About Nevada State Medical Association
Every Nevadan is affected in some way by the members of the NSMA. They are not only your physicians, but your neighbors, friends and advocates in the health care delivery system.
Our Mission
“Advocating for High Quality Health Care for all Nevadans.”
What is the NSMA?
Nevada’s pioneer physicians organized the Nevada State Medical Association (NSMA) in 1875, only 11 years after Nevada’s admission to the United States. These physicians served the medical and public health needs of Nevada pioneer families and visitors. They created the NSMA to share the latest medical knowledge and the collaborate on best practice for their patients. The NSMA began meeting annually in 1904 to identify and address the needs of Nevada physicians and their patients.
As the state’s oldest and largest physician advocacy organization, the NSMA represents physicians at the state, federal and local levels of government, and before the United States Congress and the Nevada Legislature. The NSMA monitors both state and federal proposed legislation and proposed regulations, attends hearings, drafts comment letters and testifies on behalf of physicians with a focus on elevating quality care and eliminating onerous regulatory barriers which burden the practice of medicine and limit access to care.
NSMA Executive Council
President
Dr. Joey Adashek is a Board Certified OB/GYN physician and is Board Certified
in the subspecialty of Maternal-Fetal Medicine which is the care of high-risk
pregnant women.
He grew up mostly in Chicago and in Los Angeles. He went to UCLA for his
undergraduate degree and went to medical school at Penn State University.
Following medical school he did his residency at Northwestern University in
Chicago and his Fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of
California, Irvine.
After Fellowship, he stayed on as faculty at UC Irvine and was soon recruited to
join University of Nevada, Reno, which, at that time was at UMC.
Immediate Past President
Dr. Sowjanya Reganti is now president of
NSMA. She is a board certified hematology-
oncologist who joined Cancer Care
Specialists in 2008.
She remains an active
member of our the medical community,
taking part in various hospital leaderships.
Additionally, she enjoys being a clinical
assistant professor at the University of
Nevada Medical school. She strongly
supports advocacy and believes that
becoming one voice will help our community
properly advocate and address issues. She
brings lots of energy and enthusiasm
working with our lobbying team, meeting
legislators, and learning what the key issues
are that must be addressed. We are
plannning to identify the top five issues that
we as NSMA want to focus at our next
legislative session 2025!
She is also our
board member for NV MEDPAC ( Nevada
political action committee).
President-Elect
Jay K. Morgan was born April 23,1958 in Columbus, Ohio. His father, James, was a family practice physician, and his mother Vesta, was an educator and vocalist. Jay attended the Columbus Academy from the 5th to 12th grades, and subsequently attended The Ohio State University attaining both a BA in chemistry and his MD from the Medical School, graduating in 1980.
In the first two years of medical school, Jay was awarded a Roessler Research fellowship and worked in the Neuroanatomy lab of Dr. James King and Georgia Bishop. Many late nights were spent during the first summer in the neurophysiology lab. He also worked nights and weekends at the Franklin County Morgue.
Jay enjoys scuba diving, photography, and spending time with his granddaughters Emerie and Arelyn.
Secretary
Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Jeffrey Roth moved with his family to Las Vegas in 1977. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Brandeis University. He received his medical degree from the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Dr. Roth completed his General Surgery residency at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, and his Plastic Surgery residency, at the University of California, San Francisco. He served as Chief Resident in both programs. Dr. Roth furthered his training with a fellowship in microsurgery and hand surgery at the University of Southern California. He returned to Las Vegas in 2003 and established his practice, Las Vegas Plastic Surgery, Inc.
He is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery, and the American Board of Plastic Surgery, and is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He is also an Overseas Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
Treasurer
Dan Spogen received his medical degree at the University of Southern California and completed his residency at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. After graduation, he established a solo practice in Reno, Nevada and began teaching at the Family Medicine Residency program. The department was undergoing restructuring and for two years Dan was appointed Interim Residency Director while still working in the private sector. During his 21 years in practice Dan worked the full scope of family medicine including obstetrics while he continued mentoring students in the office and volunteering with the Student Outreach Clinic. In 2004 he received the AAFP Exemplary Teaching Award for Voluntary Faculty. Dan became faculty at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine in 2005 and chairman of the department in 2006. His countless hours working with the Family Medicine Interest Group, the Outreach Clinic, and students earned him recognition as the Nevada Family Physician of the Year in 1996 and 2010, the Exemplary Teaching Award for Full Time Professor in 2013 and the Richardson Excellence in Teaching award in 2017. The Department of Family Medicine has been awarded the Clinical Department of the Year, every year he was department chair. In 2011 he was awarded the Truckee Meadows Award for Excellence in Teaching Healthcare Delivery.
County Presidents
Zoltan Mari, MD
Clark County President
John Hardwick, MD
Washoe County President
Tessa Black, MD
Carson Douglas President
NSMA Staff
Together We Are Stronger
Since 1875, the NSMA has worked with the county medical societies to advocate for the protection of patients and to improve medical practice in Nevada.
Join us to create strength in our communities and State.