I S C O V E RY

5255 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89146 • 702.579.0400

2017 DRI Nevada Medal Dinner - Presentation - Award Ceremony

P U B L I S H E D B Y N E VA D A P U B L I C R A D I O

MISSION STATEMENT

Desert Companion is the premier city magazine that celebrates the pursuits, passions and aspirations of Southern Nevadans. With awardwinning lifestyle journalism and design, Desert Companion does more than inform and entertain.

We spark dialogue, engage people and define the spirit of the Las Vegas Valley.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

Join DRI for an evening of discovery and conversation about how science benefits national policy, society, and Nevada.

PUBLISHER Flo Rogers CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Favian Perez EDITOR Andrew Kiraly ART DIRECTOR Christopher Smith DEPUTY EDITOR Scott Dickensheets SENIOR DESIGNER Scott Lien STAFF WRITER Heidi Kyser GRAPHIC DESIGNER Brent Holmes ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Sharon Clifton, Susan Henry, Jimmy Hoadrea, Kim Treviño, Markus Van’t Hul SALES ASSISTANT Rana Hodge NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Couture Marketing 145 E 17th Street, Suite B4 New York, NY 10003 (917) 821-4429 advertising@couturemarketing MARKETING MANAGER Donovan Resh

DRI Nevada Medal Event Honoring Dr. Marcia McNutt, President of the National Academy of Sciences

PRINT TRAFFIC MANAGER Karen Wong SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER Tammy Willis WEB ADMINISTRATOR Danielle Branton CONTRIBUTING WRITERS John Curtas, Cybele, Nadia Eldemerdash, Melanie Hope, Matt Jacob, Michael Lyle, Christie Moeller, Desiree Scheck, Geoff Schumacher, Greg Thilmont, Ian Whitaker CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Andrew James, Chris Morris, Ryan Olbrysh, Sabin Orr, Lucky Wenzel

September 27, 2017

EDITORIAL: ANDREW KIRALY, (702) 259-7856; ANDREW@DESERTCOMPANION.VEGAS

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

ADVERTISING: Favian Perez (702) 259-7813; favian@desertcompanion.vegas

FAX: (702) 258-5646

SUBSCRIPTIONS: (702) 258-9895; subscriptions@desertcompanion.vegas WEBSITE: www.desertcompanion.vegas

RESERVE YOUR TABLE or TICKETS dri.edu/nvmedal 702-862-5411

Desert Companion is published 12 times a year by Nevada Public Radio, 1289 S. Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89146. It is available by subscription at desertcompanion.vegas, or as part of Nevada Public Radio membership. It is also distributed free at select locations in the Las Vegas Valley. All photos, artwork and ad designs printed are the sole property of Desert Companion and may not be duplicated or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The views of Desert Companion contributing writers are not necessarily the views of Desert Companion or Nevada Public Radio. Contact Tammy Willis for back issues, which are available for purchase for $7.95.

ISSN 2157-8389 (print) ISSN 2157-8397 (online)

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with purchase(s) totaling $100 from any Town Square Las Vegas apparel stores, The Container Store, and Staples While supplies last

AUGUST 7 TH – AUGUST 14TH *Present receipt(s) dated August 7th through August 14th totaling $100 or more from any Town Square Las Vegas apparel stores, The Container Store, and Staples at the Concierge Booth and receive one $25 TSLV Gift Card. One Gift Card per customer, per receipt, while supplies last from August 7th through August 14th.

mytownsquarelasvegas.com

ON THE STRIP AT SUNSET ROAD

Some Like It Hot!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS JERRY NADAL chair Cirque du Soleil ANTHONY J. PEARL, ESQ. vice chair The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

Red Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima

TIM WONG treasurer Arcata Associates FLORENCE M.E. ROGERS secretary Nevada Public Radio

DIRECTORS CYNTHIA ALEXANDER emeritus Dickinson Wright PLLC KEVIN M. BUCKLEY First Real Estate Companies DAVE CABRAL emeritus Business Finance Corp.

LOUIS CASTLE emeritus PATRICK N. CHAPIN, ESQ. emeritus

Actual Schilling Horticulture Group landscape Blanketflower, Gaillardia sp.

Chocolate Flower, Berlandiera lyrata

RICHARD I. DREITZER, ESQ. Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP ELIZABETH FRETWELL emeritus City of Las Vegas

W

hen temperatures rise in the valley, look for these heat-loving desert showstoppers.

At Schilling Horticulture, we design for all seasons— with the goal of year-round landscape performance.

Afterall, the art of horticulture is our specialty.

BOB GLASER BNY Mellon WILLIAM GROUNDS Infinity World Development Corp.

DON HAMRICK Chapman Las Vegas Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram GAVIN ISAACS Scientific Games

We’re the foremost experts in Las Vegas on: • Beautiful, Creative Designs • Thorough Seasonal Clean-Ups • Thoughtful Renovations • Selective Tree Pruning • High Quality Installation • Knowledgeable Plant Care • Irrigation Services

JENNIFER FORKISH Caesars Entertainment Corporation JOHN R. KLAI II emeritus Klai Juba Wald Architects TODD-AVERY LENAHAN TAL Studio LAMAR MARCHESE president emeritus

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Design | Installation | Renovation | Consultation | Maintenance Tree Care | Hardscapes | Small Jobs | Irrigation | Lighting

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WILLIAM MASON Taylor International Corporation

license 0057280 Licensed, Bonded, & Insured

Call today to schedule your design consultation.

CHRIS MURRAY emeritus Avissa Corporation WILLIAM J. “BILL” NOONAN emeritus Boyd Gaming Corporation KATHE NYLEN MARK RICCIARDI, ESQ. emeritus Fisher & Phillips, LLP MICKEY ROEMER emeritus Roemer Gaming

FOLLOW DESERT COMPANION www.facebook.com/DesertCompanion www.twitter.com/DesertCompanion

L W A R C B PU DE

COMP SERT

at T I

ANIO

N

ILLA V I L VO

On June 22, more than 175 pub crawlers joined the Desert Companion team at Tivoli Village for a vibrant evening filled with scrumptious food and signature cocktails served up in six beautiful locations: Brio Tuscan Grille, Cantina Laredo Modern Mexican, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, LOOK Style Society, PKWY Rampart Taphouse & Grill, and Cork and Thorn. Guests competed in trivia challenges for prizes and participated in drawings for $500 in gift cards to various Tivoli Village retailers. Thank you all for taking part in such a memorable evening.

GE

08 17

When is a boxing match a cynical, cash-grabbing spectacle? page 36

TU RNS OUT SC HO OL REORG IS A L EARNING PRO C ES S

EDUCATION

Team drama This month begins the first full year of a school “reorganization” plan that purports to shift power from central administrators to parents. But does it?

B Y I A N W H I TA K E R

O

n the first day of school in 1966, every school in New York City opened its doors save for one.

Intermediate School 201, newly built in the heart of Harlem, was meant to be a beacon of racial integration a decade after the Supreme Court’s landmark 1954 ruling in favor of desegregation, drawing students from middle-class white families in the Bronx and across the East River, as well as students of color from nearby working-class enclaves. City officials spent months papering neighborhoods with leaflets advertising the school, a state-of-the-art, air-conditioned building that took up an entire city block.

In the end, the school did not receive a single application from a white family and was on track to open with a student body made up half each of African-American and Puerto Rican students. It was the last straw for many black families in Harlem, still suffering from chronic overcrowding and de facto segregation. Parents shut down the school for 10 days, and the leader of Harlem’s PTA was quoted by The New York

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25

ALL THINGS

education

Times as demanding, “Either they bring white children in to integrate IS 201 or let the community run the school.”

The shutdown sparked a period of civil unrest and eventually the formation of a handful of community-controlled school districts, including one in Brooklyn’s Ocean Hill neighborhood.

The experiment ended acrimoniously in 1968, however, after a decision by Ocean Hill parents to transfer out 13 white teachers prompted one of the largest teacher strikes in history.

The episode was the first shot fired in anger in the war to assert control over local schools. In the end, the parents didn’t get their way, but their impulse — to have a direct say in what happens at schools — has survived. In Chicago, for example, parents and staff at schools have met to decide everything from budgets to curriculum since the late 1980s.

And now the idea finds a fresh expression in Las Vegas, where a permanent plan to decentralize the nation’s fifth-largest school district is set to go into full effect this school year (which begins August 14). Originally conceived by the 2015 Legislature’s Republican majority as a “break up” of CCSD into smaller, independent school districts, an idea that quickly ran headfirst into civil rights law, the scaled-down plan retains the original intent of loosening district bureaucrats’ grip on power. Now, elected “school organization teams” comprising parents and staff drive the agenda at each school rather than central administrators. The team can propose topics for discussion and vote on things like the school budget, with principals having the final veto. Duties of the district’s central office now include supporting the decisions made by school communities.

Some historical ironies emerged during the district’s yearlong effort to come up with a plan. On the topic of community control, the loudest voices emerged not from Clark County’s low-income neighborhoods and overcrowded inner-city schools, but from far-flung rural enclaves like Moapa

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and the neatly spaced suburban homes of Summerlin and Henderson.

Far from the sentiments of radical civil rights leaders like Bayard Rustin, whose 1964 boycott of New York City’s public schools paved the way for the discussion of community control, a quote on the website of outspoken parent group Break Free CCSD comes from industrialist Henry Ford: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Also in keeping with Nevada’s status as a foil to wider national norms, the local teachers’ union was one of the proposal’s biggest supporters. Its executive director, John Vellardita, was often seen at meetings rubbing shoulders with top state Republican Michael Roberson, whose key role in the reorganization was an extension of his party’s long-running feud with the school district and its elected board.

If the plan’s rollout has come without the racially charged protests of the past, it hasn’t been without controversy.

Just a few months after the first school organization teams were elected, late last year, parents on the team at Newton Elementary in Henderson packed a meeting of the school board with signs written in red marker, demanding that a well-liked interim principal be hired to run the school instead of an outsider picked by the central office. One angry parent vowed the community would “not stop until that happens.” The campaign came to an abrupt halt moments later, however, when Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky explained that district administrators still had the final say, and that the decision had already been made.

Which has prompted a number of parents to question whether their role on school committees is little more than a rubber stamp. “Parents get pissed off about classroom size and the educational experience their child is having, or if their kid has a (special education plan) that’s not being followed,” says Laurie Saposhnik, who sat on the committee at Rogich Middle School in Summerlin.

“Those are the things people really care

about, and the (school committee) has absolutely zero influence on that.”

It also doesn’t help to hear rumors, as some have in recent months, that vocal committee members have drawn the ire of principals at some schools, leading some parents to transfer schools and teachers to stick to the classroom to avoid all the drama.

“We hear so many stories from parents that the climate at their particular school has not changed, that they have been the recipient of some pretty heavy bullying,” says Caryne Shea of HOPE for Nevada, a parent advocacy group heavily involved in education circles. Shea said she’s received texts from teachers after school committee meetings saying they had to hold their tongues on certain topics.

“I don’t know how many people will get their concerns addressed if they’re too scared to speak up about it,” Shea says.

At other schools, particularly those in low-income areas, finding parents with the time to attend meetings has been a chore. Some schools operate without a full contingent of parents, and others have been forced to skip elections altogether due to a lack of candidates.

However, some believe these issues could just be growing pains, even Shea and Saposhnik. This will be the plan’s first full year, and the district is busy collecting success stories from school teams. A district “listening tour” held at a handful of schools in May was also designed to suss out parent feedback. The reorganization has also changed how the central office operates, challenging administrators to adopt something more akin to a customer service role for schools.

“It’s a massive culture change that we’re going through at central office,” says Kellie Ballard, an assistant to the chief reorganization official. “There are so many pieces to the implementation of the work, that we come across things we didn’t realize every day.”

For principals, the changes have swelled the daily workload of preparing data and presentations for parents. But

it could pay dividends in a transient city like Las Vegas, where the realities of running a school are often lost on parents, especially those who arrive from better-funded districts. After all, can the average working parent ever know the ins and outs of law and federal education regulations as much as a principal with decades of experience?

“It’s been a relief to be able to share that responsibility with my parents,” says Ramona Esparza, a 24-year veteran of CCSD and principal at Valley High School. “Now they are privy to some things that I normally wouldn’t have shared before — (for example) that a pallet of paper costs $1,000.

“When you show them how much paper costs and how much paper we use, parents are like, ‘What?!’” she says.

Left up in the air for now, and possibly for years as the new system takes shape, is the effect the change will have on students. The legislative will to decentralize the school district sprung mostly out of its historically poor performance on standardized tests and its perennial home on the bottom rung of American education rankings.

Will increased parent involvement benefit the classroom? Research on the subject isn’t clear, says UNLV researcher Joseph Morgan.

“Part of the problem with parent involvement is the research has not really defined what quality parental involvement is. We just assume that in Summerlin, all of the parents are involved in their students’ education,” Morgan says. “I don’t know that we can paint with a broad stroke and say this is what parental involvement looks like.

Each school is really a contextual place.”

In 2015, Morgan assisted with a survey of more than 1,000 parents at 30 schools near the city’s Downtown core, where high rates of poverty more often than not translate into poor academic performance. The survey was separate from the reorganization, but asked parents to rank what they thought was important for their school.

The main priority? More support for after-school programs.

reimagine

T H E

F U T U R E

Imagine a community that provides every citizen with the doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers they need when they are well, and when they are sick. Imagine shorter wait times to see those providers, with patient-centered care focused on improving health outcomes.

Our state needs more qualified healthcare providers to bridge the gaps that exist. With your help, we can all reimagine a better future for our families, friends and our communities. Roseman University, a not-for-profit, private University thanks its friends and advocates for generously giving time and resources to build a healthier Nevada.

Join us as we reimagine the next chapter of healthcare for Nevada.

Make your gift to the Roseman University College of Medicine by calling 702-802-2870 or text “Reimagine” to 855-790-8070.

Challenge. Rethink. Roseman.

Learn more at roseman.edu

11 Sunset Way | Henderson, NV 89014 | 702-990-4433 10530 Discovery Drive | Las Vegas, NV 89135 | 702-802-2841 10920 S. River Front Parkway | South Jordan, UT 84095 | 801-302-2600

roseman.edu | @rosemanuhs

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ALL THINGS

health

COMMUNITY

‘Housing is healthcare’ A local company has a novel idea for improving healthcare for the poor: putting disconnected services under one roof B Y A N D R E W K I R A LY

Y

ou wouldn’t normally think of a motel on Fremont Street as a beacon of optimism, but then there’s the New Hope. It blends in with Fremont’s southward stretch of used car lots, weekly apartments and locals casinos, but it’s anything but another flop.

The rooms have newly painted walls, new laminate floors and IKEA furniture.

But beyond good looks, this modest halfway house, which opened in June, is aiming to solve some big problems in healthcare and mental health services for the poor.

“Housing is a form of healthcare,” says Marce Casal on a recent morning as he gives a tour of the renovated motel (formerly the Lamplighter). Casal is president and CEO of The Well Care Group, which owns and operates New Hope. “Until you fix that basic human need for shelter and food, all the other health services become a challenge.

That’s what this facility can do — provide short-term transitional housing so we can provide people time to work on their social-service needs.”

It’s a simple idea with a lot of moving parts. More than just running a transitional home, Well Care has plugged into the New Hope Motel all the other services that, say, a recovering alcoholic or mental health patient might be told to take advantage of but never follow through on — and thus fall right back into their addiction or depression. At New Hope, for example, a case manager makes sure members get rides to doctor

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appointments, and schedules therapists for on-site group sessions. Medications are delivered to the motel, made possible by the fact that Well Care also has a pharmacy arm. There’s no excuse for anyone to miss a doctor visit, a therapy session, a pill, a job interview. It’s those seemingly minor cracks and gaps — a forgotten medication or follow-up physician appointment — that cause many a patient to veer off the precarious path to recovery.

“The key is reducing fragmentation,” Casal says. “It’s very challenging to get resources, especially if you’re indigent and homeless. How do you get around?

How do you get to go see a bunch of different professionals and make your appointments when you don’t have a home? What we ended up developing was a comprehensive program where we could provide all lines of services under one umbrella for one person.” One goal is to keep the poor and homeless struggling with addiction and mental health problems out of local emergency rooms.

Unnecessary emergency room visits

add $4.4 billion annually to the nation’s healthcare costs, according to a widely cited 2010 RAND Corporation study.

Well Care, which began in 2007 as a pharmacy but sold most of that off in 2013, got into the behavioral healthcare business after it was approached by Amerigroup, a company that serves Medicaid and Medicare recipients in 12 states. Amerigroup wanted to save money; with its pharmacy programs, Well Care had already earned a reputation for trimming healthcare costs by reducing hospital readmissions. The company operates two behavioral healthcare clinics in Las Vegas and began operating one in Reno in December. Most of Well Care’s clients live in transitional homes dotted throughout the valley, but Casal hopes that the more centralized and efficient New Hope Motel model catches on. So far, Casal estimates, more than 3,000 clients have gone through Well Care’s 30- to 45-day program.

“Without Marce, I’d be either dead, drunk or stoned out of my mind,” says Johnn Ventimiglia, a former client.

P H OTO G R A P H Y B R E N T H O L M E S

Home, health and hope: Top, Well Care CEO Marce Casal in a room at New Hope Motel.

Bottom left and right, former client Johnn Ventimiglia and current client Annabella Sliva.

Ventimiglia says the death of his wife in 2014 from breast cancer, and the death of his oldest daughter in 2015 by a drunk driver, sent him into a tailspin. “I was clinically depressed, emotionally wrecked, spiritually bankrupt.”

He lost his job as a chef on the Strip, and eventually entered the Well Care program in March 2016. “It’s a one-stop shop,” he says. “You can get your medical, your psychiatric, your therapy.” Today, he’s an executive for a trucking company he founded with a friend. “Marce and Well Care literally saved my life.”

Whether the company will continue to save lives is up in the air, given the cloudy future of the Affordable Care Act; all of Well Care’s clients are Medicare or Medicaid recipients.

Casal is loath to speculate about what will happen to New Hope and Well Care’s behavioral clinics if the ACA is repealed. “I believe it’s going to be a little bit of time before anything will be done, but no one’s certain on how that will impact us.”

Meanwhile, the program continues to impact lives. Annabella Sliva, 62, is a current client. In January, Sliva, a retired card dealer, ran out of money and was facing eviction. She fell into a depression and attempted suicide by stabbing herself in the stomach. After a stay in Montevista Hospital, she was introduced to Well Care’s services.

“If I only knew about Well Care, I would have never, ever tried to take my life. Never,” she says. “I was so blown away when the case manager asked me what kind of help I needed. I’ve never asked for help. But you know what? It was about time to learn it was okay to ask for help. There’s nothing wrong with it. You could ask for help.”

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ALL THINGS

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PROFILE

Sherry Hopkins

MIDWIFE AND FOUNDER, WELL ROUNDED MOMMA

T

here is nothing about the lobby of Well Rounded Momma that says medical care. Instead, the first impression you get is that of a kitschy, high-end boutique, complete with vintage furniture and neatly arranged colorful products.

A second, closer look reveals that the products on sale are stones, oils, and supplements for pregnant and postnatal women and newborns. It is, perhaps, what many would expect from a midwife-based birth-support and maternity-care center, which is often associated with a new age, hippie vibe — but Well Rounded Momma is a practice very much grounded in scientific roots.

That’s important to founder Sherry Hopkins. Hopkins emphasizes that as midwives, she and her partners practice evidence-based care. For her, that means allowing clients to choose from a range of safe options in their birth plan.

Those options include being allowed to move around and try different positions during labor or utilize water to manage pain, options that Hopkins says are not offered in local hospitals. Indeed, it was that lack of options that motivated her to open Well Rounded Momma shortly after she moved here from Utah in 2006.

“I was shocked at maternity care options in the valley, and so I opened Well Rounded Momma as kind of a hobby, just a place where women could come take classes and hire a doula and have support in the hospital,” Hopkins says.

“From seeing Vegas in the movies, you think of it as this forward, progressive town, and it’s not.

We’re very behind in the field of medicine, and politically, and I was really surprised about that aspect.”

Hopkins’ team at Well Rounded

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Momma includes midwives, doulas, massage therapists, and others. In 2008, Hopkins herself became a certified midwife with the North American Registry of Midwives.

Certified Professional Midwives, or CPMs, have far fewer clients than the typical obstetrician — where a doctor might have 30-60 deliveries a month, a midwife will likely only have three or four.

Doctors can usually see patients for limited amounts of time, so they rely on nurses to assist with care.

Midwives can sit with clients for much longer periods, allowing them to better understand the mother’s needs and desires.

According to data from the World Health Organization, the United States’ maternal mortality rates rose from 0.6 percent in 2000 to 0.8 percent in 2015 — making it the only developed nation to see an increase.

“If you look at countries where they utilize midwifery care, and care is more personal, it’s more one-on-one, you spend more time with your clients, outcomes are better,” Hopkins says. “Continuity of care is a huge

part of what makes labor safe.”

In Nevada, care is complicated by a low doctor-to-patient ratio.

According to data from Pew Charitable Trusts, there were fewer than 600 obstetrician-gynecologists in the state in 2016 — that’s 8-11 doctors per 100,000 people. There were fewer than 55 nurse-midwives in the state that same year, around three per 100,000. Hopkins’ goal is to saturate the market with midwives. Three more will receive licenses and begin working with the group this year, including Hopkins’ daughter, Cora.

Midwives can assist with both hospital and home births. Following home births, midwives return to check on mother and baby and perform newborn screenings.

They are licensed to do all the screenings babies get in the hospital; the two things they can’t do are circumcisions and vaccinations.

For women who prefer a traditional hospital experience, Well Rounded Momma offers workshops and classes on breastfeeding, babywearing, and childbirth, among others.

“I think if a woman wants to truly own her experience and her outcomes, then she has to take some steps, and it doesn’t have to be something that we provide. If she just came in and asked, ‘What books could I read, what videos could I watch,’ there’s just got to be some kind of education and informative resource,” Hopkins says.

“Ninety-year-old women remember their birth story. It’s something you never forget … it’s one of those moments that (you) step into parenthood thinking, ‘Could I own this or not?’”

8826 S. Eastern Ave. #111; wellroundedmomma.com Nadia Eldemerdash

P H OTO G R A P H Y LU C KY W E N Z E L

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ALL THINGS

zeit bites

BOOKS

‘MURDEROUS RAGES PRETTY FREQUENTLY’ How does writing violent crime fiction mess with Tod Goldberg’s head?

E

arly September sees the publication of Gangster Nation, by novelist and former Las Vegan Tod Goldberg, the follow-up to his Vegas-set best-seller Gangsterland. Because it’s also set in September 2001, a lot of themes crash together in the narrative — but at its basic level, it’s about a mob hitman masquerading as a Las Vegas rabbi while doing favors for his old masters — and who wants out. Violence ensues.

What’s it like to climb into the heads of homicidal characters for the long period it takes to write a novel? Let’s ask!

out of characters involving themselves in situations where their best intentions swing out of their control, so there’s usually a lead up to the violence, an escalation in screw-ups that results, eventually, in someone getting killed. But I’ve made a concerted effort these last several years to not make the violence in my books cartoonish — I try to make it as messy and realistic as possible — because I think there’s a responsibility involved. I’m not trying to make this stuff look cool.

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET OUT OF VIOLENCE BRAIN?

HOW HARD IS IT TO GET INTO THE VIOLENT MIND-SET REQUIRED OF YOUR CRIME FICTION?

It’s not terribly difficult, because I think the violence in my books has always sprung

Head shots

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Much more difficult! I didn’t finish the last re-write of Gangster Nation until April, so there were plenty of opportunities to have sustained bouts of rage at the world without also needing to do so on the page. Thus I found

myself in murderous rages pretty frequently.

I’d wander out of my office, and my wife would have to remind me that I am not, in fact, a Mafia hitman pretending to be a middle-aged Jew, and that I needed to turn off the dialogue running in my head while we discussed what we needed to pick up at Target. My editor called me one day to talk about something, and midway through the conversation — in which I’d threatened his life and the life of everyone who’d ever known him, over my book cover, as I recall — he said, “Am I talking to you or am I talking to a hitman?”

WHAT KIND OF EFFECT DOES THAT IMMERSION HAVE IN THE LONG RUN?

I’ve spent the last 20 years imagining how bad guys think, and in some ways I think it’s made me kind of paranoid. I’m always seeing how a scam could happen, always thinking about the potential angles people are taking to screw me over, or seeing little ways I’ve put my life in jeopardy. Which is no way to live, obviously. You have to think that most people are pretty good, that they aren’t out to kill you or rob you or somehow hurt you, or else you’ll drive yourself crazy, never mind that you might end up getting into fist fights in Whole Foods over the smoked chicken on a daily basis. And the fact is, I abhor violence, though a couple years ago I went out and shot a bunch of guns because I figured I needed to have that experience to write about it convincingly. And, boy, I have to tell you: I absolutely loved it, which solidified my desire to never own one.

Scott Dickensheets

STUDYING FIGHTERS’ BRAINS Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor may want to pause their hypestorm (see page 36) to read a new report from the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. According to its five-year study of 438 active fighters, retired fighters, and nonfighters, active fighters show elevated levels of two protein markers of long-term brain injury in their blood — components of nerve fibers dislodged when the fibers are damaged. One of the proteins, called tau, is linked to shrinkage of the thalamus, which regulates consciousness, alertness, and cognitive function. the study isn’t finished, says its author, Dr. Charles Bernick. Researchers need to refine their understanding of how the proteins “may be used to monitor traumatic brain injury and the neurological consequences over time.” — SD

I L LU ST R AT I O N B R E N T H O L M E S

Reaching out to the Entire Community Caesars Foundation is committed to providing educational opportunities to underserved populations in the Nevada communities where we operate. Through a partnership with Nevada-based Opportunity Village (OV), we are proud to support job training, life skills assistance, renovation of OV campuses and the creation of a park to help people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

facebook.com/CaesarsFoundation

@CaesarsFdn

ALL THINGS

object lesson

TRENDSETTER

Josh Kingdon Owner, Sweetpotato Awesome

J

osh Kingdon was on his way to becoming a priest. Then he truly saw the light — of Las Vegas, where he launched a business dedicated to healthy snacking. We asked him about the magic of sweet potatoes, ethical fashion, and how to tame monster bedhead.

WHY SWEET POTATOES?

Sweet potatoes are super nutrient-dense root vegetables that taste like dessert if prepared properly. It’s kind of like kale, but tastes like a cupcake. That’s a powerful combo. I’ve always had a strong love for food, but I didn’t get the inspiration to start a food business until the morning of January 16, 2014. I was in a Catholic seminary in Boston discerning a call to the priesthood with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, when I had a very specific moment in prayer where God told me, “You are not called to be a priest. Go to Las Vegas and start a business.” Totally true story.

BY CHRISTIE MOELLER

DID YOU KNOW YOU’D FOCUS YOUR BUSINESS ON SWEET POTATOES?

