The three healthcare partners to offer health screenings, education and resources at the 2024 Northern Nevada Pride Festival
Renown Health, the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and the UNR Orvis School of Nursing have partnered up in unified support of the local LGBTQIA+ community for Northern Nevada Pride. The three institutions will march together in the parade portion of the event and provide access to healthcare resources and education at their booths at the festival
Renown, UNR Med and Orvis are local leaders in LGBTQIA+ healthcare, bridging the healthcare gap for LGBTQIA+ patients, students and employees. All three organizations are proud to provide healthcare resources and education for the LGBTQIA+ community across northern Nevada.
Medical and nursing students and healthcare professionals will offer several services and resources to Pride attendees, including:
- Blood pressure checks
- Mental health screenings
- Smoking cessation resources
- Appointment scheduling
- Cancer prevention education
“We welcome all, and we embrace diversity,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President & CEO, Renown Health. “We are proud to support Northern Nevada Pride each year, celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community; and marching for compassion, dignity and care, for all. We are honored that the Human Rights Campaign/Healthcare Equality Index again recognizes Renown Regional Medical Center as the only hospital in northern Nevada with policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees. This recognition confirms what 7,500 Renown Health team members have been dedicated to for over 160 years– providing the best care for our community."
“UNR Med is deeply committed to teaching future generations of researchers, physicians, physician assistants and speech pathologists and audiologists to better understand and care for our LGBTQIA+ community members,” said Nicole Jacobs, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion and Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UNR Med. “We are a stronger community when we all achieve health equity.”
“UNR Med is committed to include, uplift and support our students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds,” said Paul Hauptman, MD, Dean of Medicine, UNR Med. “We advocate for all our patients and have recently introduced a course in LGBTQ+ health care for medical students. We are delighted to join in Northern Nevada Pride celebrations as we strive to fulfill our mission of A Healthy Nevada.”
“The Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno is dedicated to creating an inclusive, affirming environment that supports the LGBTQIA+ community and fostering a culture where all individuals are embraced and respected,” said Zhizhong “Z” Li, Ph.D., MA, RN, CNL, Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Associate Professor, Orvis School of Nursing. “This commitment extends to its curriculum, student support services, and community outreach initiatives, all aimed at addressing health disparities and promoting culturally sensitive care. By prioritizing education on LGBTQIA+ health and wellness, the Orvis School of Nursing prepares future healthcare professionals to provide compassionate, informed, and inclusive care for all.”
In 2021, Renown and UNR Med entered into a historic 50-year affiliation agreement, establishing Nevada’s first integrated health system to advance health and healthcare through world-class medical education, clinical research and patient care for northern Nevada. Two years later, Renown Health Foundation and the Orvis School of Nursing announced The Gerald “Jerry” Smith Academic-Practice Partnership to provide 24 nursing students a year with full-ride scholarships, and in turn, assist in creating a sustainable nursing workforce in northern Nevada for years to come.
About Renown Health
Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit academic 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. As a national health leader, Renown provides access to state-of-the-art technologies, advanced facilities and integrated patient systems. To join the Renown Health team, visit renown.org/careers.
About the University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. For more information, visit unr.edu.
About the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
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.
