Renown Welcomes Jim D. Thomas as Vice President, Data Center and Networks

Dr. Brian Erling is a CEO who leads by example, creating a positive work environment where professionals can thrive and grow in their careers, ultimately leading to improved healthcare for our community. Dr. Brian Erling, President and CEO of Renown Health, has been named CEO of the Year by the Ragan Communications Workplace Wellness Awards. As CEO of the Year, he is recognized for promoting physical health, mental resilience, and a culture of work-life balance. Ragan Communications writes, “Under Dr. Erling’s leadership, Renown Health launched a range of programs supporting mental, emotional and physical wellness, including expanded behavioral health access and personalized wellbeing services. His vision has made employee health a system-wide priority embedded into the organization’s operational strategy.” Ragan is the industry leader in providing professional development, training and intelligence to communicators, marketers, HR professionals and business leaders worldwide, and holds its annual Workplace Wellness Awards program, presenting the award to a CEO who leads by example, and makes employee well-being a top priority in their organization. Dr. Brian Erling, CEO and President of Renown Health, is a seasoned healthcare executive with over twenty-five years of experience in diverse healthcare settings. During his career, he has led teams at not-for-profit hospitals, integrated health systems, physician practices and publicly traded healthcare companies. Dr. Erling joined the Renown team in November of 2022. He leads with a people-first mindset, prioritizing employees in the organization’s decision-making process. Dr. Erling believes that when employees have the involvement and tools to excel in their roles, the result is an engaged workforce and exceptional care for the community. Having previously spent over 20 years serving the people of Colorado, he believes that long-term leadership is essential for an organization to grow and thrive. His background as a physician enables him to connect with healthcare workers who devote their nights, weekends and holidays to their work. Dr. Erling emphasizes the importance of teamwork and believes it’s the key to a successful healthcare system. Being part of a high-performing, mission-driven team is his primary motivation. He considers Renown’s more than 8,000 employees to be the organization’s greatest resource. While Renown’s modern technologies, like advanced robotic surgical systems and imaging equipment, are valuable, Dr. Erling believes the main reason patients choose their services is because of the trusted care in their hometown. Dr. Erling’s goals for Renown are to create a positive work environment where employees can thrive and grow in their careers, ultimately leading to improved healthcare for our community. Since the beginning of his leadership, he has implemented numerous initiatives to enhance the organization, always prioritizing people first. Putting employee wellness at the forefront of strategic planning, and making People First the first value of Renown Health, the following initiatives have been introduced in the past 12 months:

As Reno’s only locally owned, not-for-profit, integrated academic healthcare network, Renown Health and its health insurance organization, Hometown Health, reinvest every dollar earned back into the community; in expertise, technology, treatments, training, and research to improve health and prevent illness.

Becker’s Hospital Review’s annual list of Chief Marketing Officers to Know has been published, recognizing professional healthcare leaders across the country who specialize in branding, marketing and communications. Suzanne Hendery, MA, APR, CPXP of Renown Health, Reno’s only not-for-profit, academic health care organization, is one of the 78 professional hospital and healthcare communicators nationally to be listed, and the only one from Nevada. “The driven, innovative thinkers featured on this list are responsible for implementing impactful marketing strategies for their hospitals and health systems. Utilizing brand building, data analysis, business-to-business and business-to-consumer outreach, partnerships, social media and beyond, these executives lead with creativity and precision. This list celebrates chief marketing officers for their outside-the-box thinking and award-winning creative strategies,” writes Anna Falvey of Becker’s Healthcare. “We are proud to showcase these accomplished professionals, whose work plays a vital role in the success and growth of their organizations. Anna Falvey writes, “Suzanne Hendery. Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Renown Health (Reno, Nev.). Ms. Hendery works with Renown Health’s CEO, executive team and key stakeholders to create engaging communications and exceptional experiences for customers. She oversees marketing and communications, the customer service call center, customer experience and community health for the largest integrated health system in Nevada, with hospitals and outpatient centers serving 1 million people. Their brand campaign, “Fight the Good Fight,” new website and online physician ratings led Renown to become a premier brand position in the market and a statewide leader. A recent employee referral and recruitment campaign yielded 1,000 new clinicians in just one year. Ms. Hendery has implemented a new initiative focusing on online scheduling for adult primary care and pediatric visits, with the goal of reaching 80% of all patients via online scheduling. This initiative allows patients to learn about different physicians, as well as schedule and receive appointment reminders in both English and Spanish.” Hendery has over 25 years of experience as a health care executive specializing in listening to and engaging key stakeholders to create engaging communications and exceptional experiences that delight customers and transform organizations. She is a nationally recognized leader in successfully implementing customer-centered, enterprise-wide digital transformation and branding efforts to build preference, loyalty and drive revenue and growth. Hendery earned her M.A. in Marketing Communications from the University of Connecticut, is a lecturer at Harvard University, a member of the American Marketing Association Health Care Executive Board, Accredited as APR by the Public Relations Society of America, serves as a national board member for the American Hospital Association’s Board of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development. Hendery was selected as the 2020 "Marketing Person of the Year” by the Healthcare and IT Marketing Community (HITMC), and appointed to the Editorial Advisory Board of Strategic Health Care Marketing in 2021. Hendery and her teams have won numerous international and national awards for their outstanding contributions and best practices in healthcare marketing, branding, patient experience and community engagement programs. Suzanne Hendery is a member of the executive leadership team at Renown Health. She is a frequent contributor and speaker for the American Marketing Association, HIMSS, The Forum for Healthcare Strategists, the Healthcare Executive Forum, American Hospital Association, Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD), Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit, Becker’s, Modern Healthcare. Note: Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list.