A healthy cookie business was my first thought, as I had found a really yummy almond flour cookie that I was making at the time. I moved back to my parents’ place for a few months and started experimenting in the kitchen. It was then I found that sweet potato flour worked even better for the cookies. I started

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researching how I could make sweet potato flour while retaining the most nutrients, and I discovered that freeze-drying was the best way. I bought a Harvest Right home freeze dryer and started experimenting in the garage. I liked the texture and flavor of the freeze-dried sweet potatoes so much that I forgot about cookies and stuck to the slices.

YOU’RE IN THE KITCHEN QUITE A BIT. WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE TO GO OUT, WHAT DO YOU WEAR?

In terms of fashion, I’m a classicand-comfy sort of guy, with Lucky brand jeans and Brooks Brothers being some of my favorites. (The rest of the time, I’m in scrubs and workout-shirt chic.) Ethical fashion is important to me, so I hope to be wearing Brunello Cucinelli someday. In the meantime, Patagonia, Brooks and Lucky seem to more affordably fill that void.

P H OTO G R A P H Y A N D R E W JA M E S

JOSH’S 5 THINGS TO B E AT T H E H E AT T H I S SUMMER

1 WHAT GROOMING TRICK DO YOU USE TO STAY LOOKING SHARP DESPITE RUNNING AROUND THE KITCHEN ALL DAY ?

MCT oil (extract of coconut oil) actually works really well for styling hair — without an odor — and keeping it from being too frizzy or curly. I wake up with serious bedhead, and the MCT helps contain the curls.

TELL ME SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT

2

A SWEET POTATO.

One of my missions in life is to popularize the spelling of “sweetpotato” as one word and not two. After all, sweet potatoes are actually not potatoes. Potatoes are a tuber, and part of the nightshade family of plants. Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable (with tuberous qualities) and are part of the Morning Glory family.

Hence, a sweet potato is not a potato that is sweet. It is a sweetpotato.

3

Tommy Bahama Kona Bay Artic Tile Swimtrunks. You can’t go wrong with these simple, classic swim trunks. $58, available at Tommy Bahama locations in Town Square, the Forum Shops at Caesars, the Fashion Show Mall and the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood

2

Gafaz Desilu Sunglasses.

I love these super-cool bamboo-framed sunglasses — stylish and sophisticated, but earthy. $75, gafazsunglasses. com

WHAT MAKES YOUR SNACK “AWESOME”?

Nutrient density, super long-term shelf life, an amazing crunch, and, well, coolness that no healthy snack has ever possessed. We’re talking Harrison Ford at the end of Clear and Present Danger and Frank Sinatra with Antonio Carlos Jobim levels of coolness. You hear that, kale chips? That’s right. Your days as the go-to healthy snack are numbered.

3

Buzz Pop Cocktails. Made in Las Vegas, these amazing-tasting gourmet treats are infused with various types of alcohol. Mango passion fruit is my current fave. For those who don’t partake, Buzz Pop Shirleys have all the flavor, with no alcohol. $4-$10, buzzpopcocktails.com

4

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO EAT

4

A SWEETPOTATO AWESOME SNACK?

I break up the Original or Flat Out Awesome into smaller pieces, put it in a bowl with some milk and eat it as a cereal. (We’ll actually be releasing a new product called Bits of Awesome, which will make this even easier in the future.)As far as accompaniments, my good friend and Catholic priest, Father Richard Baker from New York City, tells me that bourbon goes perfectly with Flat Out Awesome. I’m trusting this man of the cloth.

1

Jessica Rey swimwear.

These retro-styled swimsuits are not only beautiful, but they’re ethically made.

“Ann” in sunburst, $108; “Celia” top in pineapple, $79; highwaist bottom in pineapple, $48, jessicarey.com

5

5

OluKai Polena flip flops.

Not only are OluKai’s flip flops durable and stylish, but OluKai is a certified B Corporation and all-around awesome company that pledges to leave the smallest footprint possible on the planet while giving back to the community. $99.95, available at Nordstrom in the Fashion Show Mall

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ALL THINGS

open topic

SPORTS

Punch out The Mayweather-McGregor match is a farce wrapped in a spectacle and served on a bed of cash; true boxing fans will pay to view a very different bout B Y M AT T JA C O B

I

t’s rare that we here at Desert Companion offer readers financial advice, but we fear you’re on the verge of making a horrible decision with your hard-earned cash. At least if you’re a boxing fan.

On August 26, two brash, world-class fighters will slip on a pair of 10-ounce boxing gloves and square off against one another at T-Mobile Arena in what will be one of the biggest spectacles ever hosted by the Boxing Capital of the World. And many fans who can’t afford tickets to attend this pageant in person — and few can — will eagerly shell out $100 to order the pay-per-view.

If you happen to be among them, we have four words in reply: Do. Not. Do. It. Because Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor isn’t just one of the biggest fights Las Vegas has ever hosted, it’s inarguably the biggest farce — one that members of the Nevada State Athletic Commission should be condemned for sanctioning. Just as they would be condemned had they sanctioned a fight between an in-his-prime Mike Tyson and … you.

But wait. Didn’t you just call Mayweather and McGregor world-class fighters?

We did. And they are. In their respective sports.

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Mayweather (49-0, 26 KOs) is an 11-time world champion in five weight classes, one of the most technically proficient fighters in boxing history. McGregor (21-3, 18 KOs) is a three-time Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder and one of the most devastating punchers in mixed-martial arts history.

Okay, we get it. Boxing and MMA are different. But are they THAT different?

Only as different as soccer and hockey.

Sure, both have nets, goalies, and offsides penalties. But they require vastly different skill sets, particularly at the highest level.

David Beckham would’ve looked foolish on an NHL rink, Wayne Gretzky on a professional soccer pitch.

Yeah, but, as you noted, Conor can punch like a mule. All he needs to do is land one shot! Isn’t that worth $100?

You’d think. Except that nobody hits Floyd Mayweather. Nobody! He’s as good a defensive boxer as has ever laced up the gloves, which a reported 4.4 million people saw firsthand in May 2015. That’s how many people bought — and soon regretted

I L LU S T R AT I O N RYA N O L B RYS H

buying — the $100 pay-per-view to watch Mayweather toy with the legendary Manny Pacquiao. At the time, Pacquiao was a seven-time world champion, yet over the course of 12 rounds, he hit Mayweather a grand total of 81 times — and that includes jabs.

Pacquiao entered the ring against Mayweather with 407 rounds of professional boxing experience. McGregor will enter with exactly zero.

“McGregor has no chance in this fight,” Pacquiao told Yahoo Sports in June. “There is no way he will be able to land a meaningful punch on Floyd. How could he? He has no professional experience in boxing.”

Translation: If you’re considering ponying up that $100 for Mayweather-McGregor in hopes the return will be an exciting and maybe even historic fight, well, Bernie Madoff has some investment opportunities he’d like to talk with you about.

Really, there is no chance this 154-pound scrap ends in anything other than a lopsided Mayweather victory. And you know who realizes that as much as anyone? Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor, both of whom have all but acknowledged this “fight” is nothing more than a money grab.

Why do you think McGregor agreed to a boxing match instead of holding out for an MMA brawl, which he’d be an overwhelming favorite to win? Because he knew no amount of money would’ve lured Mayweather into the octagon. He also knew no UFC bout he could fight would result in the life-changing paycheck he’s about to cash.

And why do you think Mayweather was so eager to end a near two-year retirement and put his 49-0 record at risk a month after his 40th birthday? Because he knows McGregor poses no risk at all. The only way Mayweather was going to be lured back to the ring was if (a) he got paid an ungodly sum of money, and (b) he got matched against a foe whose odds of winning were thinner than a ring-card girl. Sure enough, “Money May” will get another nine-figure payday and make history by becoming the first boxer to retire (for good) with a 50-0 record. And he’ll do it by picking apart an opponent who is less experienced in the squared circle than Roberto Apodaca, Mayweather’s very first victim when he turned pro in October 1996 (and whose pro boxing career ended 2½

years later with a 1-5 record).

So here’s the rest of our advice: Stuff that $100 back in your wallet. Put it in the kids’ college fund. Or, if you’re a fan of actual boxing, use it to purchase the pay-per-view of a legitimate blockbuster match scheduled to take place three weeks after the Mayweather-McGregor farce.

On September 16, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin will square off at T-Mobile in a highly anticipated 160-pound title-unification bout that has the potential to be as action-packed and dramatic as any prizefight ever staged in the Boxing Capital of the World.

Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) is a four-time world champion who has won eight consecutive fights — including five victories over former world titleholders — since suffering his lone defeat, a close decision to Mayweather in September 2013. A 26-yearold native of Guadalajara, Mexico, Alvarez is another in a long line of fierce, heavy-hitting Mexican brawlers who love nothing more than to engage in an old-fashioned firefight.

Similarly, Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) is a come-forward boxer whose anvil-like power belies his boyish appearance — the 35-year-old native of Kazakhstan who looks no more menacing than a physics professor has knocked out all but four of his opponents, including 24 inside of five rounds.

Golovkin holds three world titles at 160 pounds; Alvarez owns the other. All four belts will be up for grabs in a scheduled 12-round rumble that — given their aggressive fighting styles and immense power — easily could end up being as explosive as the epic 1985 Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns war at Caesars Palace, which packed five fights’ worth of action into eight minutes and eight seconds.

Or it could feature the kind of back-and-forth momentum swings that were the hallmark of the classic 1982 Hearns-Sugar Ray Leonard clash, also at Caesars.

One thing Alvarez-Golovkin almost certainly will not be is boring. More importantly, the outcome won’t be known ahead of time. In other words, it’ll be the polar opposite of Mayweather-McGregor.

“The real fight and the best fight is Golovkin vs. Canelo,” Pacquiao told Yahoo Sports. “The best vs. the best. That’s the fight I will be watching.”

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SOCIETY

BLIND TRUST When you’ve lost your sight and are re-learning how to navigate the world in ways small (handling money) and large (fighting your fears), it’s good to have a little help B Y M I C H A E L LY L E

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Second sight: Robert Stevenson hopes to regain his independence through a mobility training program for the blind.

R

obert Stevenson is nervous about riding the bus.

Even though his vision had been declining for six years, the 45-year-old Las Vegas resident became legally blind less than a year ago.

This is just his third week relying on his cane, and his first time using public transit. But when he began mobility training in May, he had a goal in mind: “I hope I get more confident getting around to different places without a guide,” he says. “I hope this is as easy as it sounds.”

Stevenson stands outside of the bus trying to figure out how to board. Using his cane, he finds a ramp, which was lowered to let a passenger with a wheelchair on before him. But the cane snags on the groove between the ramp and the platform, which makes Stevenson hesitate. He doesn’t want to make a wrong step. Eventually, he trusts his

instrument, steps onto the bus, swipes his pass and takes a seat in an open row on the right-hand side. Holding his fluorescent-green backpack with his right hand and his cane with his left, he sits and listens for his stop.

He’s going to get some groceries.

It’s fortunate for Stevenson that he found BlindConnect, a nonprofit that provides mobility training and helps visually impaired and blind individuals connect to resources. It’s not always that easy. While there are a number of agencies here you can turn to when you become blind or visually impaired — Nevada Council of the Blind, the Blind Center of Southern Nevada, Easter Seals, and the Nevada Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired — Nevada isn’t as progressive as some other states when it comes to providing services, says Rick Kuhlmey, president of the Nevada

P H OTO G R A P H Y LU C KY W E N Z E L

Moved to help: BlindConnect President Jean Peyton partnered with the RTC to launch the Mobility Training Center.

Council of the Blind. “I get calls all the time from people who want to move to Nevada and wonder if we have places or homes specifically for the blind,” he says. “We have none of that.”

To be legally blind, a person must have his or her vision diagnosed at 20/200 or have a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Visual impairment is often defined clinically as a visual acuity of 20/70 or worse, or a total field loss of 140 degrees.

“According to the last census, there are about 40,000 people in Nevada who are blind, visually impaired, or losing their sight,” says Janna Velasco, program director at the Blind Center of Nevada. “Let’s say that 5,000 people are blind (in Las Vegas). We have 200 to 300 people on the books (at the Blind Center) and 100 people who participate on a weekly basis. Where is everyone else?

I think some services are hard to find.”

Not to mention that just getting started with the basics can be tiresome, Kuhlmey says. Most people he has talked to have a hard time getting Social Security disability income, and become confused by the process. According to Velasco, most of the Blind Center’s clients live near the poverty level, making between $700 and $800 a month from supplemental Social Security income. As a result, the organization provides free meals throughout the week for members and also offers a food pantry.

She says in the last year the various organizations have joined forces to help create better awareness and promote each others’ services. “We created a collaborative effort,” she says. “We have a handshake agreement. So when I tell

somebody about the resources here, I tell them about all the other resources.”

But knowing assistance is out there doesn’t mean people will walk through the door right away. “We have found, on average, that a person who has become blind will spend one to two years at home,” Velasco says. “They are depressed. They are fearful of not knowing what to do.”

A HELPFUL FAKE HOME

“I

was depressed for a long time,” says Stevenson, who developed diabetic neuropathy. “I thought I was going to have to spend the rest of my life relying on others.” But he wanted to take care of himself, and, more importantly, be able to find a job. Most who seek these resources have felt the same way.

“We know if we can get them through the door, we can help with that,” says Jean Peyton, president of BlindConnect, who is legally blind. The nonprofit, founded in 1998, has been offering mobility training since 2013 through its Angela’s House program. The organization began by using classrooms at the College of Southern Nevada to train the visually impaired how to perform everyday tasks, such as using a cane or handling money. Around the same time BlindConnect began looking for a permanent place to house the program, the Regional Transportation Commission was looking to open a Mobility Training Center to train people who have a variety of disabilities.

A partnership was born.

The training center opened near Decatur Boulevard and Sunset Road in January 2016 and became home to

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SOCIETY DEPARTMENT

Street scene: The training center includes a simulated street complete with traffic lights and city noise.

Angela’s House. Walking through the center, the hallways and business offices lead into the back where an unusual facility awaits: a simulated street with traffic lights, intersections, and the ambient city noise you would hear while walking down a street. This is where people with disabilities learn to negotiate public transit. Tucked away nearby is the 1,270-square-foot Angela’s House, which is set up like an actual two-bedroom home. “It’s fully equipped,” Peyton says.

During the 90-hour training over a three-week period, visually impaired participants learn how to do normal household chores, such as cleaning the floors and making the bed, as well as such life skills as Braille lessons and money management. “It’s like a boot camp,” Peyton says. “We’re not going to make it easy for you. We are going to challenge you, but we are here to support you through it.”

Along with giving them an overview of what’s to come, on the first day Peyton and mobility trainers teach how to use a cane. “That is a really big sign of independence,” she says. “You can get around your home, your community — the world, really — once you learn to use a cane.” But many are reluctant to do so.

“They are afraid they will be seen as vulnerable and don’t want to be identified as blind,” Peyton adds.

People usually begin by finding their way through the halls of the mobility center, banging on walls and doors along the way. “We give them auditory cues to help them figure it out,” Peyton says.

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AISLE TO AISLE

E

ven though it’s near the end of his time with the program, Stevenson is still getting comfortable with his cane. With a flick of his wrist, he moves the cane across the ground left to right to left to right. “The cane does the talking for me,” he says. It knocks against the curb, telling him he is too close to the sidewalk.

It bangs against a metal post, revealing an object in front of him. “I always thought it would be easy,” Stevenson says. “Others make it seem easy.” Out on the street, he has also learned to pay attention to every noise, such as whether a car is stopped or in motion, and the direction in which traffic is flowing. With his cane, he has realized the slightest difference between the pavement on a sidewalk and street or even how the painted lines on an intersection have a different feeling.

Peyton says along with cane work, learning to cook is intimidating. “They come into the program with fear, but then they get more comfortable,” she says. “And then on the first day you give them a knife, they freak out again. We assure them they will be safe and they can do this.”

Peyton says before Angela’s House opened, participants would go into the homes of their blind mentors to learn the ins and outs of working in a kitchen. She prefers the Angela’s House kitchen.

At least once in the program, participants — who are accompanied by training specialists — leave the mobility center, board a bus and head seven exits down to a Smith’s near Desert Inn Road to do a little grocery shopping. Stevenson’s list of

ingredients includes ground turkey, taco seasoning, green onions, and sour cream for the enchiladas he will make that week.

He enters the store flanked by Ryan O’Neil, a mentor with Angela’s House, who is also blind. “Listen to the beeps, and you know you’re getting closer to a checkout counter,” he says. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, O’Neil says, stores have a customer service associate who will assist blind people.

Stevenson pilots a shopping cart with the customer service associate guiding him through the aisles. As they pull up to a particular item on his list, she asks him about preferred brands and quantity. “You can just get a generic brand of sour cream,” he says to her. The trip around the store takes Stevenson down two aisles, toward the back of the store where the meat and dairy are located, and up front to the produce section. He has everything he needs.

After Stevenson pulls up to the checkout station, his helper unloads each item onto the conveyor belt; “$16.17,” the cashier says. He reaches into an envelope and feels for the $20 bill (he’d previously learned how to tell the difference by folding bills in certain ways). Stevenson thanks the associate for assisting him, and heads back to the bus not only with all his items in a reusable grocery bag, but with a little more confidence in his abilities.

THE BEAT GOES ON

L

ive music echoes through the halls and cafeteria at the Blind Center of Nevada this afternoon. It’s Broken Spectacles, a band made up of visually impaired and blind members who frequent

the center; they’re rehearsing “When We Were Young” by The Killers for an upcoming show.

The Blind Center provides mobility training and Braille classes, though the mobility training is on hold as the organization has already exceeded its budget for that program this year. In addition to teaching independence, the facility also offers classes such as yoga, a fitness center with weight machines specifically for the blind, a bowling alley — there are bumpers on the lanes — and arts and crafts. “Once people are able to get out of the house, they progress in their lives by leaps and bounds,” Velasco says. The center recently broke ground on an expanded building that will also feature a training kitchen.

It’s expected to open early next year.

Back in the rehearsal room, 26-year-old Ivan Delgado is on the drums. He’s been coming to the center for 10 years. “I love how tight the community is here,” he says.

Delgado was born with severe conditional glaucoma, which prompted his parents to leave Mexico and come to the United States for better healthcare. He has been in Las Vegas since 1995. After a friend invited him to the center, Delgado began connecting with other blind musicians. He’s been playing the drums since he was 14, even after music teachers told him not to pursue entertainment. “Playing in front of an audience gives me such a high,” he says.

“Just because you lose your sight doesn’t mean you lose your desire to be great,” says Cory Nelson, the Blind Center’s executive director.

Even beyond music, Delgado knew he was capable of more. In 2013, he joined the Business Enterprise Program through the Nevada Bureau of Services to the Blind and Visually Impaired. It provides training and classes in business management and opens opportunities for them to eventually own snack bars and vending machines placed in public buildings. Delgado has operated vending machines since 2015, but these days he is most proud of the food cart he opened this year in the Clark County Family Court. “It’s a small snack bar that sells hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and personal pizzas,” he says. “I already have my sights on another location.”

Delgado says that while some other owners take on sighted employees or

partners to help run the cash register, he runs his mostly solo (his cousin helps out on occasion). “I purchased a register that speaks to me,” he says. “I keep all my inventory on my phone so I know what’s going in and out.”

Delgado knows there are challenges that the blind and visually impaired face, especially those who start the journey

later in life. He also knows people can learn to work within their limitations, especially with the right resources. “I’m proud to say I operate my business alone sometimes,” he says. “I do get nervous when I have to man the cash register by myself, but I have enough confidence to believe in myself. Other than driving a car, there is nothing we can’t do.”

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CHECKING IN

In his golden years, Frank Cullotta makes an honest living telling stories about his dishonest past B Y GEOFF SCHUMACHER

F

rank Cullotta doesn’t look like a gangster. On the street, the 78-year-old gives the impression of a grandfather who earned his gold watch for clocking 30 years at the office. This gentle veneer extends into casual conversation. Although Cullotta has a distinctly gruff Chicago accent, it’s not immediately apparent that he devoted the first half

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of his life to thieving and killing for the Chicago Outfit.

But it’s also true that Cullotta doesn’t mind talking about those days. Unlike some war veterans who are reluctant to talk about their tours of duty, and some ex-mobsters who fear the repercussions if they speak too freely, he readily tells stories about his criminal past.

In fact, he makes a living doing it.

Cullotta’s main enterprise these days is conducting driving tours of Las Vegas. He tells mob stories and points out places where key events occurred. He tells more stories over pizza. The tour has two related narrative threads: his criminal activities in Las Vegas in the 1970s and ’80s, when he ran a burglary crew dubbed the Hole in the Wall Gang and committed at least one murder (also

C U L LOT TA P H OT O : C O U R T E S Y M O B M U S E U M / L A S VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

THE PROFESSIONAL EX-MOBSTER

Bertha the blues: Frank Cullotta, bottom left, with accomplices after the botched 1982 Bertha’s robbery

recounted in his second book, 2013’s Hole in the Wall Gang), and the 1995 movie Casino, for which he served as a consultant. He has 68 reviews on TripAdvisor.com, and his rating is a perfect 5.0 — excellent. While online reviews can be fabricated to boost a business, most of the reviews of Cullotta’s tour clearly are from real people who loved their up-close-and-personal with a genuine ex-mobster.

“It was like spending three hours with your favorite uncle but way more interesting stories,” gushes Craig from Fresno. “What you get on this tour is a very unique and authentic perspective on organised crime in LV from someone who was there,” write Suzanne and Andrew McGuigan of Newcastle, U.K. “This is not a simple glorification either. Frank honestly shared the losses his way of life brought upon himself and those close to him.”

When Cullotta got caught in 1982 and decided to roll — become a government witness — he never imagined that telling stories about his past would turn into a paying job. During his years in the Witness Protection program, he was discouraged from working, in part to keep a low profile, in part because he spent so much time testifying. But Witness Protection didn’t provide much spending money, so Cullotta bought and sold cars to boost his income.

After voluntarily leaving Witness Protection in 1986, he worked the graveyard shift at a motel in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Relocated to San Diego, he got into more entrepreneurial lines of work. He ran a mobile car-detailing business that landed the contract for the U.S. Border Patrol’s vehicles. Meanwhile, the former gangster worked, believe it or not, as chief of security for a horse track. He eventually sold the car-detailing business and started a small limousine company, then sold it in 2010 and moved to Las Vegas. He had money in the bank but wanted to work.

“I thought maybe I’d sell cars,” Cullotta recalls. “But there’s so much paperwork being a common car salesman.”

Las Vegas job opportunities were hard to come by for someone with his background. “All I wanted was somebody to give me a job, and I would have

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worked like the average person,” he says.

“I didn’t think I was above it. I know I would have been a good employee. But I couldn’t get an opportunity. Nobody would give me a break.”

Over the years, Cullotta had dabbled in celebrity. He served as a consultant to screenwriter Nick Pileggi and director Martin Scorsese during the writing and production of Casino. He even had a small role in the film as a hit man.

In 2007, he partnered with author Dennis Griffin on his first book, an autobiography, Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster, and Government Witness. As the book reveals, as recently as 10 years ago Cullotta still had not embraced the public persona he markets today.

“Today,” according to the book, “Frank Cullotta resides in an undisclosed location and runs a legitimate business. He makes an occasional appearance in public as himself. But for the most part, he lives his life out of the spotlight.”

The shift to a higher-profile lifestyle occurred when a tour operator named Robert Allen offered Cullotta the leading role in a Las Vegas mob tour. He made good money for several years

Movie guys: Frank Cullotta, left, and Casino screenwriter Nick Pileggi

working with Allen, but when the checks started shrinking, he went out on his own. Over the past year, he’s been doing the driving himself in his white Lincoln MKZ. If the group is too big, he rents a van.

Cullotta says the tours and speaking engagements have transformed his personality. “You’re facing people all the time. You got to talk to them constantly.

I didn’t realize I had that kind of personality. I was always basically a shy guy, but then I just opened up and found out that it works.”

It’s been good for his health, too. “I don’t get headaches anymore. I used to get migraine headaches for years. Not anymore.”

What changed?

“Pressure. Lot of pressure from law enforcement, and pressure from actually committing crimes.”

Cullotta says his customers tend to fall into two demographic categories: American Baby Boomers and thirtysomethings from Australia, England, and Canada. “I find it amazing that so many people are so interested in history and organized crime,” he says. “They want to know how this town started,

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CHECKING IN

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“I find it amazing that so many people are so interested in history and organized crime.

They want to know how this town started, how I started. I take out the myths, because there’s so much fabrication. They love my honesty.” writes in the book. “Nobody alive and free today knows more about Tony’s criminal career than I do.”

You might expect that there’s a Frank Cullotta in every former mob stronghold across the country, but it’s not the case. Probably the most widely known professional ex-mobster is Michael Franzese, who was a high-earning boss in New York’s Colombo crime family during the 1980s. After serving a prison stint for gasoline bootlegging, Franzese became a motivational speaker. He appears regularly at corporate events and Christian churches.

Chicago, perhaps the American city most immediately identified with organized crime, does not have anybody like Cullotta, according to John Binder, author of Al Capone’s Beer Wars: A Complete History of Organized Crime in Chicago During Prohibition. Binder himself conducts mob tours, but ex-mobsters avoid the spotlight in the Windy City.

“Turncoats tend to stay away,” Binder says. “WitSec relocates them out West — and even if it is safe to go back (which it may now be in a lot of cities), they are not doing tours and highly public things.”

While some may condemn Cullotta for

C U L LOT TA : C O U R T E S Y M O B M U S E U M / L A S V E G A S REVIEW-JOURNAL

how I started. They want to know about different mobsters, the bad and the good about them. They are so interested in history. I take out the myths, because there’s so much fabrication. I tell them my life wasn’t the way it goes on the movie screen. It wasn’t always easy.

They love my honesty.”

Cullotta’s third and, he insists, final book has just been released. Titled The Rise and Fall of a ‘Casino’ Mobster: The Tony Spilotro Story Through a Hitman’s Eyes, it’s about his onetime friend, the Chicago Outfit’s Las Vegas boss until his murder — by the Outfit — in 1986.

Cullotta and Spilotro met as kids in Chicago, and they worked closely together in Las Vegas. That is, until Spilotro decided Cullotta had become a liability and needed to be eliminated. That’s when Cullotta called the FBI. “Most of the people who claim they knew Tony very well are lying,” he

Time warp: Frank Cullotta at a long-ago court appearance in Las Vegas

capitalizing on his criminal past, retired FBI agent Dennis Arnoldy doesn’t see it that way. “If you’re going to do history, you have to do it honestly, the good points and the bad points,” he says. “(Cullotta’s tours) are basically a reiteration of his life

and how it impacted Las Vegas.” Arnoldy notes, too, that “law enforcement won the war, and Frank is the first to say so.”

Arnoldy, who worked closely with Cullotta after he became a government witness, says the government benefited

No one should end the journey of life alone, afraid, or in pain.

from the deal that gave him immunity from prosecution.

“He gave us a lot of information regarding what went on here, which we used in our RICO investigation,” Arnoldy says. “He testified not just in Las Vegas, but in Chicago, Miami. He testified in Congress. It opened a lot of people’s eyes.”

