Nevada funds health-care shortage projects and speeds provider approvals

The Nevada Health Authority administers a health-care access and recruitment account, assesses statewide needs, and awards competitive grants for projects addressing identified shortages. Eligible applicants include health-care providers and facilities, training institutions, government entities, and certain nonprofit organizations. Projects must address shortages or access problems identified by the assessment and include measurable results. Most applicants must provide matching money or in-kind contributions worth at least as much as the requested grant. The Interim Finance Committee must approve grant recommendations before awards are made. The account may receive a $60 million General Fund appropriation and may use no more than 3.5 percent for administration. The account, assessment, grant program, and related oversight take effect upon passage and approval. The first scheduled assessment due by July 1, 2026, must instead use existing assessments when available.

Hospitals process at least 95 percent of complete provider privileging requests within 60 days and notify providers about missing information within 15 days. The rules cover hospitals and providers seeking permission to perform specific services at a hospital based on their credentials and qualifications. Hospitals must report yearly processing times, compliance rates, and planned improvements to the Division. Hospitals are not subject to penalties under this chapter for failing to meet these requirements. These hospital requirements take effect July 1, 2026. Annual reports are due by December 1 each year.

The medical and osteopathic medicine boards adopt procedures to prioritize certain initial license applications and create electronic systems for sharing credential information when providers authorize access. The licensing priorities cover applicants who plan to serve the state’s most critical shortage areas, populations, or specialties. The electronic systems cover specified physicians and related health professionals. The boards must monitor processing times and update priority areas and specialties each year after the Authority’s assessment. Applicants and licensees choose whether to allow electronic access to their credential data. Board reports must use aggregate information without identifying individual people. These licensing, credential-sharing, and reporting provisions take effect July 1, 2026. The first 2026 assessment is replaced by a review of existing assessments when available.

Registered pharmacists follow federal immunization standards in effect on January 1, 2025, along with later changes or added standards prescribed by the State Board of Health. The rule applies to registered pharmacists who are trained and certified, have written physician protocols, and administer immunizations under pharmacy regulations. The State Board of Health may modify the listed standards or add standards by regulation. Pharmacists must continue to meet the training, certification, and written-protocol requirements described in the provision. This pharmacist provision takes effect upon passage and approval.