NHBC Names Dr. Barbara Atkinson Physician Medical Liaison

Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Health & Bioscience Corporation (NHBC), a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing healthcare research, education, clinical assets and programming in Nevada, has named medical trailblazer Dr. Barbara Atkinson as its first-ever physician medical liaison.

In this leadership role, Dr. Atkinson’s duties will be multifaceted, inclusive of serving as NHBC’s primary advisor on clinical and general medical services as well as advising on future academic affiliations and partnerships.

Prior to this new position, Dr. Atkinson was a vital part in bringing NHBC’s first venture, the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building, to life. The 135,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building opened in October 2022. Developed by NHBC, it broke ground in October 2020 and took less than two years to complete.

“I am truly honored to join the mission and many of my former colleagues and supporters at the NHBC,” said Dr. Atkinson. “My goal will be to help to expand the health care facilities, program and workforce in Nevada. With the NHBC, I hope to establish additional academic and community-based programs that are needed by all of Nevada. Working with the members of the NHBC Board, we can build and offer new services that are essential to the health of the entire community.”

“Dr. Barbara Atkinson is a revered, trusted and respected figure in our medical community and on a national level. Adding her talent to the NHBC mission as we pursue and create new healthcare options for the Southern Nevada community will be invaluable,” said Maureen Schafer, president and CEO of NHBC. “Key to her new role is medical prowess, an innovative mind and a trusting network. There is no better person for this role than her.”

A transformational figure in Nevada medicine, Dr. Atkinson’s decades of expertise spans administration, clinical, education and research. Within her extensive resume, she was the founding dean of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV, which opened with its inaugural class in 2017. She is the only woman to lead three different medical schools in the United States.

Prior to joining UNLV, Dr. Atkinson was emeritus vice chancellor and professor with the University of Kansas School of Medicine. In 1997, she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine and, in 2010, was appointed by President Barack Obama to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Dr. Atkinson has also held faculty appointments with the University of Kansas School of Medicine and Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, and MCP Hahnemann University. She is the author or more than 92 papers and 8 books, including the “Atlas of Diagnostic Cytopathology” which had its first edition published in 1992 and the second edition in 2003.

About Nevada Health & Bioscience Corporation
Nevada Health & Bioscience Corporation (NHBC) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of developing healthcare research, education, clinical assets and programming in Nevada. NHBC’s first project, the Kirk Kerkorian Medical Education Building in Las Vegas, opened in October 2022. The nonprofit has received additional funding to build a future ambulatory care clinic and pathology lab on the campus of the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. More information at nevadahbc.org.