Arnoldy compared Cullotta’s contributions with those of Joe Valachi, who exposed the inner workings of the Mafia during congressional testimony in 1963.

Cullotta isn’t getting rich from his mob tours, but occasionally he lands a lucrative side gig. He recently made $6,200 speaking and selling books to a group of heart surgeons at a Strip hotel.

“I’m just trying to make a dollar without doing anything wrong,” he says.

For information on Cullotta’s Casino Mob Tour, call 702-622-0850.

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TRAVEL

Towers of power: The Mission Inn is the gem of downtown Riverside.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

T

alk about an unexpected find just down the road. Along verdant Main Street in Riverside, California, flying buttresses, Mediterranean-style domes, and colonnaded arcades rise high above fruit-laden orange trees. Seeing such an architectural extravaganza for the first time, it’s easy to imagine that the scenery is a slice of Old Mexico or even medieval Andalusia transported to our modern era. Chalk up that mental mirage to the sprawling yet magnificent Mission Inn Hotel & Spa (missioninn.com), the dramatic centerpiece of this medium-sized city’s downtown district. While Southern Cal-

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ifornia is famous for monumental fantasies made real, à la Hearst Castle and Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, this Gothic-Baroque, 115-year-old, AAA Four Diamond Award-winning destination is a lesser-known but nevertheless fascinating treasure trove.

The city of Riverside, and even the surrounding Inland Empire, is an area that many Southern Nevada vacationers zip past on I-15 on their way to Santa Monica, Costa Mesa, and La Jolla. Riverside definitely wasn’t a top-of-mind destination for me until I visited this spring to attend a conference. I knew nothing about the home of some 300,000 inhab-

itants a scant four-hour jaunt from Las Vegas. It’s not an overstatement to say that I was completely but pleasantly surprised as I pulled into the Mission Inn’s leafy front entrance, with its dramatic backdrop of a five-story bell tower and ornately tiled eaves framed by stately palms. Walking into the grand lobby to register, I was swept up into a sumptuous time warp filled with Asian antiquities, crystal chandeliers, and oil-painted portraits of U.S. presidents such as Taft, Kennedy, and Reagan. There’s no sleek, Scandinavian décor to be found in these lodgings. It’s all about the patina in this National Historic Landmark.

MISSION INN: COURTESY MISSION INN

Often-overlooked Riverside makes for a getaway full of culture, set amid Mission-style pleasures B Y GREG THILMONT

After settling into my nicely appointed room, I ventured out to explore the many hallways, staircases, and nooks that fill the largest Mission Style Revival building in the country. My wendings took me past art-filled event spaces like the Chinoiserie-rich Ho-O-Kan Room and the St. Francis Chapel, with its 18th-century altar imported from Guanajuato, Mexico, and original stained glass and murals by Louis Comfort Tiffany — the hotel is a popular setting for weddings. Next was a quick tour of the informative Mission Inn Museum (missioninnmuseum.org), followed by a tasting at the attached Irvine & Roberts Family Vineyards, which features vintages from Oregon. Then, before evening arrived, the palm-ringed pool beckoned, a quintessential SoCal vision from a “Wish You Were Here” postcard.

After sunset, I snacked around in a few of the hotel’s eateries. Most formal is Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood and the adjacent 54° at Duane’s winebar, a perfect spot for tapas and a glass of Pinot Noir. For al fresco eating, Las Campanas features margaritas and tableside guacamole, served alongside glowing fire pits. The hotel also offers an Italian eatery, a beer-and-cocktail lounge, and the namesake Mission Inn Restaurant, a casual spot where I enjoyed brunch the next morning, with gurgling, patio-level fountains and three tiers of arched passageways above making for a lovely tableau. And though I didn’t stop in, I did spy numerous folks taking their sweet teeth into the brightly colored Casey’s Cupcake’s, an attached bakery.

While the Mission Inn is certainly the centerpiece of downtown Riverside, it’s not the only attraction around. I also stayed at the nearby Marriott Riverside at the Convention Center (marriott.com). It features contemporary, business-class accommodations, and is probably a better choice for families travelling with young kids.

I was also impressed by Riverside’s cultural life. There’s the up-and-coming Riverside Art Museum (riversideartmuseum.org), which recently featured an exhibit of Latino art from actor Cheech Marin’s extensive and lauded collection. (Marin and Riverside are working together on a permanent Chicano

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TRAVEL

cultural center to house the collection.)

The Riverside Metropolitan Museum (riversideca.gov/museum) is geared toward science and regional history.

My personal favorite artistic stroll was through the UCR/Riverside’s California Museum of Photography (artsblock.ucr.edu). Not only does it display contemporary works, it also has a permanent collection of images by such masters as Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Andy Warhol. Merely ambling about Riverside’s central grid serves as a fun, ad hoc architectural tour that includes a gleaming, statuary-filled Beaux Arts county courthouse, a commemorative Chinese pavilion, and a gracefully arched sidewalk portico along Orange Street. A handful of churches echo the Mission Inn’s aesthetic, as well.

And if you’re a fan of startling architectural contrast, there are also some nota-

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bly outdated structures from the bad old ’60s-’80s brutalism-meets-postmodernism period in the city core.

After all this walking, it’s time for more food and drink. Fitting for a city that was once citrus central, agriculture and foodways shine in numerous downtown establishments. For a cappuccino and breakfast bagel with a view onto the Mission Inn, Molinos Coffee (molinoscoffee.com) is the perfect spot. In the eclectic category, stuffed tortillas and fresh fruit juices with a gargantuan side of outsider art is on tap at funky Tio’s Tacos (951-788-0230). The Salted Pig (thesaltedpig.com) is the go-to place for beer-centric gastropub dining, including a weekend late-night ramen menu.

And for experimental mixology in a cool mid-century modern space, sociable drinks at W. Wolfskill (wwolfskillbar. com) are in order.

A bit of driving can expand the scope of your Riverside getaway. For a bit of the bucolic with a refined twist, the Temecula AVA (temeculawines.org) is just 50 miles south. This area of rolling hills and vineyards is about as close as Las Vegas gets to a backyard Napa Valley. Tour the curving Rancho California Road and stop by South Coast Winery Resort & Spa (southcoastwinery.com) and adjacent Ponte Winery (pontewinery.com) to sample local vino. Hot air rides at Sunrise Balloons (sunriseballoons.com) and a walk along Old Town’s Wild West-style sidewalks are big draws, too. If you have time to spare, drive back the long way through iconic Palm Springs. The added miles open a whole new vista of architecture, art, and epicureanism, for a locally epic road trip.

We’re heading into the prime time to visit Riverside. While the daytime highs are not much cooler than in Las Vegas, lengthening evenings become increasingly temperate as Labor Day passes. Even better, grape harvest season in Temecula is just around the corner, making for an even more picturesque and delicious voyage. I’m already planning a bike tour — and another stay at the Mission Inn.

R I V E R S I D E P H OT O S : G R E G T H I L M O N T

Riverside sights: Clockwise from right: a commemorative Chinese pavilion; the UCR/ California Museum of Photography; outsider art at Tio’s Tacos.

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PROFILE

THE BOOK OF LIFE

Meet cute: Author H.G. McKinnis at the swap meet where her novel was born

From its swap-meet beginning and its too-real emotions to its funky title, H.G. McKinnis’ debut novel is rooted in the real Las Vegas B Y D E S I R E E S H E C K

“I

read this online review where this woman said that Broadacres is just like being in Mexico. Like that’s a bad thing.”

Instead of sleeping in this weekend, author H.G. (Holly) McKinnis, 57, and her father, Bill McKinnis, 84, a former geologist for the Nevada Test Site, are looking for antiques at Broadacres Marketplace on an already sweltering Saturday morning in June. Even though it’s 7:30 a.m., the temperature is climbing into the 90s.

Holly appears unaffected by the heat, dressed casually in a flowing gray top and denim shorts, her grayish-brown eyes hidden behind a pair of cherry-shaded sunglasses. Holly and her father admire a statue of a head, which looks out of place in a tent that has $1 necklaces sprawled out on the table, CDs stacked in the back,

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and baseball caps hung on the wall.

“This is the kind of booth Helen would have set up,” Holly says over the Spanish music blasting in the background, referring to the main character in her debut novel, A Justified Bitch, available August 8 from local publisher Imbrifex. It’s a hilarious Las Vegas murder mystery in which the only witness to a prostitute’s murder is a hoarder named Helen, who still talks to her dead husband, Bobby, and runs a booth at the swap meet. Helen’s sister Pat flies in from Phoenix with her two teenage boys (one is actually Helen’s son, whom Pat took in after Bobby’s death) to get Helen to cooperate with the police and get her life back on track. But the more Pat tries to get things under control, the more chaotic the novel gets.

Broadacres inspired her story.

“I saw this woman,” Holly says, pointing

out the tentless lot where four white lines form a square on the gravel. “She was dried out from the sun. You could tell she had been really hot when she was younger, but she was sitting there, smoking.

She’s all brown and crispy-looking, and really feisty. There’s that scene where I have that guy riding through the flea market, and she went fully off on him because he wanted her to move her stuff into the lines. And she didn’t want to because she felt that everyone was going into the lines, and her lines were better than their lines. It was just crazy, in a really bombastic, wild way, and I really loved it.”

Holly began A Justified Bitch in 2004 while working as a costume designer at Folies Bergère. In 2009, she started sending out query letters to agents, but stopped when her husband died of brain

P H OTO G R A P H Y A N D R E W JA M E S

cancer in December 2010, when suddenly her art became her life — and Holly found herself relating to Helen’s struggles with grief.

“I wrote this before my husband died,” Holly says, “and it’s a horrible, more accurate depiction than I thought. I had done research because you want to get it accurate. And then I found out that you really do all of this crazy crap. I did save all of his stuff. I didn’t want to give away his clothes, because I didn’t know what he would wear when he came home.”

Holly met her husband, Jay MacLarty, also a writer, in 2006, at a meeting of the Las Vegas Writers Group. Her mom was a writer who didn’t like to drive at night, so Holly drove her mom to the group meetings. It inspired Holly to be a writer, too.

She told Jay, who was a leader of the group, that she wanted to write short stories.

“Nobody’s writing short stories anymore,” he replied. “You can’t get them published.”

“So I thought, ‘He hates me.’ But it turned out he really did like it,” she says, referring to her writing. “Either that, or he faked it real good.”

Holly and Jay were married on August 10, 2010. Holly knew Jay had brain cancer when she married him, but went through with it anyway. He had let go of his insurance because he lived a healthy lifestyle, and it never occurred to him that he would get sick. All of their money went to his hospital bills, leaving Holly broke, which, among other things, made her a big advocate for Obamacare.

A Justified Bitch deals with hoarding, grief, guilt, dysfunctional families, and mental illnesses. Holly got her inspiration for the fictional mental institution Mind Care from the way the care facilities in Las Vegas treated her husband.

“They would lockdown their patients — they had no rights,” she says, “even though my husband has never committed a crime. My husband was totally normal except that he had brain cancer.

They wouldn’t let him out. And I felt that they’re infringing on people’s rights. I know that they’re trying to save people and keep people safe, but there is a point at which people should have the right to endanger themselves if they want to.

What is life if you can’t take a chance?

Why should you have to live it all safe and be happy? Are you happy? Is it better

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53

PROFILE to be sane and unhappy in a controlled environment, or crazy and happy in an uncontrolled environment?”

However inevitable, Jay’s death left Holly lost.

“Even though I didn’t use to believe in writer’s block,” she says, “I developed this dandy case of not being able to remember from the beginning of a sentence to the end of a sentence. My mind was that fried. I couldn’t focus on anything.”

It brings to mind a passage from early in her book: “Better roll down your windows,” Stone suggested. “God knows what she’s got living in her hair.”

The detective gave the man a frown, then glanced over his shoulder. “How you doin’ back there? Remember anything you might want to tell me?”

“I’m not stupid,” Helen answered. “I remember things, but sometimes I don’t remember what I remember.”

“My poor coworkers had to pick me up so many times,” she says. “They told me, ‘You have to come to work tonight.’ I was just lucky I have a lot of friends who were willing to go the extra mile for me, and kick me in the butt and get me out the door. I felt ripped off because I didn’t expect to outlive him, because he promised me he was in super-great condition, and I was the lousy one not able to keep up with him. It’s like, go to the contract here. You stated I was not going to outlive you.”

But eventually Holly had to let go. Her friend Jill Kelly helped Holly accept her husband’s death when she told her, “You know, Holly, when he comes back, he’s going to want all new stuff, so you might as well put that stuff away.”

After her agent in New York failed to sell the book, Holly had all but given up on getting it published. She was still attending Las Vegas Writers Group in 2016 when Imbrifex

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“Even though I didn’t use to believe in writer’s block, I developed this dandy case of not being able to remember from the beginning of a sentence to the end of a sentence. My mind was that fried.” announced it was taking submissions.

She submitted.

“Whenever I receive a manuscript for consideration, I start reading,” Imbrifex’s Mark Sedenquist wrote in an email. “In all too many cases, I don’t read very far before I know my answer will be no. With A Justified Bitch — even though I was at first put off by the title — I kept reading. Page after page, chapter after chapter. And it wasn’t the gruesome murder mentioned on the first page that grabbed me. It was the sweet story of a family coming together, all set in the Las Vegas that usually doesn’t make it into novels.”

H

* * * * *

olly moved to Las Vegas when she was 2, and has spent most of her life here. She graduated from UNLV with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts.

She knows the town, and it shows. In her novel, she reveals a dark side of Las Vegas.

“Thank God for Las Vegas, where everyone is kind of crazy, so it’s very easy to write it,” Holly says.

The neighborhood she lived in back in the ’80s was a major influence in creating A Justified Bitch. “Most pieces of fiction are obviously fiction. This one was not. It was realistic,” Bill McKinnis says. In a neighborhood near Nellis and Charleston, she lived next door to a prostitute who owned a wolf (just like one of her characters) and was a closet hoarder.

“She was a secretive hoarder,” Holly says. “She would never let me into her house. She had this gorgeous front yard she would work on all of the time. She never let anyone in her house. She kept cats and dogs that I didn’t know about. She had done that thing people do when you lose someone close to you — her mom

died, and then her dad died — and people spiral down into this, ‘I lost so much, I can’t give up anything else.’”

Holly says her hoarder neighbor didn’t really influence her novel (“I know a lot of hoarders”), but her neighbor bears a few uncanny resemblances to Helen. Helen never invites anyone into her house and has 24 cats.

When Holly first wrote A Justified Bitch, she didn’t intend to solve the mystery of the prostitute’s death.

“I didn’t care who did it when I originally wrote it because in Las Vegas, people get murdered all the freaking time. Las Vegas is the capital of people killing you for no particular reason,” Holly says. “I just thought it was a good way to get people to pay attention to this woman who disassociated herself from her family. What always works is you get it on the news and people go, ‘Oh, my God, you have been living so horrible, let’s fix you,’” Holly says.

It was intended to be a family reunion novel, but she was persuaded to solve Bebe’s death and make it a murder mystery.

“It was Jay’s idea,” she says. “He said, ‘It’s hard enough to get published, and getting published without a niche for the bookseller to park a novel? Probably not going to happen,’” Holly says. “Almost didn’t happen anyway. The whole critique group jumped on board and helped me wrangle it into a mystery. I notice on my reviews from NetGallery that I may not have been entirely successful. Sometimes the story just goes the way it wants.”

A

* * * * *

t Broadacres, Holly rests her hands on a silver mannequin, tilting her head to admire it. Maybe the bust is a B-cup, and the body is the size of a skinny 10-year-old with curves. “Talk about unrealistic expectations,” Bill McKinnis says. “No one looks like that.”

“The women I used to work with did,” Holly says. “Imagine going to work with that every day.” If anyone can make you feel insecure about your body, it’s showgirls.

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PROFILE

SPOILER Alert: DEATH do us part.

ROMEO AND JULIET

Ŧ

he Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespeare Festival is not just a theatrical presentation. It’s nine of the liveliest, most professionally produced plays this side of Broadway.

Drama, comedy, Shakespeare, contemporary theatre and a few genres in-between.

But wait, there’s more: The interactive Greenshow, backstage tours, literary seminars, panel discussions with world-class artists, plus enlightening play orientations. And a nearby renowned national park or two, or three.

Plan your Greater Escape today. Visit www.bard.org or call 800-PLAYTIX for tickets.

2017 Plays As You Like It Shakespeare in Love Romeo and Juliet Guys and Dolls A Midsummer Night’s Dream

– June 29 to Oct. 21 Treasure Island The Tavern How to Fight Loneliness William Shakespeare’s Long Lost First Play (abridged)

The Greater Escape.

Photo: Betsy Mugavero (left) as Juliet and Shane Kenyon as Romeo.

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Holly worked in the entertainment industry for more than 20 years, and she gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what that’s like in A Justified Bitch. She has worked in the design department for some of the top shows in Las Vegas, such as Jubilee! and Crazy Girls. The longest show that Holly ever worked for was at Bally’s.

“I worked there for about 10 years and I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s a whole decade of my life.’ So I ran away and worked at the union for a while, and then I ended up at Crazy Girls. Then Crazy Girls closed, so I went back to Bally’s, because I thought, ‘Jubilee is the show that never dies,’ and I closed that one, too.”

After Jubilee! closed in 2014 for a makeover (its last curtain call would be on February 11, 2016, making showgirls shows extinct in Las Vegas), Holly got a job at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

“Mostly I will pick up lighting and hang them from the big poles, and then we also pick up big sound (equipment) and hang them under. Basically we’re like semi-intelligent donkeys.” A different job wouldn’t be a bad idea. “Because I get hurt a lot.”

It does give Holly more time to write.

While she has no plans for a sequel, she is working on a new novel and has a few completed novels, also based in Las Vegas, collecting dust on her shelves.

“Everyone in show business, we all have stories,” says local photographer Ginger Bruner, who has been friends with Holly since Ginger was 16. “We all talk about writing a book about it. I’m glad that Holly actually did.”

The biggest mystery of A Justified Bitch appears to be why it’s called A Justified Bitch.

“Everybody thinks it has to do with the wolf, or Helen, or homeless people,” Holly says. “No, it’s the complaints that we all have in our life.” When she whined as a kid, her uncles told her, “Quit yer bitchin’.” But occasionally they would find her complaint acceptable — a justified bitch. Obviously Sedenquist, her publisher, came around.

“By the time I finished reading the manuscript,” he writes, “I knew it was a great choice. Makes me smile whenever I think about it.”

“I didn’t know they were going to keep the title,” Holly says, “or I would have thought a lot longer and a lot harder.”

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THE DISH 60

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DINING OUT

THE DISH

WHO MOVED MY CHEESEBURGER? Health food used to be depressing and bland. Now it’s delicious and decadent! (In theory.)

Notes from an excursion into the heart of healthness B Y A N D R E W K I R A LY A N D S C O T T D I C K E N S H E E T S

H

ealth isn’t just a state of feeling good. Health is something you can eat! And in recent years, there’s been an explosion of healthy eateries throughout the valley. Some offer meatless alternatives to mainstream fast food. Others remix all-natural smoothies into guilt-free treats you can plausibly eat for lunch. And still other outlets have

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evolved from mere eateries into nothing less than complete lifestyle hubs for the wellness-obsessed.

But is the food actually good? Scott and I applied our mouths to the task of finding out. Our standards are high.

Scott is a meat-lover with a priestly devotion to bacon. I have a raging sweet tooth, which is why my actual teeth are

so sad and janky. Here are notes from our tastings.

PATTY WAGON The place: Vege-Way, a meatless hamburger joint that substitutes grain patties for the typical flesh slabs of the corporate clownburger McDeath industrial complex.

It’s a clean, spare, fast-food restaurant,

I L LU ST R AT I O N B R E N T H O L M E S

with a few scrumply juggaloids wandering in from the new marijuana dispensary next door. Promising!

Andrew: I ordered the “chicken” sandwich with sweet potato fries. Let’s get this out of the way: You won’t have some transportively deceptive chicken-like experience. It’s definitely a vegetal patty — crispy and moist in the right places — with earthy and nutty notes. That said, in fast-food sandwich totality, with bun, lettuce, tomato and secret spicy yellow sauce, it does have an overarching guilty stoner umami crunch that tickles my reptilian brain. As a meat eater, I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way for this, but I imagine a lot of cravey-ass smoked-out vegans would.

Scott: For me, “vegan burger” presents a philosophical paradox, a clash of incompatible ways of knowing the world, like communism vs. democracy or Adam West Batman vs. Christian Bale Batman. VegeWay’s vegan double burger is not, cannot be a burger, yet it gamely represents as one. And for that first bite, as my brain sorts out the dissonance between expectation and reality, the taste is like a trust fall where the other guy half-catches you: close enough. The patty has sufficient density, and the preparation just enough (open finger quotes) char (close finger quotes), to uphold the fiction. But by the second bite, the pretense of burgerness collapses into a mouth-feel of grainy mushiness and a flavor that’s all gatherer, no hunter. But here’s the thing.

If you just don’t think of this as a burger qua burger, and dial your anticipation accordingly, you can enjoy it as a pleasant sandwich free of meat’s nutritional and ethical downsides. Which is what I do.

(7790 S. Jones Blvd., 702-614-3380, vegewaylv.com)

SWEET TOOF The place: Bowlology, a purveyor of an exciting new food form called “smoothie bowls.” Is the smoothie bowl a meal? Is it dessert? And why does everyone here look like extras in a Nicholas Sparks movie about achingly photogenic young swimmers in love? Let’s find out!

Scott: Açai or pitaya? “Not sure,” I reply.

“I don’t know what pitaya is.” Dragonfruit, the counter girl explains. Ah! “I’ll take that.” I don’t know what dragonfruit is, either, but it sounds groovier than açai as the smoothie base for my “Hula Bowl.” I mean, dragons are cool, right?

Sadly, that’s the level of informed decision-making I bring to the task of healthy eating. Fortunately, I’ve bumbled into the right choice: a frozen compound of pitaya and other fruit, topped with an oompah band of berries, coconut, granola, and honey. It’s lively enough that my palate welcomes it as a treat, even as I feel the good health rampaging through my body.

I have to endure three brain freezes for this realization, but I’m glad I do: These bowls just might liberate my taste buds from the processed-chocolate grip of Big Treat. Indeed, the only off-putting aspect of the experience was the semiotic indigestion caused by the word “Bowlology.”

Andrew: The gimmicky name and trendy ingredients such as açai made me skeptical, but my “PB Lover” — a smoothie topped with nuts, granola, chocolate and fruit — does a startling impression of a cryogenic evil-genius version of a PB&J. Let me emphasize! It’s not like they cheatily dumped a bunch of things on top of a smoothie to just sort of gladhand my sweet tooth into starstruck submission. I feel a conscious culinary intent here. I do wonder what the calorie count is; it’s not listed on the menu.

I only ask because the sugar high made me talk in a falsetto for the rest of the afternoon. In other words: For all the natural ingredients, it’s still probably wise to think of the smoothie bowls at Bowlology as altice cream vs. alt-salad.

Also, apropos of nothing: The canned pop hits oozing from the speakers are excruciatingly vague, like every song is a cover of a cover of a cover you can’t quite identify. I may have only noticed this, however, because the açai berries opened up new synaptic pathways to my aural lobes, or something.

(Multiple locations, bowlology.com)

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61

DINING OUT is, first and foremost, an organic grocery store, but they also have a deli and salad bar. On this weekday lunch hour, the West Charleston location is abuzz with customers forestalling inevitable death through dubiously moralized consumerism. For our meal, we picked out some prepared dishes at the deli, plus a few off-the-shelf snacks.

Andrew: This California quinoa salad looks good, all promisingly fiesta-like with its bright niblets of mango and red pepper.

But it’s so bland and pulpy. This reminds me of the olden days, when people used to whittle themselves little piles of sawdust for lunch, moistened with bitter crying. I’m also disappointed by this Tea Riot green tea. It tastes chemical and woody. I dunno, maybe the riot is against tasting good?

Scott: Okay, this spinach empanada, it’s like adequacy wrapped in competence.

The good news? It doesn’t taste like a cliché of healthy food. The bad news? That makes it the highlight of today’s lunch. It has a decent heft and doughiness; if the universe conspires to plop another one directly in front of my mouth at some future mealtime, I’ll bite. As for my smoked mozzarella pasta salad, which I wanted to love and which has a saucy thickness I like but is otherwise flat, everything I have to say about it can be found on page 872 of the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, under sufficient. To go with it, I picked up this bag of flax-seed crackers called Flackers, and they’re great — if you’re starving, and also a pigeon.

Labeled “savory,” they’re more akin to artisanal cardboard and put the eww in umami. Not surprisingly produced by an outfit called Doctor in the Kitchen, Flackers have a punitive medicinal blandness, as if each bite is meant to remind you that

bodily upkeep is a tedious but necessary responsibility. They taste like duty.

Andrew: Despite their menacing iridescent orange glow and rubbery texture, these quinoa-and-chicken balls are okayish; they taste like something they’d serve at a Super Bowl party in Purgatory. For dessert, I’m trying the Blueberry Chia Crunch. (Opens bag, huffs it.)

Ooh! Smells like Boo-Berry — remember Boo-Berry cereal from your stoner days, Scott? (Bites into small blue mound-like puck.) Weird: Tastes like a fugitive suggestion of rumored blueberry flavor. Also, every chalky, pulpy thing I’ve eaten up to now has coated my teeth in a stubborn fur-like mulch, and I feel cheated, disappointed and still hungry. This trenchant unhappiness can only mean one thing: I’M OFFICIALLY HEALTHY! (wholefoodsmarket.com)

FRESH IS GOOD. So is delicious!

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TIVOLI VILLAGE

(702) 433-1233

EAT THIS WHEN?

