Pictured above: Employees, faculty, learners and families from Renown, UNR Med and the Orvis School of Nursing celebrate together at the 2024 Northern Nevada Pride Parade & Festival.
Renown Health, the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and the Orvis School of Nursing (OSN) have partnered up in unified support of the local LGBTQIA+ community for Northern Nevada Pride. The three healthcare partners 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 OSN are local leaders in LGBTQIA+ healthcare, bridging the healthcare gap for LGBTQIA+ patients, students and employees. All three organizations are proud to be a resource for the LGBTQIA+ community in northern Nevada.
Medical and nursing students will offer several services and resources to Pride attendees, including blood pressure checks and appointment scheduling for mammograms, cancer screenings and more.
“Uplifting patients and their loved ones who identify as LGBTQIA+ is a core part of our People First mission – caring for all people,” said Suzanne Bharati Hendery, M APR, CPXP, Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Renown Health. “We are honored to stand by the members of the Reno-Sparks LGBTQIA+ community who enhance our vibrant and diverse region every day. No matter how you identify, you are always welcome and cared for at Renown.”
“The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine 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 of Inclusive Excellence for UNR Med. “We are a stronger community when we all achieve health equity.”
“We are dedicated to ensuring all students, faculty and healthcare professionals are represented and uplifted,” said Paul Hauptman, MD, Dean of Medicine at UNR Med and Chief Academic Officer at Renown. “Inclusion, respect and equitable access are the foundation of A Healthy Nevada. As Renown, UNR Med and the Orvis School of Nursing continue to grow as an academic health system, we remain committed to producing caring and compassionate health care providers for our region.”
“At the Orvis School of Nursing, we are proud to champion a learning environment where every person who identifies as LGBTQIA+ feels seen, valued and supported,” said Zhizhong “Z” Li, Ph.D., MA, APRN, PMHNP-BC, CNL, Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence and Belonging at the Orvis School of Nursing. “Our dedication influences everything we do, from the design of our academic programs to the ways we engage with our students and the Reno-Sparks region. Supporting LGBTQIA+ health and well-being is a core part of our educational mission. This focus helps equip future healthcare providers with the knowledge, empathy and cultural awareness needed to deliver equitable, patient-centered care and contribute to improving LGBTQIA+ health outcomes.”
“At a time when the health needs of our LGBTQIA+ community are under fire, we are proud to stand with this community at Northern Nevada Pride, alongside UNR Med and Renown Health, to present a united healthcare front,” said Dr. Charles Yingling, Dean of the Orvis School of Nursing. “As the first UNR school to sponsor Pride and now in our seventh year, the Orvis School of Nursing remains committed to health equity, preparing nurses to provide affirming care and advocating for policies that safeguard LGBTQIA+ health.”
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. Learn more about the Academic-Practice Partnership experience from Jeromy Hughes, OSN graduate and Nurse Apprentice at Renown.
In 2024, the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index reaffirmed Renown Regional Medical Center as a ‘High Performer’ in promoting equitable and inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ patients and their families.
For more information about Renown’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), visit renown.org/diversity.
Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated academic health care network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 8,000 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 locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. To join the Renown Health team, visit renown.org/careers.
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.
The Orvis School of Nursing (OSN) at the University of Nevada, Reno is the state’s first and longest-standing nursing school, founded in 1956. OSN is committed to advancing health care through innovative education, research and community engagement. As part of a Carnegie R1 research institution with a Carnegie Engaged classification, OSN prepares nurse leaders to meet the diverse and evolving health needs of Nevada and beyond. The school offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-master’s certificates. With nationally Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)-accredited programs, flexible online and in-person learning, and coordinated clinical placements, OSN provides access to high-quality nursing education across the state and country. Guided by its 2023-2027 strategic plan, OSN focuses on academic excellence, inclusive excellence and belonging, and community partnerships to transform health outcomes and prepare nurses for leadership roles in complex care environments. For more information, visit unr.edu/nursing.
The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), Nevada’s first public medical school, is a research-intensive, community-based 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 respect and inclusion. For more information, visit med.unr.edu.
