Renown Welcomes New Year's Baby

Renown Health, the region’s largest, not-for-profit academic health system serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California, is joining healthcare networks across the country by supporting the American Hospital Association’s violence prevention initiative, Hospitals Against Violence (HAV). Today, team members at Renown are participating in #HAVhope Friday, an annual day of awareness focused on enhancing public awareness of workplace violence and addressing all types of violence within our health system and community.

Medication-assisted treatment program at Renown’s Stacie Mathewson Institute offers support for this in recovery from addiction The Stacie Mathewson Behavioral Health & Addiction Institute at Renown Health stands with northern Nevada communities on Fentanyl Awareness Day, recognized nationwide on April 29 annually. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Unlike medical fentanyl, illegally made fentanyl is often made in unsanitary conditions, not carefully dosed or blended and laced in other street drugs, including pills, powders and crystals. Renown encourages all community members visit FentanylAwarenessDay.org for resources tailored for many different groups, including families, schools, companies and more. “Opioid addiction is an epidemic nationwide, and Nevada is no exception – and with dangerous synthetic opioids like fentanyl becoming easier to access, it’s our responsibility as healthcare professionals to take action,” said Takesha Cooper, MD, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med). “It’s important for our community to know what they can do to help themselves, or someone they love, who may be struggling with fentanyl addiction. The Stacie Mathewson Behavioral Health & Addiction Institute is here to help those affected by fentanyl.”

After thoughtful consideration and a careful review of current circumstances, services have been suspended at the Renown Crisis Care Center. The Center, which provided short-term, 23-hour behavioral health crisis intervention services was funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant that was recently terminated by Health & Human Services (HHS). Renown leaders are working with representatives on the federal, state, and local level on alternative funding sources with the goal of resuming operations when a sustainable form of funding is identified.