EAT THIS NOW! Salmon Benny at CRAFTkitchen

10940 S. Eastern Ave. #107, 702-728-5828, craftkitchenlv.com

Move over, Canadian bacon. That savory favorite of the breakfast table, eggs Benedict, gets a bright upgrade at this bustling Henderson eatery. First, tomato slices are stacked on English muffin halves, followed by glistening bundles of sautéed spinach. Then comes the protein swap: pan-roasted Atlantic Sapphire salmon (raised in a sustainable aquaculture ecosystem, no less). Finally, globes of softpoached, cage-free eggs are balanced on top. A scattering of fried capers lends a tangy taste, and microgreens add visual appeal. Hollandaise on the side is not so much a sauce, but rather a luscious, savory spread waiting to be slathered on the plate’s two colorful stacks. Side it with substantial Parmesan cheese grits for the feelgood hit of the summer. Greg Thilmont

S A L M O N B E N N Y : C H R I S T O P H E R S M I T H ; C O C K TA I L : B R E N T H O L M E S

Cocktail of the month

BRAZILLIAN WAXXX AT EL DORADO CANTINA Intellectually, I know that strip clubs are vortices of frenetic sad-flavored desperation, but the fact that El Dorado Cantina shares a wall with Sapphire Las Vegas never fails to tickle me with a frisson of ooh maybe something sexy will happen. And, oh yes, El Dorado plays it up: check out their Brazilian Waxxx, a Carmen Miranda lap dance in a glass, with Belvedere Mango Passion vodka, raspberry-peach Grand Marnier, Cinzano Bianco vermouth, and a slew of tropical juices. It’s sweet, sticky, quintessentially summery, like how you imagine the glittering sweat on Raven’s neck might taste before you later learn her name is, in fact, Kim and she’s a single mother and microbiology grad student. Andrew Kiraly 3025 Sammy Davis Jr. Drive, 702-722-2289, eldoradovegas.com

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DINING OUT

It's complicated: Left, Sparrow + Wolf's lamb ragu udon; right, Campfire Duck, with foie gras and wood ear mushrooms.

heart of Chinatown, he’s thrown down a AT FIRST BITE gauntlet among the pho parlors and noodle shops, and immediately complicated our relationship to this three-mile long, pan-Pacific island of good eats. In essence, he’s flipped the script and invaded Chinatown, leveraging some of its food cred in the process. Some suburbanites will no doubt be intimidated (foreign tongues, odd alphabets, nail and massage parlors are Brian Howard’s long-awaited Sparrow + Wolf takes flight with everywhere), but once they enter the door thrilling, high-concept cuisine B Y J O H N C U RTA S of this very of-the-moment American gastropub, those fears will melt away and the our reaction to Sparrow + Wolf pretension aside, however, will enjoy fun will begin.

The menu seems simple enough, and will depend on a number of themselves immensely. That enjoyment might be tempered by how much you like begins in the most basic way: with housethings, first and foremost being to think about your food. Because to apbaked bread and butter. If you’re the sort where you rate yourself on the foodie continuum. Gastro-nomads preciate the complexity of this menu, you who reflexively grabs the bread and starts who wander the earth searching for oases need to either dive in with both feet, or munching away, you’ll have nothing to of ingenious edibles have already pitched step back and try to figure out what’s gocomplain about. But if you’re the thoughttheir tents here. Intrepid gastronauts ing on. If you try to do both, you’ll drive ful type, you will notice the yeasty release yourself crazy. of aromas, butter at the cor— those addicted to culinary travels to SPARROW where no man has gone before — have been rect (soft) temperature, and This is not to damn the cu+ WOLF here since day one. Simple gastronomes just the right amount of bite linary creations of Chef Brian 4480 Spring who revel in chef-enhanced, high-qualto your slice. Clearly, someHoward with faint praise, but Mountain Road ity ingredients will not be disappointed, only to point out that there’s one in the kitchen is doing #100 either. But if you’re the type who finds a lot going on here, both in more than just tossing some 702-790-2147 dinner rolls on the table. This Spring Mountain Road too challenging, your glass and on your plate. sparrowandwolflv. or if you’re someone simply looking for a attention to detail informs “Simple” is not in Howcom good plate of grub, the sledding might be ard’s vocabulary. With this most of the menu, but some Hours Sun, Mon, a tad heavy. Those who put caution and of those details will, by turns, long-awaited opening in the

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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Wed 5-11p Thu-Sat 5p-1a

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P H OTO G R A P H Y S A B I N O R R

Table 34 Featuring Chef Wes Kendricks’ contemporary American cuisine including fresh fish, wild game, duck, lamb, Certified Angus Beef, and comfort food classics. Conveniently located off the 215 and Warm Springs. Dinner Tuesday Saturday 5pm until closing (around 10pm) 600 E. Warm Springs Road Las Vegas, NV (702) 263-0034

overwhelm and underwhelm you. The trick is navigating the ingredients. Items like raw lamb tossed with toasted sesame, apple and walnut taste little of those things, and raw hamachi “schmaltz” atop a crispy cracker does not deliver the promised flavors of Meyer lemon, grilled scallions and lychee. Not that these aren’t well-executed, but they don’t pop, and popping is what this menu aims to do.

Aside from an artichoke (with white bean hummus, charred tomatillo, herbs and pine nuts) that needed some trimming and seasoning, few items promise more than they deliver. The rest of the menu promises a lot — and delivers even more.

Howard’s charcuterie is not yet made in-house, but he sources top-quality

Saint Gabriel Catholic School promotes academic excellence, and the spiritual and physical development of all students, by providing a challenging curriculum that encourages critical thinking, embraces the fine arts, and provides structured physical activities in an atmosphere that upholds the magisterium of the Catholic Church and the unity of all Catholic churches worldwide.

Schedule a Tour SGCS is hosting tours for potential new students for the 2017-2018 school year for grades K-6.

2017-2018 Enrollment

We are now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year.

(702)487-9695

SGCSLV.com

2170 East Maule Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119 AUGUST 2017

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DINING OUT items, and his seasonal pickles are fabulous. Just as good are his oysters (one type, kumais, when we had them) topped three different ways — with pineapple mignonette, cucumber granité, and a yuzu pearl. If there’s a better way to slurp oysters in summer, I haven’t found it.

The Chinatown Clams Casino — baked with uni hollandaise — is so rich it ought to come with its own calorie count, but it’s also fusion food at its finest. Like we said, nothing is simple — roasted beets come under a tangle of endive, pea shoots, shaved fennel, sheep’s milk blue cheese and “bird seed” (black sesame seeds), whew! — but everything has its place. I’m told by general manager John Anthony that the Butcher Wings with burnt tomato and ’nduja (think spreadable salami) vinaigrette are a hot item, but the heat escaped the order I was given. That was the last misfire, though, in a bevy of beautiful

plates that followed: beef cheek with bone marrow dumplings; sweetbreads with smoked bacon; firm, flavorful halibut coated with Alabama white barbecue sauce; udon noodles “Bolognese” with Taggiasche olives, citrus confit and mint.

(That fusion thing again, paying further homage to the neighborhood by craftily mixing culinary metaphors.)

As you work your way through the menu, you might find yourself thinking that there’s not a main ingredient that Brian Howard doesn’t think he can complicate. (Octopus on top of a very good steak? You bet.) But if you taste carefully, and think a little harder, you see that a lot of thought went into these combinations, and by and large they work. Nowhere is this payoff more rewarding than in his Campfire Duck: gorgeous slices of duck and foie gras resting on dark, earthy shreds of wood ear mushrooms, accented

NICE TO MEAT YOU

by sharp bites of salted plum in a duck bone broth. It’s a dish that appears to be trying to do too much, but those flavor explosions in your mouth tell you it succeeds. This is high-wire cooking without a net, and when Howard pulls it off, the results are thrilling indeed.

Just as complicated are the cocktails — at least five ingredients each — but they’re as clever and complex as the food. The wine list matches the menu, the neighborhood, and the crowd, even if it doesn’t match what a wine snob might want to drink.

Sparrow + Wolf aims to be a gamechanger. It is sleek and small, seating just 60, and smells of wood smoke — all indicia of the haute-eclectic-bistro cooking that has taken over America in the past decade.

Whatever you order at this outpost of the takeover, it’ll likely be the most interesting meal you have this year.

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CHARLIE PALMER STEAK LAS VEGAS FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 3960 LAS VEGAS BLVD SOUTH CHARLIEPALMERSTEAK.COM 702.632.5120 @CHARLIEPALMERSTEAK

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THE VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM

Wherever you are in Las Vegas ‌ The Valley Health System is here for you.

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1 Centennial Hills Hospital 2 Desert Springs Hospital 3 Henderson Hospital 4 Spring Valley Hospital

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5 Summerlin Hospital 6 Valley Hospital

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(702) 233-7133 valleyhealthsystemlv.com Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of The Valley Health System. The system shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

Learn more at valleyhealthsystemlv.com/dc

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CENTENNIAL HILLS HOSPITAL

A COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AND DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY In just nine years, Centennial Hills Hospital has become a shining star and a leader in providing advanced medical care to residents in northwest Las Vegas. With 250 private patient rooms, Centennial Hills Hospital is known for its maternity, cardiology, emergency and orthopedic services and for giving back to the community.

FROM THE VERY YOUNGEST With a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, Centennial Hills Hospital treats the most fragile infants. A staff of neonatologists, neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists, occupation and physical therapists, lactation and pediatric care specialists provide care newborns need to thrive and grow. The hospital also has six private antepartum rooms so new moms who may be high risk can receive advanced care, while being as comfortable as possible.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

MAKO® ROBOTIC ARM ASSISTED SURGERY … RIGHT HERE Centennial Hills Hospital began providing Mako® robotic surgery in 2014 and since their patients have benefitted from this minimally invasive procedure to help treat early to midstage osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease that affect knees and hips.

Mako enables surgeons to accurately identify affected areas of the knee or hip and selectively target and treat only the affected area, using small incisions.

AWARD-WINNING CARE IS HERE Centennial Hills has dual accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care as a Chest Pain Center and it is certified as an advanced Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission. These accreditations and certifications mean the hospital is dedicated to following clinical best practices and achieving the best possible outcomes.

“ The comfort and care of our patients is our goal. Delivering advanced care and focusing on offering residents in our community health education and opportunities to enhance their well being through health fairs and health screenings are our goals. ” ~ Sajit Pullarkat, CEO/Managing Director, Centennial Hills Hospital

Learn more at centennialhillshospital.com/dc

6900 North Durango Dr. Las Vegas, NV 89149

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DESERT SPRINGS HOSPITAL

QUALITY, COMPASSIONATE CARE AND WIDE RANGE OF SERVICES Located just off the Strip, this 293-bed progressive acute care hospital has been serving residents and visitors since 1971.

LOCAL RESIDENTS CALL US “THE HEART HOSPITAL” Desert Springs Hospital has been living up to its reputation as “The Heart Hospital of Las Vegas” because of its continued investment in advanced cardiac care. Interventions include the WATCHMAN implant, an alternative to medication for patients with certain kinds of cardiac arrhythmia.

The hospital is also an accredited Chest Pain Center and has the Joint Commission certified Heart Failure program.

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WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY SUCCESSES The hospital’s Center for Surgical Weight Loss is nationally accredited, with notable success, including Sam Kaufman, CEO and Managing Director of Henderson Hospital, who has documented his transformative weight-loss journey.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

RECOGNIZED DIABETES MANAGEMENT PROGRAM In addition to weight loss, Desert Springs Hospital is notable for its comprehensive diabetes program.

“We are the first in the nation to be certified for our advanced inpatient diabetes care,” noted Ryan Jensen, Desert Springs new CEO/Managing Director. “Our Diabetes Treatment Center is recognized by the American Diabetes Association and accredited by the American Association of Diabetes Educators for its self-management education.”

“Our goal is to be the hospital of choice. We focus on quality, compassionate and family-centered care and offer a wide range of services and advanced equipment to care for you and your family.” ~ Ryan Jensen, CEO and Managing Director, Desert Springs Hospital

Learn more at desertspringshospital.com/dc

24/7 ED, ADVANCED SURGICAL SERVICES In an emergency, patients are in capable hands. In addition to being an accredited Chest Pain Center, the hospital is Joint Commission-certified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center.

Outside of emergencies, the hospital offers minimally invasive procedures and robotic-assisted surgery with 3-D visualization and increased precision, which could mean a faster recovery.

2075 E. Flamingo Road Las Vegas, NV 89119

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HENDERSON HOSPITAL

THE NEWEST HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN NEVADA The newest hospital in southern Nevada to open in eight years, Henderson Hospital was celebrated in October 2016 with fireworks and fanfare. The 254,000 square foot, 130-bed acute care hospital features all private rooms and delivers advanced emergency, maternity, surgery, orthopedic and cardiac services.

Hospital CEO and Managing Director Sam Kaufman, a resident of Henderson, said when he was overseeing the final stages of construction he had a keen eye on assembling a premier staff and incorporating innovative features to ensure patients receive the highest level of safety and leave the hospital after a stay feeling satisfied with the level of care they received.

“I want our patients to say Henderson Hospital is different because our employees are dedicated to service excellence and the care they received is second to none.” ~ Sam Kaufman, CEO/Managing Director, Henderson Hospital

SPECIALTY SERVICES Henderson Hospital brings advanced care and specialized services to area residents, including: • Emergency services • Cardiology • Stroke and neurology • Orthopedics

DISCOVER HENDERSON HOSPITAL

• Advanced imaging

“We have things no other hospital has,” Kaufman said. “You don’t see sculptures in any other hospitals. The artwork is beautiful and gives people a different perspective. It’s soothing for people.”

• Surgery • Maternity care While delivering comprehensive services, the team at the hospital never loses sight of the fact that they take care of people. Making patients and their family members feel comfortable while they are at the hospital is important to ensure the most positive patient experience and the best outcomes.

Learn more at hendersonhospital.com/dc

Henderson Hospital has a healing butterfly garden that patients and visitors can enjoy, along with a video wall that features the newest patients born at the hospital. There are calming colors and comforting surroundings, as well.

Safety is key at the hospital and innovative infection prevention measures are incorporated into the hospital.

1050 W. Galleria Drive • Henderson, NV 89011 Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Henderson Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians

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SPRING VALLEY HOSPITAL

DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY In Southwest Las Vegas, Spring Valley Hospital is known for delivering high quality care to every member of the family. Since 2003, Spring Valley Hospital has offered advanced medical care in a comfortable environment, with a personal touch. With 292 beds in all private rooms, the hospital offers 24-hour emergency care and is known throughout the region for its specialty cardiovascular services.

In 2016, the hospital opened its new patient tower with a 24-bed observation unit, a dedicated entrance for maternity patients, three new labor and delivery suites, two additional neonatal intensive care beds and 18 post-partum beds.

“We’re proud that we continue to grow with our community. Today, our hospital has all private rooms and a comprehensive range of medical care to meet the needs of area residents and visitors. Many of our services are nationally accredited or certified by independent organizations that set the bar on quality care. ” ~ Leonard Freehof, CEO/Managing Director, Spring Valley Hospital

SPECIALISTS IN STROKE, CARDIOLOGY AND SURGERY The clinical team at Spring Valley Hospital can treat a range of emergent and non-emergent heart conditions thanks to advanced diagnostics and procedures that include: •

Coronary angiography to evaluate arteries, locate blockages and diagnose heart disease

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Ventricular function tests to gain information about the heart's ability to pump blood

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Heart valve pressure evaluations

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Stress tests

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Electrocardiogram (EKG)

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Peripheral vascular diagnostics

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Coronary Computed Tomography Angiogram (CTA)

Many of these same capabilities help the stroke team evaluate and treat patients. The multidisciplinary medical team includes emergency physicians and nurses, neurologists, neurosurgeons, radiologists, registered nurses, therapists and case managers who work together to provide quality stroke care.

Spring Valley Hospital is one of only two facilities in Las Vegas to receive the highest achievement from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Associations for its stroke practices.

This recognizes the hospital’s commitment to providing the most appropriate stroke treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence. The goals of these quality measures are speeding up recovery and reducing death and disability for stroke patients.

Learn more at springvalleyhospital.com/dc

5400 South Rainbow Boulevard Las Vegas, NV 89118 Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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SUMMERLIN HOSPITAL

QUALITY CARE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY West of the Strip is the premier master-planned community of Summerlin and at it’s center is Summerlin Hospital, a 454-bed acute care hospital situated on a 40-acre medical campus. Summerlin Hospital provides residents with the services of The Children’s Medical Center at Summerlin Hospital, The Heart Center and the BirthPlace for Women and Children, and Summerlin Hospital’s Robotic Surgery Center, featuring the da Vinci® Surgical System. The hospital is currently undergoing a $16 million improvement project which will expand and renovate multiple areas within the facility increasing the hospitals capacity to 490-beds.

A COMMUNITY PARTNER The hospital is at the center of the health and well being of the community’s residents and each year hosts a variety of community health events including a free Teddy Bear Clinic for school-age children, which is designed to help educate kids about what happens in the hospital. For families and expectant parents, The FamilyPlace provides the community with comprehensive childbirth education, as well as health and wellness lectures.

AWARD-WINNING CARE From minimally invasive, robotic surgery to The Children’s Medical Center, oncology services, advanced and comprehensive emergency care, Summerlin Hospital is well known in the community for its award-winning care, including: • American Heart Association® Get With The Guidelines® 2016 Gold Heart Failure Award • American Heart Association®/ American Stroke Association® 2017 Gold-Plus Stroke Award and Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite • Certification as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center • Stroke Rehabilitation Certification by The Joint Commission • 2017 Mission Lifeline Bronze Plus Receiving Quality Award • American College of Cardiology NCDR®-ACTION Registry® GWTG® 2016 Gold Performance Achievement Award • Blue Cross®/Blue Shield® designated Blue Distinction® Center – Maternity Care • Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2-Star Quality Rating • Society for Cardiovascular Patient Care Chest Pain Center with PCI • State of Nevada’s Department of Health–licensed

• Diabetes Recognition by the American Diabetes Association • Pink Ribbon Facility • Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2-Star Quality Rating • Nevada Hospital Association Comprehensive Safety Program Award

“We’re proud to serve the residents of Summerlin. We continue to experience a strong and growing demand for services. Just last year alone, over 5,000 babies were delivered at Summerlin Hospital. We are here for every resident of the community and we look forward to continuing to grow along with the community.” ~ Rob Freymuller, CEO/Managing Director, Summerlin Hospital

Learn more summerlinhospital.com/dc

657 N. Town Center Drive Las Vegas, NV 89144 Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Summerlin Hospital Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

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VALLEY HOSPITAL

DELIVERING QUALITY CARE TO LAS VEGAS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS Located in the Las Vegas Medical District, Valley Hospital has been serving residents and visitors to the Las Vegas Strip for more than 40 years and it continually enhances programs and services and the delivery of care to ensure positive outcomes and a better patient experience.

INNOVATION, DEDICATION, COMPASSION Valley Hospital offers advanced cardio-vascular and neurological care, minimally invasive surgery featuring a robotic surgical system, behavioral health, acute rehabilitation and wound care.

The hospital administrative team continually looks for ways to improve the delivery of care and recently became the first hospital in Nevada to use SyncVision technology to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. The technology helps cardiologists assess the size of the patient’s cardiac vessels and blockages, and determine the best placement of cardiac stents.

Known for its advanced stroke services, Valley Hospital is certified by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center. “We focus on improving Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Valley Hospital Medical Center. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians.

our stroke patients’ experiences,” said Elaine Glaser, Valley Hospital CEO/ Managing Director. Valley Hospital provides a range of neurological services, including neurosurgery, interventional radiology procedures such as brain coiling for aneurysms, and 24-hour neurology coverage in conjunction with the residency program.

A CONTINUUM OF CARE Patients who need acute rehabilitation to recover from a stroke or other medical conditions can remain at Valley Hospital, and relocate to the family-like acute inpatient rehabilitation unit on the fourth floor. They receive at least three hours of physical, occupational and/or speech therapy five days a week. The acute inpatient unit features private rooms, a physical therapy gym, a room with a working kitchen and bathroom and laundry facilities for patients to re-learn or improve their daily living skills, and a dining room where family and friends are encouraged to join their loved ones for meals.

SPECIALTY SERVICES Adults ages 18 and older who need inpatient treatment for behavioral health conditions can get the care they need at the Behavioral Health Unit at Valley Hospital. Treatment

is available for conditions that include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and others. The hospital team works collaboratively with emergency departments throughout the community to help people who require inpatient treatment.

“We’re proud of our long history and commitment to our community.” ~ Elaine Glaser, CEO/Managing Director, Valley Hospital.

Learn more at valleyhospital.net/dc

620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106

2017 JAGUAR XF $399.00 Per month.

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O.A.C. Stock #J17325. Eight at this payment. Management reserves all rights.

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Jaguar InControl® Remote & Protect™

B E S T I N C L A S S C O V E R A G E* Jaguar Land Rover Las Vegas

5255 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.579.0400 www.jlrlv.com

BEST DOCTORS 2017

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HOW THE BEST DOCTORS WERE CHOSEN Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians, Best Doctors is a global benefits provider and medical information services company that connects individuals facing difficult medical treatment decisions with the best doctors, selected by impartial peer review in more than 450 subspecialties of medicine, to review their diagnosis and treatment plans. Best Doctors seamlessly integrates its services with employers’ other health-related benefits to serve more than 40 million members in every major region of the world.

More than a traditional second opinion, Best Doctors delivers a comprehensive evaluation of a patient’s medical condition – providing value to both patients and treating physicians. By utilizing Best Doctors, members have access to the brightest minds in medicine to ensure the right diagnosis and treatment plan.

Best Doctors’ team of researchers conducts a biennial poll using the methodology that mimics the informal peer-to-peer process doctors themselves use to identify the right specialists for their patients. Using a polling method and proprietary balloting software, they gather the insight and experience of tens of thousands of leading specialists all over the country, while confirming their credentials and specific areas of expertise.

The result is the Best Doctors in America® List, which includes the nation’s most respected specialists and outstanding primary care physicians. These are the doctors whom other doctors recognize as the best in

their fields. They cannot pay a fee and are not paid to be listed and cannot nominate or vote for themselves.

It is a list which is truly unbiased and respected by the medical profession and patients alike as the source of top quality medical information.

Best Doctors’ innovative services include access to an unrivaled database of physicians who have been selected as the best in their field by other leading physicians, analytics, and technology. With every service offered, the goal remains the same: to help people in need get the right diagnosis and treatment, significantly improving health outcomes while reducing costs.

Gallup® has audited and certified Best Doctors, Inc.’s database of physicians, and its companion The Best Doctors in America® List, as using the highest industry standards survey methodology and processes. These lists are excerpted from The Best Doctors in America 2017-2018 database, which includes close to 40,000 U.S. doctors in more than 40 medical specialties and 400 subspecialties. The Best Doctors in America® database is compiled and maintained by Best Doctors, Inc. For more information, visit bestdoctors.com or contact Best Doctors by telephone at 800-675-1199 or by e-mail at research@bestdoctors.com. Please note that lists of doctors are not available on the Best Doctors website.

Best Doctors, Inc., has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list, but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person or other party for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

Copyright 2017, Best Doctors, Inc. Used under license, all rights reserved. This list, or any parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without written permission from Best Doctors, Inc. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without the permission of Best Doctors, Inc. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

BEST DOCTORS, THE BEST DOCTORS IN AMERICA, and the Star-in-Cross Logo are trademarks of Best Doctors, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries, and are used under license.

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ADDICTION MEDICINE MELVIN I. POHL Las Vegas Recovery Center 3371 N. Buffalo Drive 702-515-1373 ANESTHESIOLOGY MARK STUART SCHELLER Cardiovascular Anesthesia Consultants 2801 Cowan Circle 702-737-3808 JOHN S. SMITH Cardiovascular Anesthesia Consultants 2850 S. Mojave Road #A 702-388-8062 CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE JOHN BEDOTTO HealthCare Partners 9280 W. Sunset Road #320 702-534-5464 CARLOS FONTE Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists 3201 S. Maryland Parkway #502; 702-733-8600 CRES P. MIRANDA Nevada Heart & Vascular Center 3150 N. Tenaya Way #320 702-240-6482 DAVID LLOYD NAVRATIL HealthCare Partners 2865 Siena Heights Drive #331, Henderson 702-731-8224 CHARLES ALLEN RHODES Nevada Heart & Vascular Center 4275 S. Burnham Ave. #100,702-240-6482 JERRY ROUTH HealthCare Partners 2865 Siena Heights Drive #331, Henderson 702-407-0110

ERIK J. SIRULNICK HealthCare Partners 3131 La Canada St. #140 702-933-9400

FREDDIE G. TOFFEL 2700 E. Sunset Road #D-34 702-736-2021 FAMILY MEDICINE

LEO SPACCAVENTO Advanced Heart Care Associates 4275 Burnham Ave. #220 702-796-4278 COLON AND RECTAL SURGERY OVUNC BARDAKCIOGLU University of Nevada School of Medicine Patient Care Center - Las Vegas Department of Surgery 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #160 702-671-5150 LESLIE K. BROWDER Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada 3131 La Canada St. #241 702-693-6870 JOSEPH P. THORNTON University of Nevada School of Medicine Patient Care Center - Las Vegas Department of Surgery 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #160, 702-671-5150 CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE PAUL A. STEWART Pulmonary Associates 2000 Goldring Ave. 702-384-5101 DERMATOLOGY DOUGLAS A. THOMAS 9097 W. Post Road #100 702-430-5333 ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM

MELVIN I. POHL Las Vegas Recovery Center 3371 N. Buffalo Drive 702-515-1373 GASTRO-ENTEROLOGY DONALD LAWRENCE KWOK Gastroenterology Associates 3820 S. Hualapai Way #200, 702-796-0231 GREGORY KWOK Gastroenterology Associates 3820 S. Hualapai Way #200, 702-796-0231 FRANK J. NEMEC Gastroenterology Associates 3820 S. Hualapai Way #200, 702-796-0231

INTERNAL MEDICINE

MEDICAL ONCOLOGY AND HEMATOLOGY

ARLENE BUMBACA 2700 E. Sunset Road #D-34, 702-736-2021

HEATHER J. ALLEN Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 3730 S. Eastern Ave. 702-952-3400

ETHAN MILTON CRUVANT Dignity Health Medical Group Nevada 8205 W. Warm Springs Road #210 702-676-5801 PAUL T. EMERY Dignity Health Medical Group Nevada 8205 W. Warm Springs Road #210, 702-616-5801

KHOI M. DAO Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 10001 S. Eastern Ave. #108, Henderson 702-952-3444

SARAH C. HEINER 70 E. Horizon Ridge Parkway #100, Henderson 702-778-8828 JOHN S. HOU HealthCare Partners 4275 S. Burnham Ave. #255 702-369-0088

JEROME FRANK HRUSKA Infectious Disease Consultants 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #780, 702-737-0740

STEPHEN H. MILLER HealthCare Partners 653 N. Town Center Drive #306, 702-243-7483

GARY R. SKANKEY Infectious Disease Consultants 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #780, 702-737-0740

FADI BRAITEH Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 3730 S. Eastern Ave. 702-952-3400

MARK CHARLES HANDELMAN 2585 Box Canyon Drive #110, 702-538-7773

INFECTIOUS DISEASE

BRIAN J. LIPMAN Infectious Diseases of Southern Nevada 10001 S. Eastern Ave. #307, Henderson, 702-776-8300

MARY ANN ALLISON Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 1505 Wigwam Parkway #130, Henderson 702-856-1400

RUSSELL GOLLARD Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 6190 S. Fort Apache Road, Henderson, 702-724-8787 EDWIN CHARLES KINGSLEY Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 3730 S. Eastern Ave. 702-952-3400

JERROLD SCHWARTZ 7395 S. Pecos Road #102 702-737-8657

JAMES DELFINO SANCHEZ Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 7445 Peak Drive 702-952-2140

BRADLEY J. THOMPSON 3650 S. Eastern Ave. #300 702-796-8036 CANDICE TUNG 7395 S. Pecos Road #102 702-737-8657 MEDICAL GENETICS

BRIAN ALFRED BERELOWITZ 653 N. Town Center Drive #315, 702-804-9486 W. REID LITCHFIELD Desert Endocrinology 2415 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Henderson 702-434-8400

