RENOWN NEWSROOM

Renown Health is excited to announce the launch of free pregnancy, childbirth and early parenthood and grandparent classes. Beginning this month, Renown’s comprehensive selection of childbirth education and support for expecting and new parents is now available to all in the community as a free resource, and as part of Renown’s community benefit mission.  “As Reno’s only not-for-profit, integrated academic health care organization we are constantly investing in essential community benefits and services. Our goal is to enhance access to prenatal care and childbirth education to help improve health outcomes for mothers and children in Washoe County,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President & CEO for Renown Health. “By offering these free classes, we look to provide parents with the knowledge and support they need to confidently welcome their babies into the world, and to raise healthy children.”  "We are thrilled to offer childbirth classes to our community at no cost. We recognize the profound health benefits these classes provide, not only to expectant mothers, but to their families and the broader public,” says Jennifer Timmons, RN, Nursing Manager for Postpartum and the Newborn Nursery at Renown. “We want to promote healthier pregnancies and foster stronger, more resilient families. By removing financial barriers, we hope to reach and support every expecting parent in Washoe County.”  All Classes are now FREE including:  Pregnancy & Birth Class. An all-in-one day childbirth education course offered virtually or in-person, or a 7 Week in-person Thursday series childbirth preparation class, prepares mom and her partner for the many aspects of childbirth, postpartum, infant care and breastfeeding education. Certified instructors offer support and guidance to meet individual needs.  Comfort Measures for Birth Class. In this two-hour session, expecting parents learn labor coping skills including relaxation/meditation practice, breathing techniques, massage and acupressure.  Spinning Babies Parent Class. A four-hour class designed for expecting moms after the 20th week of pregnancy. This class highlights rotating the baby down and out of the pelvis. Preparing for Postpartum Virtual Class. This 2-hour class helps prepare mom and partner on what to expect after birth and the weeks that follow, the difference between postpartum blues and postpartum depression, mother’s warning signs and adjustments once you return home. Breastfeeding Basics and Beyond Class. In this class taught by an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, mothers get off to a better start with breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Circle Gathering encourages breastfeeding moms to find support, exchange experiences, and discuss any concerns. Popular topics include milk supply, pumping, returning to work, sleeping, or lack of sleep, weight and more. Nurturing Your Newborn. This 2 in 1 class includes the Newborn Care Class and Breastfeeding Basics and Beyond. The morning portion of this class includes breastfeeding benefits and techniques. The afternoon segment covers newborn appearances and behavior, daily care, signs of illness, and when to call the doctor. Tummy time, comfort and soothing techniques, how to keep your baby safe, newborn screenings are discussed. Partners are encouraged to attend.  Baby Safe Class. This class helps prepare parents for emergencies that may occur in baby’s first year. Along with car seat safety and basic baby proofing, discussion will include basic first aid, prevention and treatment of common injuries. Grandparents and other caregivers are welcome to attend. Infant & Child CPR Class; This course is ideal for schools and students, new parents, grandparents, babysitters, and others interested in learning how to save a life.  Baby and Family Suites Tour; and Tours for Siblings (ages 2-8). Join a childbirth educator to learn more about our Baby and Family Suites, labor and delivery rooms housed in the new Labor Assessment Area, and the William N. Pennington Nursery.  Virtual Grandparents Workshop. Grandparenting has changed a great deal over the last generation. Grandparents will learn about newborn care, safe sleep environments, breastfeeding, car seats, product safety and how to help support new parents.  For more information and to register online for any class free of charge, visit www.renown.org/events.  Free Childbirth Classes Are One More Way That Renown Gives Back to Create a Healthier Community for All  Renown Health is the only locally owned, not-for-profit, charitable healthcare network in Reno. Being not-for-profit, or a 501 © 3 organization means that all Renown’s income stays locally- and is reinvested in people, programs and technology to improve the health of the community. In fact, Renown’s name - besides being the aspiration for care, means "Reno's Own.” With community is at the center of the organization’s mission, and through the affiliation with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Renown Health embraces a commitment to make a genuine difference in creating a healthier Nevada for all.  Maternal and Child Health: A Community Benefit Focus Area, 2025-2027 Renown Health’s Community Benefit Health Focus Areas are based on primary and secondary research collected as part of the 2023 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The CHNA includes input from community stakeholders representing the broad interests of the diverse communities served by Renown Regional Medical Center and Renown South Meadows Medical Center, including those stakeholders with expertise in community and public health. Health needs were identified in the CHNA and subsequently prioritized by community stakeholders.  