Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) are celebrating the first five years of a historic 50-year affiliation agreement that created the state’s first and only integrated academic health system. Formalized in June 2021, the affiliation has strengthened healthcare delivery, expanded medical education, advanced clinical research and bolstered workforce development throughout northern Nevada.
Through the affiliation, UNR Med and Renown have worked together to improve patient outcomes by expanding access to advanced care options and clinical trials and by training and retaining more providers in the communities they serve.
“Five years ago, we made a commitment to build something that had never existed in Nevada: a true integrated academic health system that brings together world-class patient care, medical education and research under one unified partnership,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Renown Health. “Today, we're seeing the results of that vision in every corner of our community, from the nationally recognized physicians we've recruited to the residents and students training here who will become northern Nevada's next generation of healthcare leaders. This affiliation is strengthening care for our patients and building a healthier future for our entire region."
Over the past five years, the affiliation between UNR Med and Renown has driven meaningful progress across every pillar of an integrated academic health system, from recruiting world-class talent to expanding training programs that keep physicians in Nevada.
“The power of an integrated academic health system lies in its ability to connect discovery to the bedside. Over the past five years, we've expanded residency and fellowship programs, expanded research collaborations between scientists and clinicians, and created new pathways for students and trainees to build their careers right here in northern Nevada, said Paul Hauptman, MD, Dean of UNR Med and Chief Academic Officer of Renown Health. “Every physician we educate and retain is one more step toward increasing access to healthcare in Nevada. This partnership is proof that when academic medicine and a community health system work together, everyone benefits, and we build a healthier Nevada."
Together, Renown and UNR Med are celebrating the first five years of the affiliation through a multi-month storytelling campaign. From July through October 2026, the two organizations will highlight the impact of the partnership and the people behind its success, including:
The campaign will culminate in a joint celebration and media event in October, honoring the accomplishments from the first five years and sharing a bold vision for the future of Nevada’s academic health system.
For more information, visit renown.org/about/unr-med-affiliation and med.unr.edu/community/our-partners/renown-health.
Renown Health is Nevada’s largest, not-for-profit integrated academic healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in a community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. To join the Renown Health team, visit renown.org/careers.
The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), Nevada’s first public medical school, is a community-based, research-intensive medical school with a statewide vision for a healthy Nevada. Since 1969, UNR Med has trained more than 3,900 students, residents and fellows. UNR Med continues to improve the health and well-being of all Nevadans and their communities through excellence in student education, postgraduate training and clinical care, research with local, national and global impact and a culture of diversity and inclusion. For more information, visit med.unr.edu.