EUGENE L. SPECK Infectious Disease Consultants 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #780, 702-737-0740

COLLEEN MORRIS University of Nevada School of Medicine Ackerman Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Solutions 630 S. Rancho Drive #A 702-671-2229

NICHOLAS J. VOGELZANG Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 3730 S. Eastern Ave. 702-952-3400

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NEPHROLOGY MARVIN JAY BERNSTEIN Kidney Specialists of Southern Nevada 500 S. Rancho Drive #12 702-877-1887 ZVI SELA Kidney Specialists of Southern Nevada 653 W. Town Center Drive Bldg. 2 #70 702-877-1887 NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY JOHN A. ANSON The Spine and Brain Institute 8530 W. Sunset Road #250 702-851-0792 DEREK A. DUKE The Spine and Brain Institute 861 Coronado Center Drive #200, Henderson 702-851-0792 NEUROLOGY JEFFREY LEE CUMMINGS Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health 888 W. Bonneville Ave. 702-483-6000 LUIS L. DIAZ 3150 N. Tenaya Way #520 702-233-0755 NUCLEAR MEDICINE PAUL D. BANDT Desert Radiologists 2020 Palomino Lane #100 702-387-6900 OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY JOCELYN IVIE Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada 2821 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #130, Henderson 702-862-8862 FLORENCE N. JAMESON 5281 S. Eastern Ave. 702-262-9676

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KIRSTEN B. ROJAS Meadows Women’s Center 9120 W. Post Road #200 702-870-2229 BRUCE S. SHAPIRO The Fertility Center of Las Vegas 8851 W. Sahara Ave. #100 702-254-1777 OPHTHALMOLOGY MARK DOUBRAVA Eye Care for Nevada 9011 W. Sahara Ave. #101 702-794-2020 EMILY L. FANT Shepherd Eye Center 3575 Pecos-McLeod 702-731-2088

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY RUBEN J. ACHERMAN Children’s Heart Center 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #690, 702-732-1290 WILLIAM EVANS Children’s Heart Center 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #690 702-732-1290 ABRAHAM ROTHMAN Children’s Heart Center 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #690, 702-732-1290 RICARDO SAMSON Children's Heart Center 3006 S. Maryland Parkway #690, 702-732-1290

OTOLARYNGOLOGY JEROLD E. BOYERS Ear, Nose and Throat Associates 700 Shadow Lane #235, 702-382-3221 WALTER (RUSS) SCHROEDER Ear, Nose and Throat Consultants of Nevada 3195 St. Rose Parkway #210, Henderson, 702-792-6700 ROBERT C. WANG University of Nevada School of Medicine Division of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery 3150 N. Tenaya Way #112 702-671-6480 PATHOLOGY DOUG J. FIFE Surgical Dernatology & Laser Center 6460 Medical Center St. #350 702-255-6647 JONATHAN STRAUSS Quest Diagnostics 4230 Burnham Ave. #144 702-733-7866

GOESEL M. ANSON 8530 W. Sunset Road #130 702-822-2100 MICHAEL C. EDWARDS 8530 W. Sunset Road #130 702-822-2100 JULIO L. GARCIA 6020 S. Rainbow Blvd. #C 702-870-0058 PULMONARY MEDICINE KENNETH J. MOONEY Dignity Health Medical Group Nevada 10001 S. Eastern Ave. #203, Henderson 702-616-5915

PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY

PAUL A. STEWART Pulmonary Associates 2000 Goldring Ave. 702-384-5101

DOUGLAS A. THOMAS 9097 W. Post Road #100 702-430-5333

RADIOLOGY

PEDIATRIC MEDICAL GENETICS COLLEEN MORRIS University of Nevada School of Medicine Ackerman Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment Solutions 630 S. Rancho Drive #A 702-671-2229 PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY CRAIG T. NAKAMURA Children’s Lung Specialists 3820 Meadows Lane 702-598-4411 PEDIATRICS/GENERAL

PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

RENU S. JAIN University Pediatric Center at Lied 1524 Pinto Lane, 3rd Floor 702-944-2828

ANDREW SEAN MCKNIGHT Allergy Partners of Nevada 2485 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway, Henderson 702-212-5889

BEVERLY A. NEYLAND University Pediatric Center at Lied 1524 Pinto Lane, 3rd Floor 702-944-2828

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PLASTIC SURGERY

PAUL D. BANDT Desert Radiologists 2020 Palomino Lane #100 702-387-6900 RHEUMATOLOGY MICHAEL A. O’HANLAN Arthritis Associates 8905 S. Pecos Road #23A, Henderson, 702-734-8311 SLEEP MEDICINE W. JEFF WILLOUGHBY JR. 10105 Banburry Cross Drive #355 702-998-1400 SURGERY TERENCE G. BANICH General Surgery Associates 700 Shadow Lane #370 702-382-8222 ANNABEL E. BARBER University of Nevada School of Medicine Division of Gastrointestinal and Endocrine Surgery 3150 N. Tenaya Way #112 702-671-6480

JOHN J. FILDES University of Nevada School of Medicine Patient Care Center - Las Vegas Department of Surgery 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #160, 702-671-5150 ARTHUR A. FUSCO General Surgery Associates 700 Shadow Lane #370 702-382-8222 JOHN HAM University of Nevada School of Medicine Patient Care Center - Las Vegas Department of Surgery 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #160 702-671-5150 SURGICAL ONCOLOGY SOUZAN E. EL-EID Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 9280 W. Sunset Road #100 702-255-1133 DANIEL M. KIRGAN University of Nevada School of Medicine Patient Care Center - Las Vegas Department of Surgery 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #160, 702-671-5150 THORACIC SURGERY ROBERT WIENCEK St. Rose-Stanford Clinic Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Program 7190 S. Cimarron Road 702-675-3240 UROLOGY SHELDON J. FREEDMAN 653 N. Town Center Drive #308, 702-732-0282 RANJIT JAIN Urology Associates 700 Shadow Lane #430 702-384-0500

THE DR. ROY W. MARTIN

6 Annual Inspired Excellence in Healthcare Awards th

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19th

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas 3960 Las Vegas Boulevard South

Join Las Vegas HEALS as it honors those individuals who ignite and inspire continued possibilities for healthcare excellence.

Sponsorship and ticket information can be found at LasVegasHEALS.org/gala or by calling 702-952-2477.

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TOP DENTISTS

TOP DENTISTS

A

great dentist is something to smile about.

And on the following pages are lots of reasons to smile. Our 2017 topDentists list features more than 160 of the best dental professionals in Southern Nevada.

How did we find the valley’s top dental talent? It started with a simple question posed to the local dental community: “If you had a patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?” This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and of course physical results.

The nomination pool consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association as well as all dentists listed online with their local/regional dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate. Dentists are also given the opportunity to nominate other dentists we have missed whom they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peers’ work when evaluating the other nominees.

Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballot whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged. The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geo-

graphic area. Borderline cases are given a careful consideration by the editors. Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received and status in various dental academies can play a factor in our decision.

Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board. Then letters of congratulations are sent to all listed dentists.

Of course, there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent in the field of dentistry in Nevada. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her peers.

While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate, and useful list of dentists available anywhere.

This list is excerpted from the 2017 topDentists™ list, a database which includes listings for more than 160 dentists and specialists in Southern Nevada. The Las Vegas area list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers.

The complete database is available at usatopdentists. com. For more information, call 706-364-0853; write PO Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email info@usatopdentists.com or visit usatopdentists.com

DISCLAIMER This list is excerpted from the 2017 topDentists™ list, which includes listings for more than 160 dentists and specialists in Southern Nevada.

For more information call 706-364-0853 or email (info@usatopdentists.com) or visit us at topdentists.com. topDentists has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. Copyright 2008-2017 by topDentists, Augusta, GA. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

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TOP DENTISTS *Denotes a dentist who performs cosmetic procedures ENDODONTICS W. SCOTT BIGGS Micro Endodontics of Las Vegas 4450 N. Tenaya Way #240 702-463-5000, 702-463-5858 lasvegasendo.com

RONALD R. LEMON UNLV School of Dental Medicine 4505 S. Maryland Parkway #SLC-D 239, 702-744-2731 unlv.edu/people/ronald-lemon JASON T. MORRIS 2510 Wigwam Parkway #200 Henderson, NV 89074 702-263-2000 702-263-3036

WILLIAM D. BRIZZEE Las Vegas Endodontics 6655 W. Sahara Ave. #A-106 702-876-5800 702-876-5923 lvendo.com

KATHLEEN OLENDER* Desert Dental Specialists 7520 W. Sahara Ave. 702-384-7200 702-384-7593 dentalimplants-lv.com

MATTHEW O. COX 8460 S. Eastern Ave. #B 702-492-6688 702-492-6317 coxendo.com

DOUGLAS R. RAKICH Endodontic Associates 6950 Smoke Ranch Road #125, 702-869-8840 endolv.com

WILLIAM J. DOUGHERTY JR. Sunset Endodontics 54 N. Pecos Road #B, Henderson 702-436-4300 702-436-0334 sunsetendo.com

DANIEL I. SHALEV 2510 Wigwam Parkway #200, Henderson 702-263-2000 702-263-3036

JOHN Q. DUONG 2291 S. Fort Apache Road #104 702-732-8800 702-869-5554 karentrandds.com DAVID C. FIFE 1975 Village Center Circle #110 702-360-2122 drdavidfife.com ADAM GATAN Seven Hills Endodontics & Microsurgery Center 9550 S. Eastern Ave. #248 702-384-0053 702-269-6063 lvrootcanal.com DARIN K. KAJIOKA Endodontics of Las Vegas 9750 Covington Cross Drive #150, 702-878-8584 endodonticsoflasvegas.com

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RYAN C. SHIPP 9053 S. Pecos Road #3000, Henderson 702-798-0911 702-798-4723 shippendodontics.com MARK C. TINGEY Endodontics of Las Vegas 9750 Covington Cross Drive #150 702-878-8584 endodonticsoflasvegas.com GENERAL DENTISTRY STANLEY S. ASKEW Island Dental Center 9750 Covington Cross Drive #100 702-341-7979 702-341-9266 islanddentalcenter.com STEVEN A. AVENA* 3117 W. Charleston Blvd.

702-384-1210 702-384-1450 stevenavenadds.com

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ERIC AVITIA Aary Dental 7945 W. Sahara Ave. #101 702-363-0421 aarydental.com PETER S. BALLE* Balle & Associates 2801 W. Charleston Blvd. #100 702-877-6608 702-877-0038 balledds.com KATAYOUN KATY BARIN NEA Dentistry 2085 Village Center Circle #140 702-256-6001 702-987-5915 drbarin.com ALEX D. BLAZZARD 840 Pinnacle Court #6A, Mesquite 702-345-8686 702-345-8680 blazzarddds.com LAURIE S. BLOCHJOHNSON* Exceptional Dentistry 9501 Hillwood Drive #A 702-463-8600 702-240-0017 drlauriesmiles.com

JERROLD P. CANSDALE 2212 S. Eastern Ave. 702-735-9334 SANDRA CHAN Moore Family Dentistry 10624 S. Eastern Ave. #N, Henderson 702-407-6700 702-407-6710 lvsmiles.com

MARK D. EDINGTON* Modern Dental Care 9895 S. Maryland Parkway #A 702-372-4039 702-270-0598 moderndentallv.

DONALD J. FARR 2458 E. Russell Road #B 702-798-4595 702-262-1115 donaldjfarrdds.com

GUY L. CHISTECKOFF* Island Smiles Cosmetic & Family Dentistry 8940 S. Maryland Parkway #100 702-270-6501 702-260-4249 islandsmiles.org

BARTON H. FOUTZ 2510 Wigwam Parkway #100, Henderson 702-792-5929 702-792-2850 drfoutz.com

STEPHEN H. CLARK II 2820 E. Flamingo Road #B 702-732-2333 702-732-0881 stephenclarkddslv.com

JAMES B. FRANTZ JR. Green Valley Dental Group 710 Coronado Center Drive #100, Henderson 702-260-0102 702-680-0881 GVDentalGroup.com

KENNETH M. COX 6615 S. Eastern Ave. #106 702-735-3506 702-307-1124 CHRIS S. COZINE 8579 S. Eastern Ave. #A 702-739-8289 702-739-0157 cozinedental.com

DERRYL R. BRIAN Nevada Trails Dental 7575 S. Rainbow Blvd. #101 702-367-3700 702-363-3705 nevadatrailsdental.com

BRADLEY A. DITSWORTH 2458 E. Russell Road #A 702-798-6216 702-798-6269

PAMELA G. CAGGIANO* Excellence In Dentistry 321 N. Pecos Road #100, Henderson 702-732-7878 702-734-5143 pamelacaggianodds.com

MARK DORILAG Green Valley Dental Group 710 Coronado Center Drive #100, Henderson 702-260-0102 702-260-0881 gvdentalgroup.com

COLIN M. CAMPBELL* Saint Rose Family & Cosmetic Dentistry 2875 St. Rose Parkway #110, Henderson 702-387-5900 702-387-5906 strosedental.com

JASON L. DOWNEY* 5660 W. Flamingo Road #B 702-871-4903 702-871-1485 smileslasvegas.com

GLEN GALLIMORE 702Dentist 3455 Cliff Shadows Parkway #130 702-839-0500 702-839-0505 702-dentist.com BENJAMIN GLICK 1070 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #120, Henderson 702-331-1378 702-331-1496 benjaminglickdmd.com IRWAN T. GOH* Smiles by Goh 2653 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #110, Henderson 702-832-5517 smilesbygoh.com CHAD N. GUBLER Gubler Dental 11221 S. Eastern Ave. #200, Henderson 702-558-9977 702-558-9914 gublerdds.com

STEVEN L. HARDY Paradise Family Dental 6825 Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas 702-294-2739 702-221-2741 drstevehardy.com GEORGE HAROUNI* 731 Mall Ring Circle #201, Henderson 702-434-9464 702-434-0073 georgeharounidds.com GREGG C. HENDRICKSON* Comprehensive Dental Care 2790 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #100, Henderson 702-735-3284 775-343-7424 nvdentists.com MICHAEL G. HOLLINGSHEAD* 6392 Spring Mountain Road 702-430-2552 702-871-8482 lasvegasnevadasmiles.com EMILY R. ISHKANIAN Green Valley Dental Center 275 N. Pecos Road, Henderson 702-896-8933 greenvalleydentalcenter.com BRIAN R. KARN* Karn Extraordinary Smiles 851 S. Rampart Blvd. #230 702-341-9160 702-341-9312 drkarn.com THOMAS P. KEATING* Keating Dental 880 Seven Hills Drive, #240, Henderson 702-454-8855 702-454-8964 keatingdds.com JAMES G. KINARD* 2780 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #20, Henderson 702-719-4700

WILLIAM P. LEAVITT UNLV School of Dental Medicine 1001 Shadow Lane, #SLC-D 260, 702-774-2641 dentalschool.unlv.edu TON V. LEE Summerlin Smiles 9525 W. Russell Road #100 702-579-7645 702-579-7660 summerlinsmiles.com ROBIN D. LOBATO* 9061 W. Sahara Ave. #101 702-877-0500 702-877-9291 drlobato.com NICHOLAS E. LORDS* Rainbow Park Dental 2950 S. Rainbow Blvd. #200 702-227-6510 702-227-0539 SPENCER LUTH Luth & Heideman Dental Care 6950 W. Smoke Ranch Road #150 702-304-1902 702-304-1909 lhdentalcare.com KENT A. LYSGAARD Lysgaard Dental 2911 N. Tenaya Way #101 702-360-9061 drlysgaard.com DAVID L. MAHON Siena Dental 10075 S. Eastern Ave. #107, Henderson 702-270-8790 702-567-1777 sienadental.com RONALD R. MARSHALL 6891 W. Charleston Blvd.

702-255-6768 702-926-7489 rrmsmile.com GEORGE J. MCALPINE UNLV School of Dental Medicine 1707 W. Charleston Blvd. #290 MS7424 702-671-5130 unlv.edu/dental

NINA MIRZAYAN Adaven Children’s Dentistry 1701 N. Green Valley Parkway #8-E, Henderson 702-492-1955 702-492-7663 drninaonline.com D. KEVIN MOORE Moore Family Dentistry 10624 S. Eastern Ave. #N, Henderson 702-407-6700 702-407-6710 E. ORLANDO MORANTES* 3412 N. Buffalo Drive #107 702-794-0820 702-794-0961 morantesdds.com JOHNNY E. NASSAR Smile Design Center 10120 S. Eastern Ave. #375, Henderson 702-361-9611 702-492-0192 smiledesigncenterlv.com JORGE PAEZ* Nevada Dental Esthetics 4455 S. Jones Blvd. #E2 702-744-8007 lasvegas-cosmetic-dentistry. com WILLIAM G. PAPPAS 7884 W. Sahara Ave. #100 702-367-7133 702-367-2383 SAM PARTOVI Desert Smiles 10175 W. Twain Ave. #120 702-202-2300 702-463-7324 desertsmilesdental.com MARIELAINA PERRONE 2551 N. Green Valley Parkway #A-405, Henderson 702-458-2929 702-458-0831 drperrone.com JAMES B. POLLEY* 1875 Village Center Circle #110, 702-873-0324 702-873-6368 drpolley.com

THOMAS J. PUHEK 3431 E. Sunset Road #301 702-435-3901 702-435-1378

TAMMY SARLES 8650 Spring Mountain Road 702-869-0032 desertbreezedental.net

JOHN M. QUINN Smiles for Life Family Dentistry 8930 W. Sunset Road #190 702-832-2857 702-795-7222 lvsmilesforlife.com

NATHAN D. SCHWARTZ Henderson Family Dentistry 537 S. Boulder Highway, Henderson 702-564-2526 702-565-7852 hendersonfamilydental.com

RICHARD A. RACANELLI Stunning Smiles of Las Vegas 6410 Medical Center St. #B 702-736-0016 lvstunningsmiles.com CRAIG R. ROSE Rose Family Dentistry 8490 S. Eastern Ave. #C 702-914-0000 702-914-5872 rosefamilydentistry.com STEPHEN C. ROSE* Rose Cosmetic and Family Dentistry 4230 E. Charleston Blvd. #A 702-459-8998 702-459-8078 rosecosmeticandfamilydentistry.com LOUISA SANDERS 22010 Cold Creek Road, Indian Springs 702-879-6737 R. MICHAEL SANDERS* UNLV School of Dental Medicine 1001 Shadow Lane #MS7410 702-774-2660 702-774-2721 unlv.edu/people/michael-sanders DAVID B. SANDQUIST* 2650 Lake Sahara Drive #160 702-734-0776 702-734-7761 sandquistdds.com DOUGLAS D. SANDQUIST* 2650 Lake Sahara Drive #160 702-734-0776 702-734-7761 sandquistdds.com

A. THOMAS SHIELDS Shields Family Dentistry 653 N. Town Center #508 702-228-8777 702-228-6452 shieldsfamilydentistry.com PATRICK A. SIMONE* 70 N. Pecos Road, #A, Henderson 702-735-2755 702-735-7901 patricksimonedds.com SUSAN S. SMITH* 8275 S. Eastern Ave. #101 702-967-1700 702-967-1703 susansmithdds.com STEPHEN W. SPELMAN* Willow Springs Dental 3450 S. Hualapai Way 702-871-6044 702-368-0239 stephenspelmandds.com BRADLEY S. STRONG* 2931 N. Tenaya Way #200 702-242-3800 702-242-9420 bstrongdds.com RONALD R. TAYLOR 3505 E. Harmon Ave. #A 702-605-1819 702-796-1591 minidentalimplantslasvegasnv.com FRANSON K. S. TOM 4318 S. Eastern Ave. 702-736-6119 drfransontom.com

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TOP DENTISTS ARTHUR A. TOMARO* Exceptional Dentistry 2095 Village Center Circle #120 702-331-4700 702-331-4703 drtomaroexceptionaldentistry.com MICHAEL TOMITA Island Dental Center 9750 Covington Cross Drive #100 702-341-7979 702-341-9266 islanddentalcenter.com KAREN T. TRAN Lakeview Dental 2291 S. Fort Apache Road #104 702-869-0001 702-869-5554 karentrandds.com TERRIE X. TRAN All Smiles Dental 10545 S. Eastern Ave. #140, Henderson 702-492-9399 702-492-6326 allsmilesbydesign.com MICHELE S. TRATOS 3057 E. Warm Springs Road #300 702-369-8730 702-369-0194 thelasvegasnvdentist.com SCOTT M. WEAVER 53 E. Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson 702-564-3444 702-564-9530 MATT D. WELEBIR* Summerlin Dental 410 S. Rampart Blvd. #360 702-228-2218 702-228-7411 summerlindental.net JAMES V. WHALEN Sun Dental Center 9450 Del Webb Blvd.

702-255-2111 702-255-8075 sundentalcenterlv.com

BRAD A. WILBUR Green Valley Dental Center 275 N. Pecos Road, Henderson 702-896-8933 702-896-6608 gvdentalcenter.com DERREK A. YELTON 2625 S. Rainbow Blvd.

Bldg. 103 702-365-1743 702-365-1167

ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY MICHEL DACCACHE 1701 W. Charleston Blvd. #520 702-750-9444 702-750-9442 nevadaoms.com MARK I. DEGEN Red Rock Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Centre 4730 S. Fort Apache Road #390 702-253-9090 702-253-9083 redrockomsc.com JOHN J. DUDEK Mountain View Oral Surgery 6970 Smoke Ranch Road #150, 702-259-6725 RYAN GIBSON Gibson and Leavitt Oral & Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 2835 Saint Rose Parkway #100, Henderson 702-685-3700 702-685-3701 ryangibsonoralsurgery.com GREGORY J. HUNTER Nevada Oral & Facial Surgery 6950 Smoke Ranch Road #200, 702-360-8918 702-360-2504 nevadaoralandfacialsurgery. com

JOHNATHAN R. WHITE* Aesthetic Dentistry 8084 W. Sahara Ave. #G 702-823-3000 702-685-8254 jbwhitedds.com

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BRENDAN G. JOHNSON Nevada Oral & Facial Surgery 6950 Smoke Ranch Road #200, 702-360-8918 702-360-2504 nevadaoralandfacialsurgery. com KATHERINE A. KEELEY 2649 Wigwam Parkway #102, Henderson 702-263-9339 702-263-8556 drkeeley.net

MATTHEW KIKUCHI 5765 Fort Apache Road #110, 702-876-6337 702-876-2988 omssnv.com BRYCE LEAVITT Gibson and Leavitt Oral & Maxillofacial & Implant Surgery 2835 Saint Rose Parkway #100, Henderson 702-685-3700 702-685-3701 ryangibsonoralsurgery.com CARLOS H. LETELIER The Center for Oral Surgery of Las Vegas 10115 W. Twain #100 702-367-6666 702-367-9555 lasvegasoms.com PATRICK A. O’CONNOR O’Connor Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon 630 S. Rancho Drive #B 702-870-2555 702-870-4997 drpatrickoconnor.net DANIEL L. ORR II Medical Education Building 2040 W. Charleston Blvd. #201 702-383-3711 702-383-2653 orrs.org MONT M. RINGER Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Southern Nevada 5765 S. Fort Apache Road #110 702-876-6337 702-876-2988 omssnv.com

STEVEN A. SAXE Advance Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 1570 S. Rainbow Blvd.

702-258-0085 702-258-0585 nvjawdoc.com ERIC D. SWANSON Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada 2030 E. Flamingo Road #288 702-892-0833 702-892-0906 facialsurgery.org

STEPHEN N. FLEMING 5320 W. Sahara Ave. #4 702-871-1808 MICHAEL C. GARDNER Leaver & Gardner Orthodontics 6005 S. Fort Apache #100 702-878-0764 702-878-1397 leavergardner.com JAMES L GIBSON Gibson Orthodontics 70 E. Horizon Ridge #170, Henderson 702-564-1037 702-564-1031 gogibson.com

ORAL MEDICINE EDWARD E. HERSCHAFT UNLV School of Dental Medicine 1001 Shadow Lane #SLC-B 214 702-774-2654 dentistry.unlv.edu A. TED TWESME 4544 S. Pecos Road 702-436-0900 702-436-0636

JOHN C. GRIFFITHS Griffiths, Simister, Ence, & Drowley Orthodontics 8710 W. Charleston Blvd. #150 702-256-7846 702-256-4370 lasvegasbraces.com R. CREE HAMILTON Hamilton Orthodontics 401 N. Buffalo Drive #220 702-243-3300 702-243-3354 hamiltonortho.com

ORTHODONTICS VICTORIA CHEN Significance Dental Specialists 2430 E. Harmon Ave. #6 702-781-2072 significanceorthodontics. com DAVID A. CHENIN Chenin Orthodontics 10730 S. Eastern Ave. #100, Henderson 702-735-1010 702-735-6823 cheninortho.com STEPHEN T. CHENIN Chenin Orthodontics 10730 S. Eastern Ave. #100, Henderson 702-735-1010 702-735-6823 cheninortho.com JEDEDIAH M. FELLER Feller Orthodontics 2871 N. Tenaya Way 702-341-8668 fellerorthodontics.com

BLAINE R. HANSEN Hansen Orthodontics 3600 N. Buffalo Drive #110 702-568-1600 702-568-1983 hansenortho.com SCOTT E. LEAVER Leaver & Gardner Orthodontics 6005 S. Fort Apache #100 702-878-0764 702-878-1397 leavergardner.com JAMES K. MAH UNLV School of Dental Medicine 4505 S. Maryland Parkway #7422, 702-774-2535 unlv.edu/dental JEREMY S. MANUELE Hamilton Orthodontics 401 N. Buffalo Drive #220 702-243-3300 hamiltonortho.com

CAREY B. NOORDA Noorda Orthodontics 1701 N. Green Valley Parkway #1, Henderson 702-737-5500 702-737-5565 drnoorda.com TIMOTHY REARDON Cool Smiles 8490 S. Eastern Ave. #A 702-260-8241 702-260-8251 vegascoolsmiles.com ALANA SAXE Saxe Orthodontics 3555 S. Town Center Drive #104 702-541-7070 702-541-7071 saxeortho.com DOUGLAS K. SIMISTER Griffiths, Simister, Ence, & Drowley Orthodontics 8710 W. Charleston Blvd. #150 702-256-7846 702-256-4370 lasvegasbraces.com DAVE L. SMITH 5320 W. Sahara Ave. #4 702-871-1808 ROBERT H. THALGOTT 1945 Village Center Circle #110 702-364-5100 702-364-5732 thalgott.com ALFRED A. THRESHER Thresher Orthodontics 9500 W. Flamingo Road #102 702-254-4335 702-254-7995 thresherortho.com

FENN WELCH Welch Orthodontics 8551 W. Lake Mead Blvd. #261 702-240-2300 702-240-6066 welchortho.com LANCE L. WHETTEN 4540 S. Pecos Road 702-436-0999

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY LAURIE B. ABRAMS Just for Kids Dentistry 7140 N. Durango Drive #110 702-740-5437 702-796-5437 justforkidsdentistrylv.com TODD J. BAGGALEY 5705 Centennial Center Blvd. #140 702-998-7100 centennialhillspediatricdentist.com BRYAN Q. BUI Cavitybusters 6910 S. Rainbow Blvd. #104 702-362-5437 702-631-5437 cavitybusters.org RYAN S. BYBEE Kidz Dentistry 1600 W. Sunset Road #B, Henderson 702-733-8341 702-733-2115 hendersonkidsdentist.com ALICE P. CHEN Red Rock Kids Dental 11700 W. Charleston Blvd. #180, 702-242-2436 702-242-2401 redrockkidsdental.com

MARK TRUMAN Truman Orthodontics 10000 W. Sahara #110 702-500-1112 702-320-9045 trumanorthodontics.com

JEFFREY A. COX Anthem Pediatric Dentistry 2843 Saint Rose Parkway #100, Henderson 702-531-5437 702-616-3565 apdkids.com

ZACHARY B. TRUMAN Truman Orthodontics 880 Seven Hills Drive #170, Henderson 702-221-2272 702-222-3277 trumanortho.com

CHAD W. ELLSWORTH Anthem Pediatric Dentistry 2843 Saint Rose Parkway #100, Henderson 702-531-5437 702-616-3565 apdkids.com

HAROUT V. GOSTANIAN Centennial Children’s Dentistry 7425 W. Azure Drive #120 702-880-5437 702-880-5438 safaridentistry.com ASHLEY E. HOBAN Summerlin Pediatric Dentistry 635 N. Town Center Drive #104 702-838-9013 702-838-9157 summerlinpediatricdentist. com DAWN L. MCCLELLAN Dental Care International 1750 Wheeler Peak Drive 702-272-1100 702-998-0675 dcare.org TODD S. MILNE Children’s Dental Center 2085 Village Center Circle #120 702-240-5437 702-240-5436 cdclv.com MANNY RAPP JR. Adaven Children’s Dentistry 1701 N. Green Valley Parkway #8E, Henderson 702-492-1955 702-492-7663 adavenkid.com GARY D. RICHARDSON Adventure Smiles 8995 W. Flamingo Road #100 702-529-2034 702-838-5434 adventuresmiles.com JOSHUA L. SAXE A Childrens Dentist 8710 W. Charleston Blvd. #100 702-255-0133 702-255-8374 achildrensdentist.com MICHAEL D. SAXE A Childrens Dentist 8710 W. Charleston Blvd. #100 702-255-0133 702-255-8374 achildrensdentist.com

WILLIAM F. WAGGONER Pediatric Dental Care Associates 8981 W. Sahara Ave. #110 702-254-4220 702-254-7214 pediatricdentalcareassociates.com

PERIODONTICS DAVID A. ARPIN* Desert Dental Specialists 7520 W. Sahara Ave. 702-384-7200 702-384-7593 dentalimplants-lv.com ERIC BERNZWEIG 6835 W. Charleston Blvd.

