FirstMed Health and Wellness Center Chief Medical Officer Lilnetra Grady has been reappointed by Gov. Steve Sisolak to the Patient Protection Commission. Grady will continue her position as one of 12 voting members of various health care backgrounds on the council.

“It has been a privilege to review and work toward improving the quality and accessibility of health care for Nevada residents since my initial appointment last year,” Grady said. “I look forward to analyzing and addressing pressing health care issues across our state today, such as rising health care costs.”

The Nevada Senate initially formed the PPC in 2019 to review issues related to accessibility, affordability and quality of health care for all Nevada residents. Shortly after its inception, the PPC was tasked with making short-term and long-term COVID-19 recommendations for the Nevada Legislature and the governor.

The 12 commission members include patient advocates, for-profit and nonprofit hospital workers and a representative of the largest private nonprofit health insurer in the state. Grady is the only representative on the commission who is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) and works primarily at a federally qualified health center (FQHC).

Grady has more than 20 years’ experience in the health care field, most recently being named chief medical officer for FirstMed in 2020. Since then, she has the clinic’s effort to obtain both the Substance Abuse & Prevention Treatment Agency and Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC) certifications. FirstMed is now the only nonprofit in the country that has both the FQHC and CCBHC certifications.

“Lilnetra has been instrumental in obtaining key certifications needed to expand our community-based health clinic and substance abuse and prevention programs, ” FirstMed CEO Angela Quinnsaid. “She is a vital part of the PPC and brings years of experience in providing care to low-income individuals and expanding mental health services.”

Grady also leads FirstMed’s Medication Assisted Treatment program and the pre-Exposure Prophylaxis initiative to provide care for those at risk of HIV infection.

Prior to her position at FirstMed, Grady spent most of her nursing career caring for patients in her home state of Illinois and the inner city of Chicago.

This article was originally published on the Las Vegas Business Press. To view the article, visit business press.vegas.