From the prioritized health needs, Health Focus Areas were chosen based on criteria that consider the Renown Health’s team capacity to impact community needs, the strength of community partnerships and the alignment with Renown’s organizational strategic planning efforts. Through this Implementation Strategy, Renown Health is committed to identifying and closing health equity gaps in communities that are historically marginalized and vulnerable. Health Focus Areas for 2025-2027 are Mental Health; Access to Health Care and Community Services and Maternal and Child Health.  “Renown’s Community Benefit mission is to reduce health disparities, promote community wellness and improve access to care for vulnerable populations,” says Kerry Kelly, MPH, Manager of Community Health for Renown. “This includes offering free and discounted care to those unable to afford healthcare, and partnerships to address health and well-being. Our CHNA process showed Maternal and Child Health as a priority for the community. Improvements in healthcare services, better access to prenatal care, and free education on maternal and child health may help to decrease the infant mortality rate and improve the health outcomes for mothers and children in Washoe County. By working together, and offering free childbirth classes, we can help have a positive impact on the health and well- being of our community.” Secure a brighter future for local mothers and children by donating to the Renown Health Foundation at 775-982-5545 or at renown.org/About/Renown-Health-Foundation.   About Renown Health  Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated health care network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,500 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination, and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center for adults and children, 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. For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About Renown Health Launches Free Childbirth Classes for Expectant Parents

NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young and his wife Barb, The Beach Boys and community donors celebrate the grand opening of Sophie’s Place, a new integrative treatment space at Renown Children’s Hospital dedicated to the healing arts. (Photo Credit: David Calvert) Today marks the grand opening of Sophie’s Place at Renown Children’s Hospital which is supported by The Forever Young Foundation, founded by Barb Young and her husband NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young, and designed by Anne Marie and Kent Barton (Sophie’s parents). The Forever Young Foundation has supported the development of eight Sophie’s Places across the United States. The opening at Renown Health is the ninth Sophie’s Place location to provide music therapy to young people in children’s hospitals across the nation. Two years ago, on June 5, 2022, over 500 generous donors attended a benefit concert by The Beach Boys with front man Mike and his wife Jacquelyne Love, both Nevada residents; and special guests Steve and Barb Young, to help Renown Health Foundation raise a remarkable $1.2 million to construct the first and only Sophie’s Place in Nevada. Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals celebrity ambassador Steve Young has helped raise over $1 billion to lift up children’s hospitals around the nation. The Forever Young Foundation established Sophie’s Place in 2013 in loving memory of Sophie Barton, a young musician with a passion for helping others, who passed away in 2010. Sophie served and played her guitar at Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah. Sophie's Place was inspired by Barb Young, a close friend of the Barton family and an avid believer in the science of music therapy. Her passion and commitment were crucial in bringing this specialized care to the many pediatric patients and their families served by Renown Children’s Hospital. “At Renown, we recognize the profound impact that music can have on the healing process,” says Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President & CEO, Renown Health. “We are grateful to Steve and his wife Barb Young, the Forever Young Foundation, Mike and his wife Jacquelyne Love and The Beach Boys and hundreds of community donors for this incredible gift for the region’s only Children’s Hospital. We are excited to see, and hear, how kids will sing, play, dance and create in this new space. We will continue to create a healing environment within our hospitals to support recovery and enhance health and happiness.” Barb Young says, “Research has proven that music therapy fires the synapses to help create new neuro-pathways to replace those that have been damaged. It increases oxygen-saturation levels, alleviates pain, eases anxiety and depression, assists in fine and gross motor skill development, and so much more. We are honored to partner with Renown Children’s Hospital as we share with you the building of our newest Sophie’s Place space, a music-therapy room which will bring hope, healing and harmony to the children being treated in this special CMN Children’s Hospital.” Sophie’s Place is fully equipped with musical instruments and games for both children and music therapists to use, allowing patients and their families the opportunity to relax and socialize outside of the hospital room. The space also includes: Room for individual and group music therapy sessions Opportunities for patients to record their music Separate practice, recording and editing rooms Microphones Performance space Comfortable seating Musical memorabilia and artwork “Child and family-centered care is fundamental to all of us at Renown Children’s Hospital, which means we understand that comprehensive pediatric medicine goes beyond the clinical aspects,” says Kris Deeter, MD, MBA, FAAP, Chair of Pediatrics, UNR Med and Physician-in-Chief, Renown Children’s Hospital. “Providing our young patients and their families with therapeutic experiences goes hand in hand with the excellent care provided by our physicians, nurses and clinicians. Renown has a team of Child Life Specialists who support this holistic manner of providing care, and Sophie’s Place helps create an environment that supports