702-869-8200 702-869-0115 EDILBERTO DE ANDRADE Anthem Periodontics and Dental Implants 2610 W. Horizon Ridge Parkway #202, Henderson 702-270-4600 702-270-7773 periodontics-dentalimplants.com

ROBERT L. LOCKHART UNLV School of Dental Medicine 1700 W. Charleston Blvd.

702-774-2657 dentalschool.unlv.edu

BRIAN MANTOR Periodontics Ltd. 3811 W. Charleston Blvd. #201 702-259-1943 lvperio.com

JAMES K. ROGERS Canyon Ridge Periodontics 3575 S. Town Center Drive #110 702-966-0300 702-932-5144 canyonridgeperio.com

DAVID J. TRYLOVICH* Periodontics Unlimited 3811 W. Charleston Blvd. #201 702-259-1943 702-877-2727 lvperio.com

PROSTHODONTICS RYAN S. GIFFORD* Periodontics Unlimited 3811 W. Charleston Blvd. #201 702-259-1943 702-877-2727 lvperio.com

NELSON D. LASITER 2255 Renaissance Drive #B 702-798-1987 702-798-6093 nelsonlasiterdmd.com

GARY D. GOASLIND Periodontics Unlimited 3811 W. Charleston Blvd. #201 702-259-1943 702-877-2727 lvperio.com

MARCO T. PADILLA* Advanced Prosthodontics of Las Vegas 851 S. Rampart Blvd. #250 702-263-4300 702-256-7912 lasvegasprostho.com

ALLEN W. HUANG* Significance Dental Specialists 2430 E. Harmon Ave. #6 702-733-0558 702-733-1788 sdsdental.com

STEVEN L. RHODES 501 S. Rancho Drive #E-29 702-384-4896 702-385-0996 srhodesdds.com

CURRY H. LEAVITT Red Rock Periodontics & Implantology 7475 W. Sahara Ave. #101 702-834-8900 702-834-8899 redrockperio.com

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A Healthy Discussion In a wide-ranging roundtable interview, the leaders of Southern Nevada’s three medical schools talk about the state of medical education, how to fix the doctor shortage, the challenges of fundraising, and what’s better, cadavers or robots

BY HEIDI KYSER AND ANDREW KIRALY PORTRAITS BY BRENT HOLMES

A

s long as anybody can remember, Nevada healthcare has been in trouble. This year, America’s Health Rankings put the state at 35th in the nation overall, and that’s 12 slots higher than in 2010. A lack of doctors is a big part of the problem: Nevada ranks 47th in number of physicians per capita. But something is happening that might change that: Two new medical schools are opening, joining the one that’s already here. What will this emerging academic medical community mean to you? We invited the heads of all three schools to the Desert Companion offices to talk about it. They are Barbara Atkinson, Renee Coffman, and Shelley Berkley.

Barbara Atkinson is the founding dean of the UNLV School of Medicine, the region’s only publicly funded medical school. It officially came about in 2014 when the state’s higher education board approved a two-year budget and applied for national accreditation, but Atkinson had been hired earlier that year to lead the process. She’s raising funds for a new building on Shadow Lane, and the school’s first class of 60 students began classes in July.

(After this interview, Atkinson was admitted to the hospital after suffering a ruptured intestine and subsequent infection; she remains hospitalized as of press time.)

Renee Coffman is cofounder and president of Roseman University of Health Sciences, a private nonprofit, with campuses in both Henderson and Summerlin and roots in the 17-year-old Nevada College of Pharmacy. Like UNLV, Roseman has applied for accreditation to offer M.D. degrees — in addition to the dental, pharmacy and nursing degrees it offers already — and expects to enroll its first class of medical students in 2019.

Shelley Berkley has been the CEO and senior provost of Touro University Western Division since December 2013. Touro University Nevada, a private nonprofit that offers Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) degrees, opened its Nevada campus in Henderson in 2004 and has a total current enrollment of 1,400. That includes students in nursing, as well as occupational and physical therapy, and medical education.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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heidi kyser: What’s Nevada’s most pressing healthcare need right now, and how will this more robust academic medical community that you’re developing address it? barbara atkinson, unlv: Well, we just need more doctors, and we need more of every kind — primary care doctors, specialty doctors — and we need to build some medical programs that don’t exist in Las Vegas at all. But really, right now, access is the hardest part: too-long waits, and we just need more doctors. shelley berkley, touro: I would echo that. We have a tremendous doctor shortage in the state of Nevada, particularly in Southern Nevada, but in the rural areas, they are struggling as well. I welcome the new medical schools; I think it’s very important, and I think we are part of a very exciting time in healthcare in this community and in this country, and we are educating healthcare providers for a system that will be dramatically different a decade from now. But, you could have one new medical school or 10 new medical schools, but until we get graduate medical education, which is residencies — which is, after your four years of medical school, you’ve got three years of residency before you can practice. Until we have the requisite number of residency programs to keep these future doctors in the state, they’re going to have to leave, because they have to leave in order to get the residency.1 Interesting statistic: 70 percent of doctors end up practicing where they do their residencies. We don’t have the residency programs here, they’re leaving, and 70 percent of them are not coming back. renee coffman, roseman: I’d echo what Shelley said. The medical school is one piece of it, but the residency-creating is hugely important. If we don’t have that coupled with growing the M.D.-granting

ready in existence, even though our medical school is still moving toward accreditation. Our pharmacy program, in particular, does a lot of outreach with immunization programs, where we go out and immunize, along with the health district, not only in Southern Nevada, but also in surrounding communities, particularly around Pahrump and Mesquite — some of those outlying areas where access is hugely an issue, even more intense than it is here in the Las Vegas Valley. When our medical school gets up and running, one program we’ll be developing is called the Lens Program, where our medical students will be serving those underserved communities, learning what the stressors are for the patients in those communities to help make our students much more aware of that, moving through school.

Barbara Atkinson

or D.O.-granting degree programs, we’re going to be stuck where we’re at. Just to add to what Shelley said, too, one out of every four physicians in Nevada is 60 or older, so we’d have to create 2,000 new positions in Nevada just to be average. So, if you think about that and couple that with the one-fourth who are 60 or older and getting to retirement age, we need to really ramp up production. kyser: Barbara used the word “access,” and I know you’re all doing specific things to address that — the mobile clinics from Touro and the telemedicine program at UNLV are a couple of examples. What are some of other specific programs you’re developing to fill gaps in access? coffman: Well, we have a couple al-

berkley: I would say that Touro University is in a unique position, because we don’t only have our medical, our doctor program — and we are the largest medical school in the state of Nevada; we graduate 135 future doctors every year — but under the same roof are our physician assistants. We’re going from 60 to 80 in the next couple of years. We received accreditation for that. We have a very robust nursing program and we’re expanding our nurse practitioner program.

W hy? Bec a use in the Legislature’s infinite wisdom, 1 Number of residency they have deterprograms per 100,000 people in … mined that nurse practitioners don’t have to be U.S. overall 3.02 supervised by a Nevada 0.89 doctor, and they could write p re Arizona 2.08 sc r i p ti o n s. I’m New Mexico 2.77 thinking that nurse practiUtah 2.79 tioners are the Source: the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s 2014-2015 Data Resource Book

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next hot thing in healthcare, and we want to be on the cusp of that.2 W e h a v e o u r physical therapy d o c t o ra t e, o u r occupational therapy doctorate.

Wi t h a l l t h o s e programs, we do a lot of inter-professional education, so that they are learning together, because that’s how they’re going to be practicing. In addition to those academic programs, we do have two mobile clinics that go out, one to Opportunity Village, where we take care of a very fragile medical population, and (one to) Shade Tree, U.S. Vets Veterans Village, Catholic Charities. And we just received funding for a third. So, we’re very excited about our outreach. In addition to that, we have our on-site medical clinic.

We have 2,100 patient visits a month.

We have our autism center, and we have a partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District that has their facilities on our campus. And so, we believe in outreach to the community. atkinson: The outreach is really im-

portant, and I think the teamwork involved in a lot of different specialties is very important. At UNLV, we’re trying to foster that as well. We have a strong nurse practitioner program, too. And then on the access and community service part, I just have to comment on our dental school, which does 60,000 dental visits a year — anywhere from free to, on a sliding scale, up to whatever somebody can afford to pay.

As a community service, it is amazing what they can do.

berkley: And I was on the Board of Regents when we approved the dental program, and I’m as proud of it as Barbara is.

This roundtable is collaborative production of Desert Companion and “State of Nevada.”

Listen to Joe Schoenmann and Heidi Kyser discuss highlights and outtakes from this interview on “State of Nevada” at desertcompanion. vegas/hearmore.

atkinson: We’re working on a lot of different things. We have our students starting to become EMTs, so they’ll be out in the community doing that. They’ll continue that throughout the four years, but while they’re doing that, they’re going to be doing some public health. It sounds a lot like Renee’s program where they’ll be in a community, looking for the things that make a community unhealthy: How many kids graduate from high school? How many liquor stores are there compared to stores that sell vegetables? How many parks? What is there for kids to do? They’ll be assessing that right from the beginning and then starting to work with that ZIP code. We picked the 10 worst health-outcome ZIP codes in Las Vegas, and that’s where they’re going to be.

But then I just have to talk about the telemedicine, too. So, we’ve piloted that with our autism program. We also have a very strong autism program, for both treatment and diagnosis. We now are seeing kids from Pahrump and all over. And it really is a program where you need to have the patient there for the first diagnosis, but you can do a treatment plan where a lot of the activities can actually happen by video teleconferencing, and it really saves com-

ing into town from somewhere distant, and we think it will be good for a lot of things.3 So, we’re partnering with the Cleveland Clinic and UMC on really expanding those programs, and I have to say they’re good for urban areas too, because they don’t have transportation or parking is a problem. So, for post-op visits and things like that, it’s really valuable in an urban setting, but particularly necessary for rural. andrew kiraly: Barbara, you men-

tioned that EMT training is part of the curriculum. Can each of you give us a picture of what the modern medical education classroom looks like? I think most people still imagine a classroom with a guy in a lab coat and the plastic skeleton. atkinson: Well, we’re just designing our new building right now, so I can tell you that it’s going to have a variety of different things. It is going to have one lecture hall that you can work on from two levels and goes in a gradual slope, but we needed something that would hold about 300 students at one time, so it is going to have a lecture hall. It’s going to have a lot of small-group activities. We’re doing a lot of small-groups — six to seven people in a group. We also have 20-person group rooms, and we have two 30-person rooms that can come together. So, a lot of different sizes for different kinds of activities.

But probably the most exciting is the simulation part and the clinical skills part.

2

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of nurse practitioners is expected to grow 31 percent from 2014 to 2024; employment of physician assistants is expected to grow 30 percent in the same time span. The expected growth is due to increased demand for healthcare services among aging Baby Boomers, and an industry shift toward focusing on preventive care.

3

Telemedicine technology allows a doctor to see a rural patient without either of them having to travel. Using a computer equipped with specialized software and videoconferencing hardware, he can zoom in to look at a patient’s eyes, take a blood pressure reading, and perform other tests. The UNLV School of Medicine will include telemedicine appointments in its clinical rotations, practical studies that are done during the final phase of an MD program.

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Simulation is where you have either robots that act like people and respond to direct ... berkley: They bleed. atkinson: They bleed, they talk, they

say, “I can’t breathe,” things like that.

Or, it’s actual patients who are actors pretending to have a disease. Those we use for really teaching skills the hard way and then testing to see whether the students can really interact with their patient or not. Those patients are tough. They grade the students, and they’re tough. And we also have a room that’s being developed as a 3-D video kind of room, I mean, they have these video goggles now that you put your cell phone on the back of, and you can see things happening.

when they break up into the smaller groups, to learn from each other, to help each other, to teach one another.

Again, it’s really underpinned by a lot of the research on how students learn best, and it’s also about trying to foster the type of graduate you want. You want a student who’s going to be able to interact, in the health professions, with other health professionals. And if you can foster that by creating opportunities for them to work together in teams, they’ll translate that into the work environment as well. berkley: At Touro, when you show up

your first day, we give you a laptop. In the laptop is everything you’re going to

need to know, because the library is a thing of the past. And we keep reloading it as required. We also, thanks to a very generous private donation — because we don’t receive any state money, any taxpayer money — we are building our sim lab. We have money for the equipment, and I have a woman who gives birth every 20 minutes when we need her to, and that’s very, very helpful. (Laughter) atkinson: Can I just comment on one technological thing that is different than other schools? We don’t have the big, smelly formaldehyde lab, where you dissect the body. We have virtual anatomy, and that’s one of the things that we’ve been sharing with Shelley’s people.

coffman: So, our classrooms, rather than

being stadium seating or students facing one way, and the faculty facing in the other, the faculty is in the center, and the seats go all the way around in a hexagonal shape.4 Because in education today, it’s no longer that you have a professor professing at the front of the classroom. It’s much more interactive. If you look at the studies on how students learn best, they’re learning best by interacting, so it’s designed so that the faculty is very close to the student, and the students can see one another, so that they can interact with one another. Highly technologically integrated. We have six big screens around the segments of the hexagon, so that the faculty can project anything they want — something from the internet, it even does 3-D.4 It basically can capture something on the table and project it up so that everyone can see it. You can do demonstrations very easily that way.

And then, as Barbara mentioned, around the perimeter of the classroom, we have small breakout rooms so that

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A typical Roseman University classroom is a hexagon with the instructor and six projector screens in the center.

berkley: I love those cadavers! And

when somebody operates on me, I want them to have already been inside somebody else. (Laughter) So, we’re not getting rid of our cadaver lab, although we will be moving more and more to virtual-reality cadavers. But, frankly, I want students to see what’s inside.

R O S E M A N C L A S S : C O U R T E S Y R O S E M A N U N I V E R S I T Y ; T O U R O C L A S S : C O U R T E S Y T O U R O U N I V E R S I T Y / M O N A S H I E L D PAY N E

kiraly: I had read that bioethics is go-

ing to be a strong component of the curriculum at the UNLV School of Medicine. Barbara, can you talk about that, and why that’s important? atkinson: It’s something I’m very passionate about. Bioethics is how you think about medical problems. Sometimes it’s end of life, and when is the right time to say, “Enough is enough”?

Sometimes the most controversial part has been reproductive rights and abortions and things like that. But there are all kinds of other issues in really taking care of patients. It can be things like how much surgery to do on a child. Or, is this treatment better than that one, or should somebody go to some other physician to get a referral. And then there are scientific things, too. I was on President Barack Obama’s Bioethics Commission, and we dealt with things like, when should you test a pediatric anthrax vaccine on kids? They need to be tested on normal kids to get the dose, but the rule on experimentation on kids is, never experiment unless it has the chance of helping the kid, and there’s no way you could ever predict that testing an anthrax vaccine could help a kid. So, there are those issues, and I think it’s import-

5

A class at Touro University

ant that students start thinking about them relative to patients right from the beginning. So we’re embedding bioethics into patient cases, and we’ll be discussing it with them as they have their own cases, when they’re third- and fourth-year students.5 coffman: What Barbara mentions is really important. The typical medical student is a very high achiever, and they’ve been used to being very successful academically. But real life is much more nuanced than that, and the decisions that are made in the medical field often have to be a lot more nuanced than that. So,

you’ll see, in all of our curricula, exposure to more real-life situations is important, whether it’s actually placing students in under-served communities — because sometimes, you know, the best medication is the most expensive, and if the patient can’t pay for it, then, how are we helping the patient? So, it’s those nuanced decisions that we get by putting students in much more real-life situations that helps to mold their decision-making skills to be much more comprehensive, not so black and white. berkley: And I think it’s very important to note that what Barbara and Re-

During the inter-sessions of their first three years, UNLV School of Medicine students will take interdisciplinary seminars, including one on bioethics titled, “Do the Right Thing: Ethics in Medicine and Beyond; Personalized and Consumer-Driven Medicine.” Here’s a sampling of other bioethics seminars being taught in U.S. medical schools: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Brain Death (Harvard Medical School); Literature and Medicine (Northwestern University); The Responsible Conduct of Research (Stanford Medicine); The Environmental Ethics of Health Care (University of Minnesota); Designing Humans: A Human Rights Approach (NYU); The Problem of Evil: Philosophical, Biological, and Social Dimensions (Stony Brook University)

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atkinson: We’re at $50 million toward the capital campaign goal right now, but we have a lot of people whom we’re talking to, and that we’re hoping we’ll be able to get to it, and I’d certainly like to be able to break ground by the end of this year. It might be not until spring, but ...

Shelley Berkley

nee are talking about should remain within the purview of the medical community, and not our politicians. And I say that as a recovering politician. I’ll give you the perfect example: I was on the (U.S. Congressional) Ways and Means Committee, Healthcare Subcommittee, during the year-long debate on the Affordable Care Act. And somehow, paying doctors for their time to discuss end-of-life options turned into “death panels.” And it had nothing to do with death panels, and it had to do with compensating a doctor for the time they’re going to spend with an elderly patient discussing their options — what they want at the end of their lives.

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kyser: Let’s talk money. Barbara, you’ve said in the past that the new medical school building on Shadow Lane is going to cost $100 million. atkinson: We started out saying it was going to be $100 million. (Laughter) kyser: Okay, what’s it up to now? atkinson: It’s up to somewhere about

$200 million, but that’s if we build it out to its full extent. kyser: So you just recently got the $25 million anonymous donation, and then I believe Governor Sandoval said the state has put $80 million toward the school.

So, where are you in terms of your goal?

kyser: Whether it’s government money, philanthropists, or tuition, funding is always a challenge. So, I wonder if the two of you, Shelley and Renee, have some secrets for squeezing blood out of that turnip, so to speak? berkley: I don’t want Barbara to respond to this, but when I was a senior at UNLV, they created — Howard Hughes passed away in that timeframe — a medical school at UNR. Now, in those days, UNLV was barely a branch of UNR, so Reno was the appropriate place to put a medical school. We are now many, many years later, and UNR’s medical school really has not expanded as it was supposed to, and we spend $60 million a biennium to keep it going. I don’t think this state, knowing that our citizens, our fellow citizens, are very careful with the taxpayers’ money, that they will want to sustain two medical schools, one that we’re spending $60 million a biennium (on) and the expenses of UNLV. When I was on the Board of Regents, I was very vocal in bringing that school down here.

Now eventually, we’re going to need to make a decision, and the Legislature’s going to have to make that decision, that the resources are going to come down here to Southern Nevada where they should be. Seventy percent of the population is here. This is where our medical practice is growing dramatically, if the Medical District expands or is finally created and expands and does what it is supposed to do. But I think Barbara would have another $60 mil-

lion if we reallocated those resources, and eventually we’re going to have to, because this state doesn’t have a whole lot of tax money to spread around, and tough choices are going to have to be made. And the sooner we make the tough choices, the better off we’re going to be as a state, not as Southern Nevada, but as the state of Nevada.6

tive session, we did work together, although it was not a tough sell. Governor Sandoval got it, and he created his Governor’s Task Force on GME. He requested $10 million. The Legislature appropriated the $10 million. All of the schools have representatives on the GME task force. This year, $10 million. And it barely created a ripple. I mean ...

kiraly: A shot across the bow! coffman: Well, it is expensive to run a

kyser: How many residency positions came out of that, finally? atkinson: Actually, there were a lot that came out if you count all the years’ worth, a couple hundred. But, it takes a while. It takes a year or two to start.

So, UNLV is taking over from Reno additional psychiatry residents, so we’re adding six residencies a year for four years, so there’ll be 24 ultimately, but there’s six right now. We’re also expanding the OB-Gyn residencies by, I think, five a year. And that’s, again, for four years until you get 30 residencies.

medical school. That’s what you’re hearing from both of them, really. It’s much more than just the educational mission. In order to maintain accreditation with LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education), in particular, the research mission is incredibly important, and you can’t really get accreditation and maintain accreditation without a strong research program. Research programs are very expensive to run. We’re looking to raise about the same amount that Barbara’s talking about, between $25 and $30 million per year. We’re in the midst of a $66 million campaign so we can get up and running.

It’s all nice and well to say that we need a medical school, we want a medical school, but it’s expensive. kiraly: Your three schools have collaborated to address the problem of the lack of graduate medical education; that is, residency positions in local hospitals that keep graduates in the community as they transition to their careers. How would you assess the current state of graduate medical education (GME) in the valley? berkley: Pathetic! I mean, last legisla-

6

berkley: You don’t get the money and

tomorrow you have a residency program. They’re expensive to start, and a number of the hospitals in town are capped, meaning that they cannot, they do not, qualify for GME, so we’re working with our partners to remedy that situation, but it’s not an easy process.

When we were doing the Affordable Care Act, in the House version — and I know because a congresswoman from Pennsylvania, Allyson Schwartz, and I, introduced legislation to include GME — it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that, if you are providing access to 30 million more Americans that you might need some more doctors to take care of

them. And so, we had the money to create GME, and it comes out of the Medicare fund, in the House version. The Senate version did not include graduate medical education, and (it was) the bill that was passed because Barack Obama didn’t want the cost of the ACA to go above a certain number. The Senate jettisoned the GME and other funding to get to that magic number that the president wanted. So, the Senate bill came back to the House for the final vote. So, when we voted for it, we were voting for expanding medical care to 30 million more Americans with no additional resources to train doctors. How shortsighted is that? kiraly: When you’re out in the community talking to prospective donors, do each of you have a unique selling proposition, a certain angle? berkley: I’m not ashamed to say that I have traded on lifelong friendships, and brought people to Touro who had no idea.

The operative sentence, after I give them a tour, is, “We had no idea what was going on here.” Or, “We pass Touro on U.S. 95 going to Boulder City, and we never knew what was here.” But it is a gem of a school, and I find that if I bring someone on campus, and they have the wherewithal and the disposable income to give, that they will be inclined to support such a worthy endeavor.

And, you know, we never had scholarship money before. That, to me, was a number one priority. My students need scholarships. This is an expensive education. They graduate, sometimes, with about $200,000 worth of debt. My stepdaughter, who practices here — she’s a family-practice physician, and she comes from an affluent family

We asked Thomas Schwenk, dean of the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno, to respond to Berkley’s comment. He replied: “To advantage one part of the state in support of medical education at the expense of another does not seem appropriate. The patient population in the north, including rural Nevada, where we do much of our training, has an equal need for primary care doctors. Medical education is expensive, and the Legislature has to make some very difficult decisions, but I would not want to de-emphasize the need for physicians in the north.”

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— she did it on her own, and she owed $200,000 when she graduated medical school. It is pretty standard. So, if I can do anything to help these students, so that they can have a quality of life while they’re in medical school, and not have such a large burden when they get out, I’m going to do it. If you can show what the money is going for, and bring a donor into your vision and your goal, I think you have a much better chance of success. coffman: Our position is fairly simi-

lar. There wasn’t a lot of knowledge about who we are and what we do in the community. The University of Nevada system is kind of the 10,000-pound gorilla. So, as a private not-for-profit in a state that really does not have a complementary private educational system — I’m from Ohio originally, and you really cannot throw a stone without hitting a private school in Ohio — even where I got my pharmacy degree, the town had 5,000 people, and it supported a university. So, there’s a disconnect, I think, in Nevada, in particular, not understanding what a private, notfor-profit (college) is.7 So, if potential donors first understand what a private school is, and that we don’t take any state funding, so your tax dollars are not supporting us — we have to support that through good business sense, for one thing, with the money we do get, but then philanthropy is a second point — but then also, as a not-for-profit, not lumping us in with some of the for-profit schools that have had such a bad reputation throughout the United States, whether it’s the University of Phoenixes or whatever. When we get excess revenue, it doesn’t line somebody else’s pocket. It goes into developing and building out programs and expanding what we do have to serve our communities.

atkinson: I sort of go at it a little bit

differently. In the very beginning the case that was made to make a public medical school in Las Vegas was actually an economic one. It wasn’t the need for doctors, or healthcare, or things missing on the healthcare front. It was simply economic. Public medical school, in 15 years, should generate $1.2 billion of economic impact. And if it was put — which it is going to be — in the Medical District, then together, the two of them, it’s a $3.6 billion a year economic impact and 22,000 new jobs.

So, that was the selling point. But that’s not what I use when I go to potential donors. I use that with the Legislature and with some businesspeople who want to hear that piece, too.

But the real piece that I use is that we have a real innovative education, that I really planned it thinking about what a doctor who’s going to practice for 50 years is going to need. The technology is going to be really important, as is outpatient medicine and care for whole populations of people — it’s not going to be fee-for-service medicine.

So, we’ve built all of those things in.

We have a third year that’s all outpatient instead of in a hospital. Patients in the hospital are too sick. They’re taken care of by hospitalists. It’s a different business now, and what these students need to learn is outpatient medicine and keeping people healthy and out of hospitals. berkley: And that’s what I love about

osteopathic medicine. My stepdaughter’s a D.O. and my husband’s an M.D. When I tell my husband Larry I have a headache, he’ll give me a pill. When I tell Dr. Stephanie I have a headache, she’ll start rubbing me over here, or ask me what I had for dinner last night, or knowing that my headache may not be in my head, and I like that approach

with osteopathic medicine. But, look, public health is a very important part of this, as 70 percent of chronic illnesses are related to three things: smoking, obesity, lack of exercise. We have it in our (capability) to lower our healthcare costs. We choose, as a society, not to. So one of these days we’re going to have to change the paradigm of how we deliver healthcare, go to early detection and prevention of disease, instead of spending 70 percent of our healthcare dollars in the last sixth months of life. Now that is not a death panel, but that is exactly what we are doing. So if we change the paradigm, we can live longer, healthier lives and spend much less taxpayers’ dollars on our healthcare system, which, frankly, is unsustainable at its current pace. kiraly: If the Affordable Care Act is re-

pealed and replaced, how do you anticipate this affecting the educational institutions you’re building, and medical education in general? berkley: Both the House version and the proposed Senate version, which no one has seen yet (as of interview time), are so dangerously bad and preposterous for people throughout the United States, but particularly here in the state of Nevada, it will devastate us. One of

7

Private colleges: nonprofit vs for-profit

Nevada

New Mexico

Utah

Arizona 0

3

Nonprofit

6

9

12

For-profit

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

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the reasons that I ultimately voted for the Affordable Care Act, all flaws known to me, is at the time, there were 600,000 uninsured Nevadans. And Medicaid-eligible, I would say. Being uninsured doesn’t mean you don’t get sick. It means you wait until you’re really, really, really sick and you end up in the emergency room of the hospitals.

There was no accident that out of the 33 hospitals that we have in Nevada, 20 of them were operating in the red, particularly UMC. Seventy million dollars in the red. They’re not operating in the red anymore, because they’re getting compensated by Medicaid for these patients. If we eliminate that, you are going to uncompensated care, and someone is paying for this! And it’s all the people in the state of Nevada who are going to be paying for these Medicaid patients. So the idea that we are cutting it, or eliminating it, or changing it, is an outrage, and dangerous to the health and well-being of our citizens.

chronic disease. People go off things like kidney dialysis, and cancer care, and they really won’t be able to afford it.

Renee Coffman

berkley: It is meaner. Meaner. kyser: I’m curious, though, how that

specifically affects your schools. Can you give some examples? atkinson: We will have a lot more trouble making money in our practice to pay the salaries of the doctors, which means we’ll cut back on the number of faculty we have. We won’t be able to afford to do some of the higher-profile things, the liver transplants and the bone-marrow transplants, and the stuff that needs to be added in this town, because you can’t afford to give those kinds of care away for free. UMC won’t have enough money to pay for all of the care that it gives, so it’s going to go back in debt if it loses a substantial amount of the Medicaid enrollment, and it will. It’ll actually lose more under the Senate bill than it loses under the House bill. The Senate bill is actually tougher than the House bill, and that one was outrageous.

atkinson: Sunrise Hospital will have the same problems. Sunrise is very good at taking care of underserved people.

They’ve done much better under this Medicaid program, but they’ll go back to being uncompensated care. Over half of the deliveries in the country — over 40 percent of them, anyway — are Medicaid cases now. Sunrise and UMC is probably more like 70 to 80 percent of all the deliveries are Medicaid deliveries. So, that care goes away. The prenatal part of that care goes away, which means the babies are sicker, they end up in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) forever, there are all kinds of complications that are unexpected if the woman hasn’t had any prenatal care going into it. It’s bad for education in every kind of way, because all you see are really sick people.

You don’t actually get to take care of

coffman: Barbara pointed out something really important. A lot of people don’t realize that as you’re building a medical school, it receives sources of revenue other than tuition, and one is the clinical enterprise. If the physicians who are part of the clinical enterprise of the medical school aren’t getting compensated, you hire fewer physicians. That means you have fewer students, because there’s a certain ratio the accrediting agency is looking for, for faculty-to-students.

On the positive side, though — I’ll be the Pollyanna in the group — there may be opportunities for other healthcare professionals like nurse practitioners, like pharmacists, to fill some of the gaps in some of those areas that were normally held by physicians that they can do within the scope of their care. So there may be some more demand, particularly on the nurse practitioner/physician assistant side for some of those services compensated at a lower rate than what a physician would have. berkley: Let me answer your question

in a really direct way. Our second mobile clinic where we have a partnership with Opportunity Village, all of the Opportunity clients that we see as patients are Medicaid-eligible, and while we receive a grant to pay for the mobile clinic, the reality is, in the future, what we were counting on is getting all of the Medicaid-eligible patients into our system, and paying Medicaid rates is not a huge payer, but it would be enough for us to break even, to continue delivering services to a very fragile patient population.

If that Medicaid money goes away, all of these Opportunity Village clients are going to be without healthcare.

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kiraly: On an institutional level, do

you feel a responsibility to engage students in the discussion about fixing healthcare in America, or is medical school just about training doctors? atkinson: There’s a health policy piece that is really important. We have a community health sciences school that is moving toward becoming a public health school. I think it’s extremely important that we really teach every level of student about our healthcare, about where the costs are and what the costs are. Again, I think population health management is the way to ultimately save money, by spending more time with patients up front, finding out about the patient themselves, setting a treatment plan, either for normal and healthy patients, or for a chronic disease like hypertension or diabetes, and working out those details by spending up-front time. It’s the only way we’re going to really cut costs — that and being really careful about when you order what tests and why. coffman: Shelley talked earlier about

those in healthcare having the ability to weigh in on these healthcare policy issues, as opposed to politicians. But it’s something we have to integrate in the curriculum and inculcate in the students, because we’re so focused on making sure they get the anatomy, and they get the clinical practice, and they get all of that piece of it, that when they graduate, they are maybe not as in tune (with the policy dimension). How do they weigh in? How do they make their voices heard? But it’s a real challenge.

Our curricula are packed as they are. kiraly: Are there health policy classes

at Roseman? coffman: We don’t have specific policy

classes. We have tracks that will allow students to get some exposure to that.

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We send students to the state Legislature every session so that they can see what’s going on. berkley: At Touro, they go to Carson

City. My students go to Washington, D.C., too, in their white coats, and they look very impressive when they ’re walking the halls of either the United States Congress or the Legislature in Carson City. kyser: Can each of you describe your single greatest challenge and how you overcame it? coffman: Money. Roseman did go through the accreditation process, and out of the 93 elements the LCME looked at, the reason we weren’t able to advance on the timeline we wanted to was because they said we needed more funding. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a Legislature giving us dollars to support us, so that is the biggest challenge. We talked about some of the challenges and people not recognizing all the elements that make medical school and GME funding so expensive, but then you layer on top of that just being an educational institution in and of itself. We are one of the most highly regulated types of industries in the United States, with the federal government weighing in, with layers of regulations. And then healthcare on top of education means there’s a lot of time and effort that goes into just maintaining that component. atkinson: I agree it’s money, because I have to go out to the Legislature and ask for it, and then get it. But higher for me was actually the infrastructure. You had a healthcare infrastructure that already existed because of your other healthcare schools. But UNLV had never had a medical school.

I think they thought it was going to be

a lot easier than it was. And they certainly didn’t expect it to be as expensive! They really didn’t expect it to be as expensive or us to move as fast.

They wanted it to happen fast, so I made it happen fast. But believe me, we’re going through the throes now of adding 750 employees on July 1 to UNLV, almost a quarter the size of UNLV. And their HR was not ready.

It’s a good thing we had built our own HR structure to work with theirs, to be able to begin to do it. The total dollar amount is going to be a $130 million operation on July 1. We’re talking real money. And if we don’t bill on time, we’ll lose over a million dollars a week. There’s just a lot that has to come together, and a lot of it is infrastructure. And UNLV had pared its infrastructure down during the recession, and hadn’t really built it back up again yet. It’s working and they’ve been incredibly supportive. berkley: Money is always an issue. But

making sure we’re putting out the best possible product — my students — and making sure that our faculty is engaged and understands the mission of the school is important. And making sure we are accessing the community, because a very big part of our mission is to make sure that the ladies at Shade Tree and the people at Catholic Charities and the U.S. Vets and Veterans Village are receiving basic healthcare, and they’re receiving it because of my faculty and my students at Touro. I’m proud about that, but I also have to make sure that my faculty, staff, administrators and students know what they’re doing is very important to this community.

And knowing that they’re making a difference, and they need to hear it. Because it’s a tough environment, and a tough job, and they need to know they’re doing a good job.

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2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL PROFILES

M E D I C A L P R O F I L E S M97

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MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

UNIVERSITY ORTHOPAEDICS & SPINE University Orthopaedics & Spine is committed to providing the highest quality comprehensive orthopaedic care in a patient-centered setting. With four board-certified physicians who are experts in their specialty areas and industry leaders who continuously set the standard for orthopaedic excellence in Nevada, their practice offers orthopaedic, spine and fracture care. This includes various types of neck and back issues for children and adults, using the latest surgical procedures and technologies available.

Physicians include Michael Daubs, M.D., the professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UNLV School of Medicine. Daubs grew up in Las Vegas and has been practicing for more than 20 years. As medical director, he leads the practice team of Brock Wentz, M.D. (orthopaedic trauma); Erik Kubiak, M.D. (joints and fractures); Sukanta Maitra, M.D. (spine and general orthopaedics) and Shannon Boffeli, N.P. (orthopaedic trauma and family nursing). University

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Orthopaedics & Spine continues to improve access to care with the addition of Carolien de Roode-Wentz, M.D. (pediatric orthopaedic surgery) later this year.

For patients seeking care and other physicians looking to refer their patients for care, University Orthopaedics & Spine has a very strong research component.

They are at the forefront of clinical medical research — what is called “outcomesbased research.” This is research that examines which procedures work best for certain patients.

University Orthopaedics & Spine also has the first orthopaedic medical doctor residency program in Nevada, educating and training the next generation of orthopaedic physicians. This will have the effect of making this type of quality health care more readily available in Nevada.

This focus on research and commitment to educating the next generation of orthopaedic professionals includes a partnership with the new UNLV School of Medicine, as well as physicians providing

innovative care in the areas of trauma, spine injuries and conditions, hips and arthritis and degenerative joint disease.

Patients can be confident that the trend-setting care they receive from University Orthopaedics & Spine is handled with expertise, compassion and professionalism. The care team ensures that each patient’s treatment is effective and attainable by tailoring plans to each patient’s specific goals and lifestyle.

University Orthopaedics & Spine participates with Medicare, many commercial insurances and managed care health plans.

For more information, visit www.uoslv.com.

UNIVERSITY ORTHOPAEDICS & SPINE 4750 W OAKEY BLVD. SUITE 401, LAS VEGAS, NV 89102 702.724.8877 uoslv.com

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

MARY ANN K. ALLISON, MD, PRACTICE PRESIDENT COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERS OF NEVADA

Multiple specialties, one philosophy.

That’s Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada’s (CCCN) commitment and approach to patient care.

Mary Ann K. Allison, MD, one of the original founding members of CCCN and current Practice President, is a medical oncologist and has a vision for the future of the practice and the state of cancer care in Nevada.

At CCCN, you will get state-of-theart care without having to leave town.

And if you ever do need to leave town, it’s because your physician at CCCN is recommending a specialized treatment that ensures the best possible outcome.

With the goal of providing cancer treatment services close to home, CCCN will soon open an office in Summerlin and is moving toward a consolidated cancer center in Henderson.

The practice continues to recruit new doctors to fill unmet needs as well as offer new services, such as pulmonary and breast surgery. CCCN is also currently exploring the expansion of its radiation services and helping to establish a bone marrow transplant program with a local hospital system.

Through all its growth and expansion, clinical research continues to be a top priority at CCCN. The practice is committed to the Las Vegas community by offering the latest in groundbreaking clinical research. CCCN participates in more than 170 Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical research studies each year and has played a role in developing more than 60 FDA-approved cancer therapies.

The trials in which Dr. Allison has participated in and brought to the practice have improved the standards of breast cancer care throughout the country. One of her earlier trials led to the confirmation of the drug Paclitaxel, or Taxol, and another participated in a clinical trial that established a new Herceptin regimen that is now considered standard of care, which targets a genetic alteration found in 20 to 25 percent of breast cancer patients every year.

She has also been instrumental in continuing research efforts with UCLA TRIO-US Network to bring to Las Vegas two new cutting-edge breast cancer trials that will be available to patients locally.

At its core and under Dr. Allison’s leadership, CCCN is a group of caring people committed to its community, who have raised their children here, who

give back to many charities throughout Southern Nevada and have been long supporters of local health care. The physicians, nurses and staff are committed to taking care of patients where they live and creating a research environment for others to seek out and travel to for treatment.

COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERS OF NEVADA MARY ANN K. ALLISON, MD, FACP PRACTICE PRESIDENT 2460 W HORIZON RIDGE PKWY. HENDERSON, NV 89052 702.822.2000

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MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

ROSEMAN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES When Roseman University of Health Sciences was established in Henderson in 1999, its founders approached learning in a different way. They recognized that every student has a different learning style and that adult learners may need to be engaged differently. They also believed that every student could succeed and compete at a very high level if given the right tools and training to do so. Breaking down barriers and increasing communication and partnership between student and teacher are at the core of success, proficiency and content mastery. Studentto-student collaboration develops healthcare professionals that work in teams so that the patient has the very best chance of a good outcome.

As a result, the university developed the Six-Point Master Learning Model to produce graduates that are competent and to provide an educational environment

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that not only produces and ensures high levels of achievement from all students, but also fosters cooperation and collaboration in the learning process.

The Six-Point Master Learning Model consists of Block Curriculum, Active and Collaborative Learning, Competencybased Education, Assessment Learning, Early Experiential Learning, and a Classroom Design that facilitates learning.

All of these components reinforce one another, and contribute to an unparalleled educational environment.

Roseman University was founded as a non-profit, private institution in response to the educational and healthcare needs of Nevada, focusing early on the shortage of pharmacists in the state. The university’s initial class of 38 Doctor of Pharmacy students earned their degrees in 2003.

Just 17 years later, Roseman University now has an enrollment of nearly 1,600 students in multiple healthcare-focused programs on three campuses in Henderson and Summerlin (Las Vegas), Nevada and South Jordan, Utah.

The university offers academic programs that address the healthcare needs of communities, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Accelerated Bachelor of Sciences in Nursing (ABSN), RN to BSN, Veteran to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (VBSN) pathway, Doctor of

Pharmacy (PharmD), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Residency program, Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AEODO) Residency program, and an MBA with a healthcare focus. In 2013, Roseman established an MD-granting College of Medicine at its Summerlin campus, which is currently working to achieve accreditation.

Additionally, Roseman University faculty conduct basic biomedical science and clinical research in a variety of areas, including cancer, diabetes, and substance abuse and depression.

Roseman University is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

ROSEMAN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES HENDERSON 11 SUNSET WAY HENDERSON, NV 89014 Roseman.edu

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

SHEPHERD EYE CENTER Shepherd Eye Center has been proud to serve the communities of Las Vegas and Henderson since 1968. What started as one physician, Dr. John Shepherd, in one location, has grown to a practice of 13 ophthalmologists, 2 optometrists (the most recent addition, Dr. Brian Gaster, joined the practice in January 2017), 4 offices and nearly 160 employees. Early on Dr. Shepherd pioneered new techniques and instrumentation that would improve the way cataract surgery would be performed.

Today Shepherd Eye Center continues to provide care using the latest medical techniques and technology.

With the breadth of talent and experience of the doctors of Shepherd Eye Center, care is provided to patients of all ages. Services include routine eye exams as well as the treatment of eye diseases, including surgical options. The physicians at Shepherd Eye Center treat a wide range of conditions from glaucoma to diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, muscle imbalance, cataracts and corneal conditions. Specialists trained in pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastic surgery, and refractive surgery round out

the comprehensive ophthalmology team at Shepherd Eye Center.

Whether it’s the front desk staff or the employees assisting the doctors, our staff are given opportunities to gain certifications in order to provide the highest level of care for our patients including: Certified Patient Service Specialist, Certified Ophthalmic Technicians, and Certified Ophthalmic Assistants. Each office has an optical shop stocked with glasses, and is staffed with experienced opticians ready to help you find a pair to compliment your style. Our contact lens specialist can expertly fit you with the right contact lenses for your unique eyes.

The Shepherd Eye Surgicenter consists of 2 operating rooms and performs more cataract surgeries than any other eye practice in the state of Nevada. The surgery center is staffed with highly-qualified registered nurses, scrub techs and support staff, and is state-licensed, Medicare-approved, and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc..

“We are lucky to have had a leader like Dr. Shepherd that set the tone for

the practice when it began,” says Steven O. Hansen, MD, FACS, and president of Shepherd Eye Center. “By keeping his vision of always putting the patient first, we have been able to embrace the challenges and opportunities that have presented themselves over the last 50 years and provide compassionate eye care for the whole family.”

SHEPHERD EYE CENTER HENDERSON 2475 W. HORIZON RIDGE PKWY. SUITE 120 HENDERSON, NV 89052 LAS VEGAS 3575 PECOS-MCLEOD LAS VEGAS, NV 89121 SOUTHWEST 9100 W. POST RD. LAS VEGAS, NV 89148 SUMMERLIN 2100 N. RAMPART LAS VEGAS, NV 89128 702.731.2088 WWW.SHEPHERDEYE.COM

M E D I C A L P R O F I L E S M101

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL PROFILES

EVA LITTMAN MD, FACOG RED ROCK FERTILITY CENTER

Thousands of families have benefited from Dr. Eva Littman’s service over the past, many years.

She is one of Las Vegas’ most trusted and knowledgeable fertility experts. As the Founder and Practice Director of Red Rock Fertility Center, she has successfully guided the center to produce exceptionally high pregnancy success rates year-afteryear. She has contributed to worldwide knowledge of specific fertility issues by publishing numerous papers in peerreviewed journals and regularly presents at international meetings and local conferences.

Dr. Littman completed her medical training at some of the world’s leading medical centers and universities including Stanford University and Duke University.

Her ground-breaking research has been honored and recognized by the nation’s most prestigious organizations. She was awarded the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Prize Paper Award and the Academic Medicine Fellowship Award by the National Medical Foundation.

Some of Dr. Littman’s recent, notable awards include being named “Top Doctor” in the field of fertility for the past six years.

She was named a “Woman to Watch” in 2013 by Vegas Inc, and in 2017 the U.S. Small Business Administration awarded her “Nevada’s Small Business Of The Year.

Local charities are a large part of her civic life as well. She is on the board of Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation and is also a member and volunteer with United Way Women›s Leadership Council of Southern Nevada. Dr. Littman has donated fertility consultations and IVF cycles to Volunteers in Medicine Southern Nevada, a nonprofit medical

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clinic that provides healthcare to the uninsured and to the Tinina Q. Cade Foundation, a nonprofit organization that assists families battling infertility.

Dr. Littman has also been a financial supporter of The Shade Tree, a Las Vegasbased shelter for women, children and pets that are victims of domestic abuse.

Unsurprisingly, local and national media outlets have taken notice. She has been interviewed as a guest expert several times on Las Vegas outlets including Fox5 News and ABC Channel 13 Action News.

She has also made guest appearances on TLC’s Sister Wives and Freeform’s Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?

Dr. Littman’s Red Rock Fertility Center is Nevada’s first and only boutique style specializing in personalized physician care and expertise in an intimate and cozy setting. Dr. Littman and her team have

been able to create close to thousands of pregnancies on the first attempt and in turn have helped her patients expand their families.

RED ROCK FERTILITY CENTER 9120 W. RUSSELL RD. SUITE 200, LAS VEGAS, NV 89148 702.749.4902 redrockfertility.com

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

DR. CANDACE NEWKIRK DESERT VALLEY AUDIOLOGY Dr. Candace Newkirk joined the Desert Valley team in 2015. Desert Valley Audiology provides audiology services for the hearing impaired of Las Vegas and Henderson areas,where they offer a full range of audiological services including comprehensive hearing tests, hearing aid fittings, and pediatric evaluations. The friendly team specializes in caring for the hearing impaired of all ages. As an independent audiology practice, they offer hearing devices from all of the major manufacturers and choose the system that is right for each individual patient.

Desert Valley Audiology is committed to helping each patient solve their hearing challenges through personalized and attentive hearing health care. The Desert Valley Audiology team strives to help patients hear more clearly, communicate more effectively, and enjoy a better quality of life. Patient satisfaction is their ultimate goal. Founded in 2010, Desert Valley has become a premiere hearing center in the Las Vegas Valley.

Dr. Newkirk graduated with her Bachelor of Science in communication sciences and disorders from Missouri State University in 2012 and with her Doctorate of Audiology, also from Missouri State University, in 2016. She completed her clinical residency at Desert Valley Audiology and has been with the office as a clinical audiologist ever since. She specializes in hearing aids and pediatric audiology.

Dr. Newkirk has worked in various clinical settings during her graduate program, including rotations focusing on tinnitus management, pediatrics, and dizzy patients. Her passion, however, lies with helping people hear their best through the use of amplification. She is dedicated to providing her patients the

best in hearing healthcare. She enjoys assisting patients overcome their individual hearing challenges and thus improve their quality of life. She believes in the simple mantra “hear better, live better.�

Recently, she had the opportunity to travel to a small town outside of Mexico City, Mexico with the Starkey Hearing Foundation. Over the two week mission, the team worked tirelessly to fit over 5,000 people with hearing aids. Since moving to Las Vegas, Dr. Newkirk has enjoyed hiking and spending time with her golden retriever, Olive.

DESERT VALLEY AUDIOLOGY LAS VEGAS 501 S. RANCHO DR. SUITE A8 LAS VEGAS, NV 89106 HENDERSON 8460 S. EASTERN AVE. SUITE C HENDERSON, NV 89074 702.605.9133 lasvegashears.com

M E D I C A L P R O F I L E S M103

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

SHELLEY BERKLEY

TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA For the last 35 years, Shelley Berkley has brought significant change to the Silver State at the local, state and federal levels.

A proud graduate of UNLV, Berkley first served in the Nevada assembly from 1982-84. She was later appointed, and twice elected, to the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents from 1990-98 where she fought to keep tuition low and helped establish a law school at UNLV. In 1998, her impact was felt on the national level when she was elected to the United States House of Representatives, the first woman to be elected from Nevada’s first district. Berkley was re-elected seven times while in Congress and served on the Transportation Committee, Small Business Committee, Veterans Affairs Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee and the Ways and Means Committee.

In 2014, she became the second CEO and Senior Provost of the Touro University Western Division, which includes the campus in Nevada and one in northern California.

Since 2004, Touro University Nevada has graduated more than 3,400 physicians, healthcare professionals and educators, including nearly 1,000 who are licensed to practice and teach in the state of Nevada.

At Touro University Nevada, Berkley has spearheaded tremendous growth and has helped secure funding for a myriad of projects, including two mobile healthcare clinics that provide basic healthcare services to Southern Nevada’s most underserved populations.

She was also instrumental in the implementation of the university’s annual

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Gala, which has helped raise more than $240,000 for student scholarships. Her commitment to Southern Nevada can be felt by the relationships that Touro has established with numerous community partners, including Southwest Medical Associates, City National Bank and more.

She helped raise more than $6 million for the university, including a $1.5 million gift from the Engelstad Family Foundation and a $1.2 million grant from Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature to fund a geriatric fellowship.

Under Berkley’s tenure, Touro has remodeled its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, which offers speech therapy, physical therapy, applied behavior analysis and more for children.

The university also expanded services at its Health Center on campus during her tenure.

While she became a house-hold name

in politics, Berkley’s lifelong commitment to healthcare and higher education is helping Nevadans get easier access to healthcare. Touro University Nevada has flourished under Berkley’s leadership as the next generation of healthcare providers leave the university with a quality education to help make a difference in the world.

TOURO UNIVERSITY NEVADA 874 AMERICAN PACIFIC DR. HENDERSON, NV 89014 702.777.3100 TUN.TOURO.EDU

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

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PROFILES

DR. JACK ABRAMS ABRAMS EYE INSTITUTE

Founded in 2005 by Jack Abrams, M.D., Abrams Eye Institute provides the most advanced, comprehensive ophthalmologic services in Southern Nevada, having given more than 15,000 patients the gift of improved vision through state-of-the-art surgical procedures, as well as standard eye care.

Jack Abrams M.D. is a board-certified, fellowship-trained Ophthalmologist who also serves as an emergency eye surgeon at several local hospitals. A relentless innovator, Dr. Abrams is the first surgeon in Nevada to perform advanced surgeries including Laser-Assisted Cataract, KAMRA Inlay and Laser-Assisted Intacs, while also being the first, and still the only, surgeon in the state to do Laser-Assisted Corneal Transplants. He is frequently sought after by leading technology companies to utilize their latest equipment.

The technology that Abrams Eye Institute uses focuses on a 360-degree perspective for eye care – leaving no stone unturned in providing its patients with complete vision protection. In bringing in new technology, including the launch of the practice’s Dry Eye Center, Dr. Abrams

and his team constantly innovate and adapt to help those living in one of the most challenging environments for eyes.

As a center of excellence for specialty eye care, Abrams Eye Institute’s mission is to provide the best possible vision to its patients. The team at Abrams Eye Institute is passionately committed to providing world-class surgical care, and patient care, through the use of the most advanced surgical technology and techniques available.

The team-oriented approach, utilized at Abrams Eye Institute’s three clinics, starts with a highly trained support staff that provides a warm and welcoming environment. This environment is consistent for all patients in need of general ophthalmology procedures, or more specific surgical procedures such as LASIK eye surgery or cataract surgery.

Regardless of specific needs, all patients of Abrams Eye Institute will have a consultation with one of our three boardcertified eye doctors who’ll help identify and diagnose conditions, and guide patients toward the most appropriate treatment option. Most procedures, if prescribed, can be completed inside the clinic’s offices, saving patients travel time, along with offering the comfort of a familiar environment.

The practice also provides a number of general services addressing and treating glaucoma, pterygium (conjunctiva), diabetic retinopathy and more. Abrams Eye Institute provides comprehensive and pediatric eye exams and treats common eye conditions including conjunctivitis (pink eye), chalazion (stye), ocular rosacea and more.