treatment, recovery and well-being. Together, music and medicine can work in harmony to heal the body, mind and soul.” Steve Young shared, “through Sophie’s Place, Sophie’s heart continues to beat on.” “Sophie’s Place is an example of what happens when our community comes together to invest and imagine in all that is possible,” says Greg Walaitis, Renown Health Foundation Chief Development Officer. As a charitable, not-for-profit organization we rely on the generosity of people like Steve and Barb Young, Mike and Jacquelyne Love and The Beach Boys and the many generous donors who helped us raise the funds needed construct this new music therapy room at Renown Children’s Hospital.” For more information about supporting pediatric care at Renown Children’s Hospital, visit renown.org/Foundation. About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated health care network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,500 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. For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About Sophie’s Place, An Exciting New Integrative Treatment Space Opens to Inspire Young Song Writers, Singers and Musicians at Renown Children’s Hospital

Renown Health Foundation announced today a special delivery from Sarah Carmona Zink and her Dreams Foundation, donating hundreds of pajamas, receiving blankets, beanie caps, nursing pillows and more, as well as a check for $10,500 for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Renown Children’s Hospital. Please see visuals to accompany this story here.  For the past three years, Carmona Zink and the Dreams Foundation have staged a fundraisingand baby item drive to give back to the NICU that took care of Carmona Zink’s son, Howie, during a difficult time for the family.  “Our NICU drive is inspired by Howie, who just turned 4,” said Carmona Zink. “Hespent about a month in Renown’s NICU because he was born withgastroschisis, a condition where his intestines formed on the outside of his body.During Howie’s stay, the NICU staff was an extension of our family and cared so deeply for all of us. Our goal through this drive has always been to give back to those who gave so much to us, as well as provide a sense of normalcy to parents with babies in the NICU.During these unprecedented times, providing comfort and relief to parents is more important than ever.” “As a pediatric intensive care physician, who is also a dad, and a new grandfather, I thank Sarah Carmona Zink, her family and the Dreams Foundation for their incredible generosity and compassion. Through the years, Sarah has done so much to support the Renown Children’s Hospital NICU team and other NICU parents- she does so with such joy and enthusiasm, and we are incredibly grateful to her for all that she does,” said Tony Slonim, MD, D.Ph., Renown’s President & CEO. Through this year’s donation drive, Carmona Zink collected the following items for Renown’s NICU:  50 nursing pillows 180 hand-knitted baby beanies 532 pairs of pajamas 682 receiving blankets 8 sleep sacks 473 scent pads, which parents keep on their skin and then leave with their baby so he/she can be comforted by their parents’ scent Books for siblings to read while visiting Miscellaneous items such as pumping storage bottles, bibs, baby hand covers, newborn socks, mobiles, and nursing pillow covers $10,500 monetary donation from the Dreams Foundation   Dr. Max Coppes, Physician-in-Chief of Renown Children’s Hospitaland Larry Duncan, Administrator of Renown Children’s Hospital add, “We are truly blessed with the support for the very smallest residents of Renown Children’s Hospital, some weighing less than a pound! Sarah and her family inspire us to remain devoted to the children we serve, knowing that the community is committed to our Children’s Hospital.” “We look forward to this donation drive every year,” said Renown NICU nurse Jessica Bakke. “The work Sarah and her team do to collect these itemsis very meaningful to all of us. We don’t always have funds to purchase extra items like clothing, blankets and nursing pillows, so everything we receive through this drive makes a differencefor our babies and their families. It is a wonderful gift to be able to offer fresh clothing and other much-needed items to help these parents.”     Greg Walaitis, Chief Development Officer for Renown says, “We are extremely grateful to Sarah and the Dreams Foundation for their generous donation to our NICU. Donations like these help ensure we have plenty of items on hand when our babies and their families need them. This donation allows parents with babies in our NICU to focus solely ontheir baby’s health, rather than material needs that may come up along the way. It is an honor to be the recipient of such an amazing act of kindness for the third year in a row.”     Founded in 2012, Dreams Foundation is a non-profit created to meet the unmet dreams and aspirations of individuals, families, neighborhood churches, people-serving agencies and organizations, recognized charities, boys and girls clubs, and youth sports programs in communities. To learn more, visit dreamsfoundationinc.com.  Ways to Support the Miracles Made Possible at Renown Children’s Hospital Call Renown Health Foundation at 775-982-5545 Make a gift at renown.org/give Mail a check to Renown Health Foundation, 1155 Mill St., O2, Reno, NV 89502 Venmo: @RenownFoundation       About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally owned and governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 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 region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown’s institute model addresses social determinants of health and includes: Child Health, Behavioral Health & Addiction, Healthy Aging and Health Innovation. Clinical institutes include: Cancer, Heart and Vascular Heath, Neurosciences and Robotic Surgery. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About Dreams Foundation Makes $10,500 Donation Benefiting NICU Babies