ABRAMS EYE INSTITUTE LAS VEGAS 6450 MEDICAL CENTER ST. SUITE 100 LAS VEGAS, NV 89148 702.304.9494 HENDERSON 2451 W HORIZON RIDGE PKWY. SUITE 130 LAS VEGAS, NV 89052 702.304.9494 PAHRUMP 1470 E. CALVADA BLVD. SUITE 300 PAHRUMP, NV 89048 775.537.2020 AbramsEyeInstitute.com

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MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

DR. CLAUDIA KRISPEL MD, PHD

SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL

MEADOWS RETINA

BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars are drained from the Medicare system as a result of fraud, waste, errors and abuse.

The Nevada SMP – Senior Medicare Patrol educates Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers on how to avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. This helps protect and promote the integrity of Medicare. SMP is funded and supported by the US Administration for Community Living and administered by the Nevada Aging & Disability Services Division. There are 53 SMP programs nationwide.

SMP staff and volunteers conduct outreach in the community through group presentations, exhibiting at events, answering calls to the SMP Help Line (702-486-3403) and meeting individually with beneficiaries. The main goal of the SMP is to empower Nevadans by teaching them to: • Protect their personal information and identity • Detect suspected errors and deceptive healthcare practices on their healthcare statements (i.e., charging for services that were never provided, providing unnecessary or inappropriate services) • Report to the SMP if they feel they have been a target of errors, fraud, or abuse, or illegal marketing practices If you want to make a difference in your community and fight Medicare fraud, volunteer today with Nevada SMP! Free training is provided. For more information, please call 702-486-3403.

To receive a FREE Personal Healthcare Journal to help track your medical information, please contact us at SMPinfo@adsd.nv.gov.

NEVADA SMP – SENIOR MEDICARE PATROL

This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MP0209, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

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702.486.3403 888.838.7305 nevadaSMP.org

Dr. Krispel received her subspecialty retina training at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. She earned both her M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Davis as a member of the Physician Scientist Training Program. She developed a passion for the retina while working on her Ph.D. thesis, which focused on photoreceptors, the light sensitive cells in the retina. She stayed on at UC Davis to complete an internship in internal medicine followed by a residency in ophthalmology. She is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, and is an active member of the American Society for Retina Specialists and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She speaks English, German, and Spanish. When she is not in the office she spends her time with her husband, a pediatric ER physician, and their two young children.

MEADOWS RETINA 3037 W. HORIZON RIDGE PKWY. SUITE 110 HENDERSON, NV 89052 702.358.0472 www.meadowsretina.com

2017

MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIA SL P EACDI V AE L RATD I SVIENRGT ISSEI C NT GI O SN ECTION

PROFILES

KEATING DENTAL Keating Dental is celebrating its 70th year of continuously serving Las Vegas! We are honored to have the love and support of our families and patients for so many years. Dr. John Hirsch started his practice in 1947 after serving in WWII. In 1969, after serving as a Navy dentist in Vietnam, Dr. Keating, Sr. started his practice down the street from his father in law Dr. Hirsch. In 1993 Dr. Hirsch retired and the family practices merged. In 2001, Dr. Keating Jr. joined the practice and has been maintaining the family business since his father’s retirement in 2013.

Keating Dental specializes in beautifying smiles, maintaining your dental health, and helping you improve your appearance.

We offer all the latest dental technology

in a modern dental office. From the moment you walk in you will feel at home with our fireplace in the waiting room, family photos on the wall and our friendly smiling team. We are located in Henderson in the Seven Hills area, close to St. Rose Hospital.

We offer almost every dental service including: cosmetic dentistry, implants, implant crowns and implant supported dentures, teeth whitening, white fillings, regular cleanings, periodontal cleanings, crown and bridgework, dentures, partials, snore guards, sports mouth guards and night guards for the prevention of tooth grinding. We are one of the few offices in town that has an onsite dental laboratory.

Dr. Keating’s brother, Ryan, is the owner of the Ryan Keating Dental Lab. He is the third generation in the family to specialize in the fabrication of dental restorations.

Because of the on site lab, we can offer hand crafted and hand stained crowns

and cosmetics to beautifully match your teeth without having to return for multiple try-ins and color corrections. Ryan creates and specializes in the latest in digitally scanned and metal free restorations as well as traditional metal backed prosthetics.

Our mission is to offer the highest quality, ethical dental care using only the best materials in a warm, friendly, comfortable and caring manner. We pride ourselves in our long lasting, loyal relationships with our patients and love to know each patient by name and make them part of our family. We enjoy providing a small town friendly atmosphere in a big city setting.

KEATING DENTAL 880 SEVEN HILLS DR. #240 HENDERSON, NV 89052 702.454.8855

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MEDICAL & DENTAL

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PROFILES

RICHARD A. RACANELLI, DMD STUNNING SMILES OF LAS VEGAS

Richard A. Racanelli, DMD has been practicing cosmetic and family dentistry in Las Vegas for over 5 years. He founded his state of the art dental practice, Stunning Smiles of Las Vegas, after relocating from New York City in 2012.

Dr. Racanelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 2001, after receiving his BS in Biology from Villanova University in 1997. He completed a dual degree accelerated 7 year program between the two schools that allowed him to fulfill his passion to become a dentist, which started in high school under the influence of his orthodontist.

Dr. Racanelli opened a boutique cosmetic dental practice in Manhattan where he was a highly regarded practitioner prior to relocating to Las Vegas. During that time, he continued to pursue advanced education to further his clinical skills and he became a top provider in the Invisalign orthodontic system.

In Las Vegas, Dr. Racanelli has become known for his warm and caring chair side manner and his gentle yet precise manner.

His guiding philosophy for dentistry is to get to know his patients as people first and to truly listen to their concerns in order to develop customized dental plans that fit in with their lifestyle, budget and long-term goals for the health and appearance of their mouth. Dr. Racanelli is focused on client service, technology and top notch dentistry and it is his “high tech, high touch” hands on approach to caring for his patients that distinguishes him as a provider.

Dr. Racanelli and the Stunning Smiles Team are proud to offer their patients the very best in modern dental care in order to deliver transformative dentistry that can restore health, appearance and

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function. The practice utilizes Dental Implants, Same-day Metal Free Dentistry with Cerec, Invisalign Clear Aligner Therapy with a 3D “Smile Simulation” Preview, Porcelain Veneers, and Laser Periodontal Treatments in order to help patients achieve and maintain optimum health.

Stunning Smiles of Las Vegas has received over 625 Five Star Reviews and was recently awarded the Readers Choice award as part of the Top 100 Doctors & Dentists in Las Vegas by MYVEGAS Magazine. This is the second consecutive year that Dr. Racanelli has been selected as a Top Dentist by his peers in Desert Companion Magazine and listed in usatopdentists.com directory.

Dr. Racanelli resides in Summerlin

with his wife Jennifer and their son Luca.

The family is proud to call Las Vegas home and love their local community. An avid travel enthusiast, Dr. Racanelli enjoys traveling to new places with his family and exploring the local culture and food.

STUNNING SMILES OF LAS VEGAS 6410 MEDICAL CENTER ST. SUITE B LAS VEGAS, NV 89148 702.736.0016 LVStunningSmiles.com

Baby’s Bounty provides baby bundles to over 50 newborns in need every month. Each bundle is filled with a portable crib, car seat, front Help give carrier, infant bathtub, a good start to clean clothes, diapers Newborns in need and hygiene items. by donating the We also accept essential items donations of gently they require. used baby items.

Volunteers collect, sort and clean the items and prepare them for distribution.

To Donate To Volunteer

babysbounty.org/donate-to-las-vegas/ call 702-485-2229 or help@babysbounty.org

SUPREME OFF-ROAD CAPABILIT Y T H E 2 0 1 7 L A N D R O V E R D I S C O V E RY

5255 West Sahara Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89146 • 702.579.0400

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YOUR ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR FOR AUGUST

1-24 3 A WOMAN’S PLACE HISTORIC FIFTH STREET SCHOOL A gathering of high-achieving women — including Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani and development executive Jennifer A. Lewis — discuss the ways they’ve shaped the valley.

5:30p, free, unlv. edu/calendar

GINGER BRUNER: UNNATURAL LANDSCAPES WINCHESTER CULTURAL CENTER Bruner has been shutterbugging Las Vegas for 30-odd years: its twists of neon, its slants of light and slices of sky, its weird angles, its pockets of beauty.

To each photo she brings her artist’s eye and Vegasnative spirit.

5 3-27

ASIAN MOON FESTIVAL CLARK COUNTY LIBRARY Late summer is a time of festivals and rituals in a number of Asian cultures — to honor dead family members, hope for a rich harvest, or welcome the autumn. You can experience a composite of these events all rolled into one spirited 90-minute presentation, featuring the Li Lin Hong Chinese Music Ensemble. Traditional and modern Chinese songs. Folkloric instruments — pipa, anyone? 2p, free, lvccld.org

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HAIR

ELVIS: THE STAGE BIOGRAPHY

You could be forgiven for indulging in a little Summer of Love nostalgia as we swelter through this Summer of Anger Russia Healthcare Fake News.

Majestic Repertory is here to help with that buoyant Age of Aquarius callback, Hair. Counterculture! Sexual revolution! Ancient music!

Go for it, daddy-O! Various times, Alios Las Vegas, majestic repertory.com

THE SMITH CENTER These days, special events like this — marking the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death — are the only way to experience the King in the city once synonymous with him.

This one seems like a pretty perceptive bio portrait. 2p, $25, thesmithcenter.com

MAJESTIC REPERTORY THEATRE

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THE GUIDE ART

UNNATURAL LANDSCAPES

THROUGH AUG. 24 Artist Ginger Bruner’s title describes the exhibit: photos of landscapes altered by humans.

Free. Winchester Gallery, 3130 McLeod Drive, clarkcountynv. gov

ALL ABOUT CLAY

THROUGH AUG. 26 Ceramic works created with many different techniques and clays by artists from the Nevada Clay Guild. Free. Art Gallery at Sahara West Library, lvccld.org

NESTING

THROUGH AUG. 27 Artist Jennifer Henry transformed the windows on First Street into a simple but stunning skyscape employing the everyday materials of paper and plastic. Las Vegas City Hall, 495 S. Main St., 702-229-ARTS

EXHALE

THROUGH AUG. 29 Melissa Gaudet’s artwork uses photographic methods to explore the function of memory and the interaction of life and death. Free. Art Gallery at West Charleston Library, cclvld.org

OUTSIDE THE BOX

THROUGH SEPT. 7 This exhibit highlights artists who use cardboard as the main medium for their artwork. Free.

Las Vegas City Hall Grand Gallery, 495 S. Main St., first floor, artslasvegas.org

TESTED GROUND

THROUGH SEPT. 16 Paying special attention to the region surrounding Las Vegas, five international artists use a variety of media to probe the

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ways in which our civilization uses the land around us for work, recreation, and waste disposal. Free. Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV, unlv.edu

offers scintillating paintings depicting luxury fashion displays as an investigation into consumer culture. Free. West Charleston Library, lvccld.org

RARA AVIS

THROUGH SEPT. 17 The award-winning artists of the West Coast Drawing Collective present their original drawings. Free. Art Gallery at Sahara West Library, lvccld.org

INSPIRED BY THE FAMILY ALBUM

AUG. 1–OCT. 15; RECEPTION AUG. 1, 5P Elizabeth Casper’s impressionist-style paintings depict moments inspired by photos of vacation scenes and children at play. Free. Centennial Hills Library, lvccld.org

THE ART OF ROY PURCELL

AUG. 3–OCT. 8 Roy Purcell’s mixed-media paintings combine art with text, for a chronological overview of the history of the Las Vegas Valley. Free for members or with paid general admission.

Big Springs Gallery at Springs Preserve, springspreserve.org

A LAS VEGAS SYMPHONY OF ART

AUG. 24–OCT. 31 Cheng Yajie’s drawings and paintings reflect the early influence of Social Realism, from his studies in China during the 1980s, and the dreamlike qualities and symbolism of Fantastic Realism, learned while in graduate school in Austria. Free. Art Gallery at Spring Valley library, lvccld.org

ELEGANT CREATURES

AUG. 31–OCT. 29 Lolita Develay’s installation

MUSIC

A DAY TO REMEMBER

AUG. 2, 7:30P ADTR is an American rock/ metalcore band from Ocala, Florida, founded in 2003. They are touring behind their new album, Bad Vibrations. $34.50– $60. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

A GOOD OLD-FASHIONED HOOTENANNY

AUG. 3, 7P Hickory Wind performs folk songs and psychedelic rock hits of the 1960s and 1970s. $12.

Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, scscai.com

TRINA JOHNSON FINN: LIPSTICK DIVA! BORN TO SING

AUG. 4, 7P The show is an homage to the great female vocalists of the 20th century, including Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, and more. $20–$35. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmith center.com

AN EVENING WITH BURT BACHARACH

AUG. 4, 7:30P The legendary songwriter and his band will perform his greatest hits, including “The Look of Love,” “I Say A Little Prayer,” “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” and many more. $29–$125. Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter. com

Channel 10

THIEVERY CORPORATION

AUG. 4, 8P The electronic music legends have released eight studio LPs, including their brand new album, The Temple of I & I. Ages 18+. $40–$65. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

HARMIK PRESENTS A TOM JONES TRIBUTE

AUG. 5, 7P; AUG. 6, 3P Harmik looks and sounds so much like Tom Jones that he was cast as a clone in an actual Tom Jones video. Special guest, journalist Norm Clarke will also be appearing. $20. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, scscai.com

Ireland’s Wild Coast Wednesday, August 2 at 8 p.m.

FLOW TRIBE AND NEW BREED BRASS BAND

AUG. 6, 6P New Orleans-based bands Flow Tribe and New Breed Brass Band deliver a mixture of funk, rock, jazz, and hip-hop. Ages 18+. $15–$20. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

JERRY DAY CELEBRATION FEATURING GRATEFUL SHRED AND CATFISH JOHN

AUG. 9, 7P On the 22nd anniversary of Jerry Garcia’s death, these tribute artists continue the Grateful Dead’s legacy. $10–$328.

Center Strip at The Linq and Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

Giada Valenti: From Venice with Love Monday, August 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Endeavour, Series 3 on Masterpiece: Coda Sunday, August 13 at 8 p.m.

PETER CINCOTTI

AUG. 11, 7P Singer, songwriter, and pianist Cincotti’s debut album topped the jazz charts. He has also appeared on House of Cards with Kevin Spacey. $39–$55. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

NOVA: Eclipse Over America Monday, August 21 at 9 p.m.

How to Build an Astronaut Monday, August 28 at 10 p.m.

VegasPBS.org | 3050 E Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121 | 702.799.1010 AUGUST 2017

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THE GUIDE DEAD CROSS

AUG. 11, 8P This hardcore punk / heavy metal supergroup consists of guitarist Mike Crain (Retox), bassist Justin Pearson (The Locust), drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer), and vocalist Mike Patton (Faith No More). Ages 18+. $26–$328. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

MASTERS OF MUSIC

AUG. 12, 3P Talented young guitarist Kyle Khembunjong plays a solo recital presenting the work of the great composers, from Bach to the present day, and exploring their influence on modern classical guitar playing. Free.

Theater at Summerlin Library, lvccld.org

WORDS, MUSIC, AND THE BEAT

AUG. 12, 7P Carmine Mandia presents a tribute to Big Band and swing, featuring a six-piece band and including the music of Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Bobby Darin, and more. $15. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, scscai.com

RECKLESS IN VEGAS

EVA CELIN

Beach Dreaming: Paintings Also featuring Opulent: Lolita Develay and T.M. Scott: Sculpture Showing through August 25, 6pm 1025 South First St. #155 Las Vegas, NV 89101 Las Vegas Arts District

Join us Preview Thursday, August 3, 5–9pm and First Friday, August 4, 5–11pm Regular hours: Wed–Sat, 12–6pm and always by appointment

www.priscillafowler.com

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AUG. 12, 8P The show applies a modern rock sound to vintage Vegas classics by Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, and Elvis. $35–$45.

Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

ELVIS: THE STAGE BIOGRAPHY — FRANK LASPINA

AUG. 13, 2P Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the King’s passing, LaSpina presents a tribute to Elvis including rare photos, film

clips, and recreations of Presley’s hits. $25. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmith center.com

UNCLE SUGAR AND THE SWEET DADDIES

AUG. 13, 2P If you like Louie Prima, you’ll love Las Vegas’ premier swing band, featuring an energetic horn section backed by a powerful rhythm section. Free.

Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

SIN CITY OPERA PRESENTS AUG. 13, 3P This concert features excerpts from Abduction from the Seraglio and The Magic Flute and culminates in a Wagner finale.

Theater at Summerlin Library, lvccld.org

MONTY ALEXANDER

AUG. 18, 7P Jamaica native Alexander has topped the jazz charts and has been performing for five decades.

He has performed on piano alongside Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and many others. $39–$59. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

AN AUSTRALIAN IN AMERICA

AUG. 19, 3P Actor, singer, dancer, and impersonator Danny Tesla presents a variety show highlighting his journey from Down Under to Las Vegas, with music ranging from Gene Kelly, to Elvis Presley, to Michael Jackson, and more. Free. Auditorium at Windmill library, lvccld.org

MELISSA MANCHESTER — THE PLATINUM STANDARD AUG. 19, 6P AND 8:30P Renowned singer-songwriter

Manchester performs her hits along with jazz and pop standards. $39–$59. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmith center.com

2017

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 4–9 • Dixie State University • St. George, Utah

LOVE, SWEAT, AND TEARS: TRIBUTE TO THE BIG HORN BANDS

AUG. 19, 7P Singer Marc Love and an all-star band pay tribute to Chicago; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Earth, Wind & Fire; and many more. $20. Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, scscai.com

LAS VEGAS COMMUNITY BAND

AUG. 20, 2P The 20-piece all-volunteer band will perform Big Band music of the swing era and beyond. Free.

Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

J BOOG

AUG. 25, 6:30P A California-based reggae singer of Samoan descent, J Boog has been entertaining fans for more than a decade. His newest release is Wash House Ting.

Ages 18+. $22–$45. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklyn bowl.com

ELVIS TRIBUTE: LONG LIVE THE KING

AUG. 26, 7P The show is a tribute to Elvis Presley, featuring multimedia, a live band, dancers and is directed by Joe Escriba. $20.

Starbright Theatre at Sun City Summerlin, scscai.com

Celebrating the Art of Documentary Filmmaking

 64 FILMS  5 SPECIAL EVENTS  4 DOCTALK SESSIONS with filmmakers

Start the Festival at Tuacahn Amphitheatre with a gala film premiere on September 4 at 7pm.

MICHELLE ROHL ROX!

AUG. 26, 8P Vegas performer Rohl has appeared in “Legends of Rock” as Janis Joplin and in Playboy’s “Girls of Rock.” This show

Just 90 minutes from Las Vegas on I-15 North Information and ticketing at docutah.com or 435 652-7800

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THE GUIDE features the musical direction of Lon Bronson. $20–$39. Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

THE FIXX

AUG. 28, 7P The band that brought you “One Thing Leads to Another” and “Saved by Zero” has continued to tour and record and features the same lineup since that era — no small feat in this day and age. Ages 18+. $35–$40. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

SIMPLE PLAN

AUG. 29, 6P The Canadian rock outfit is on tour, celebrating the 15th anniversary of their debut album No Pads, No Helmets…Just Balls. $31.50–$41. Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, brooklynbowl.com

YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN

AUG. 31, 7:30P One of two bands currently touring and recording under the Yes moniker, this lineup of the iconic progressive-rock band features original vocalist Anderson, “classic-era” keyboardist Wakeman, and 1980s-lineup guitarist Rabin. $39–$114. Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

very first musical! $29–$127.

Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcenter.com

BROADWAY VIGNETTES

AUG. 11–12, 6:30P Presented by The Rudy Foundation, this show features young entertainers from the Las Vegas Strip, performing Broadway favorites. $15. Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

DANCE

LEARN HAWAII’S DANCE, THE HULA

AUG. 5, 10:30A Hula is a traditional art form from the Hawaiian Islands. It is a great way for every member of the family to participate in some form of exercise. Free.

Enterprise Library, lvccld.org

END OF SUMMER DANCE PARTY

AUG. 12, 3P Celebrate the end of summer by coming to the library for a dance party. Dress up and get your groove on before school starts! Children 0–12 years.

Free. Storyroom at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

DISCUSSIONS AND READINGS

A WOMAN’S PLACE IS… THEATER AND COMEDY

SOMETHING ROTTEN!

AUG. 8–13, 7:30P; AUG. 12–13, 2P This hit musical tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are desperate to have a hit play to compete with William Shakespeare. Inspired by a soothsayer, they set out to write the world’s

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AUG. 3, 5:30P A panel of high-achieving women will share their experiences in shaping the growth and development of Las Vegas. Free, requires RSVP. Historic Fifth Street School, 401 S. Fourth St., unlv.edu

THE CLASSIC LAS VEGAS STRIP 1956–1973

AUG. 3, 7P Hacienda, Aladdin, and Land-

mark are just a few of the hotels no longer on the Strip. Learn the history of these and more from archivist Lynn Zook. Free.

Jewel Box Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

WHAT HAPPENED TO HIROSHIMA & NAGASAKI: A LINK TO THE PEACEFUL FUTURE

AUG. 5, 1P Hiroshima native Kumiko Noriega takes us back to a dark time in Japanese history, with the sole intention of promoting peace. Free. West Charleston Library, lvccld.org

LIVING WITH URBAN COYOTES

AUG. 16, 7P Can we coexist with this wily creature? Speakers Josh Cerda and Pat Jackson from the Nevada Department of Wildlife and Carl Frey from the U.S. Department of Agriculture lead this lecture and workshop. Free.

Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

POETS’ CORNER

AUG. 18, 7:30P Celebrate the 20th year of open-mic night hosted by Keith Brantley, community griot and wordsmith, and Lablaque, an avid supporter of the program.

Ages 17+. Free. West Las Vegas Arts Center, 947 W. Lake Mead Blvd., 702-229-ARTS

THE UNIVERSE IS MADE OF STORIES, NOT OF ATOMS

AUG. 19, 2P Video games have existed for decades and many, from scholars to gamers, now realize that video games serve as an important and noteworthy me-

dium for storytelling. Dr. Green will share how video games tell stories and why it is important to consider that they do. Free.

Sahara West library, lvccld.org

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BILL FRIEDMAN’S LAS VEGAS

AUG. 26, 2P Friedman, former manager of the Silver Slipper, explores the major influences in the casino industry during the 1960s–1980s when the Mob was at its height of power and notoriety. Free.

Jewel Box Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

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FAMILY AND FESTIVALS

ZOOM INTO NANO — SMALL SCIENCE WITH A HUGE IMPACT

THROUGH SEPT. 4 This hands-on interactive exhibit focuses on how engineers and scientists create new materials and technologies at the atomic level. Ages 8–13. $14.50.

Discovery Children’s Museum, discoverykidslv.org

ART & MUSIC DAY

AUG. 4, 9A–5P Join in on a day of live music, creativity, and learning for all ages. All materials will be provided. Free. Marjorie Barrick us! delicio Museum at UNLV, So isunlv.edu/ barrickmuseum

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FIRST FRIDAY

AUG. 4, 5–11P Open studios, food trucks, live performances, and booths abound at this community event celebrating the Arts District. Free. Activities are all over Downtown Las Vegas with the Art Walk beginning at 1025 First St., ffflv.org e's : Andr session od Chill seafo & Bar's r, Bistro lobste r, with platte p, and rim sh nt crab, elega is an r. rs, oyste t starte ulgen and ind

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THE GUIDE ASIAN MOON FESTIVAL

BEST DOCTORS

+ TOP DENTISTS

ISSUE PARTY

AUG. 5, 2P In late summer, many Asian cultures honor their deceased loved ones, pray for a bountiful harvest, and welcome the autumn promises for good fortune, health, and luck. This festival is a composite of Asian celebrations, featuring the Li Lin Hong Chinese Music Ensemble. Free. Main Theater at Clark County Library, lvccld.org

FUNDRAISERS

ZAPPOS FOR GOOD SPEAKER SERIES WITH CESAR MILLAN AND LISA VANDERPUMP

Join us on Thursday, August 10th at Roseman University Summerlin Campus from 5:30 – 9:00 pm as we celebrate Las Vegas’ Best Doctors & Top Dentists featured in the August issue of Desert Companion . Enjoy lite-bites and specialty cocktails as you mix & mingle with our community’s top medical practitioners.

RSVP at www.desertcompanion.vegas

Thank you to our sponsors:

MARQUEE SPONSOR

AUG. 5, 6P Celebrity animal lovers Vanderpump (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) and Milan (Dog Whisperer) share inspiring stories about animal welfare. Proceeds benefit animals in need. $29– $99. Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center, thesmithcnter.com

THE 31ST AFAN BLACK & WHITE PARTY

AUG. 19, 9P This is not a black and white tie affair or a gala. It is a PARTY, filled with celebrities, DJs, costumes, food and alcohol vendors, and stage performances. All proceeds go to support the programs and clients at Nevada’s largest and oldest HIV/AIDS service organization. $65–$300. Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, afanlv.org

LOVE WINS AGAIN

AUG. 26, 6P Lisa Mac hustles her highly individual naked blues with poet Lee Mallory in a love-themed show of honesty and emotion benefitting Opportunity Village. Free. Artisan Hotel (poolside), 1501 W. Sahara Ave., leewmallory3@gmail.com

PRESENTING SPONSOR

ASSOCIATE SPONSOR

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VALET SPONSOR

END NOTE Stick it to Big Eyeshadow with this subversively inexpensive coloring kit

I, CHARTICUS

I’D BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR

B Y

Finally, a friend who won’t judge us

In dark times, a clip-on light is a good investment

D E S E RT C O M PA N I O N S TA F F

A

ugust 8 is National Dollar Day, as declared by whomever is in charge of making modern life ridiculous. Supposedly, it marks the 1786 establishment of the U.S. monetary system — and is there a more purely American way to honor that achievement than to set out on a quest to see how many funky items we could buy for a buck each? No, there is not. So we fanned out across the valley, and returned with these cut-rate treasures.

DOLLAR TREE

Hours of I-don’twannagrow-up fun!

Let there be kitschy, inspirational, low-cost light

FAMILY DOLLAR BROADACRES MARKETPLACE

Your bracelet game will be strong

Trendy-bar soap dish?

We’re in! Now, can you fill it with bourbon?

Unleash your inner David Foster Wallace ­— you know you have one — with these cheap bandanas

MORE FANTASTIC DEALS

REBAR

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END NOTE The “Henderson” pens cost even less!

Whatever this is, it’s cooler than the one you have now.

Who can resist the pull of taffy?

Seven for a buck.

FANTASTIC INDOOR SWAP MEET

BONANZA GIFT SHOP Nickel beers at happy hour: That’s —*10 seconds of math face* — 20 for a buck! Just keep your ride-share app handy.

What caps a night of taffy-fueled debauchery (see above) better than a shot from one of these?

Postcards — they’re almost like being there, and in some cases preferable

And you shall know us by the trail of coolly ironic lapel pins ...

MARGARITAVILLE

THE WRITER’S BLOCK

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Defend yourself.

Unlocking the body’s own amazing defenses.

#immunotherapy

cccnevada.com

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