It’s July 23, 2022, and I am arriving in Downtown Reno to walk in my first-ever Pride Parade. Even more amazing, I am going to be walking with a group of my coworkers, announcing to our entire community that our employer supports us being our full and truest selves.
I arrived alone, but in the staging area I met new people who worked in other departments of Renown, coworkers I might never have met if not for Pride. I even took a selfie with one of these new friends. Someone passed around flags for us to hand out to the audience as we marched by. I took a rainbow-striped temporary tattoo in the shape of the Renown “R” and used my water bottle to apply it. There was an overwhelming atmosphere of excitement and joy that can only come from gathering with other human beings who are overflowing with love.
We started the Parade waving handfuls of Pride flags high and gave those flags out to the audience as we passed. By the time we were done walking, our hands were empty, but our hearts were full. I couldn’t have stopped smiling if I’d tried. I’d joined the parade as a single person, but as we walked, I became part of a community. Not only the Renown community, but a community of Proud queer people across northern Nevada. And by extension, the LGBTQIA+ community all around the world – past, present and future.
With the multiple recent state laws proposing to strip away the rights of LGBTQIA+ people, many of us have felt a noticeable decline in our mental health and feelings of personal safety.
As a member of the queer community, I have felt these mental health effects too. I am fortunate and privileged enough to not have experienced workplace discrimination in my current position. But before Renown, I – like so many others in the LGBTQIA+ community – had a negative experience at a previous job, and afterwards I was hesitant to share my full self while at work. To be able to walk in a Pride Parade with my current employer, healed a little bit of that past pain inflicted by my former employer.
When our liberties are under attack, Pride is more important than ever. We must remind ourselves, especially when others cannot seem to remember, that we are loved and worthy of love. I am grateful to work for an organization that is willing and able to fight this good fight with us.
I will certainly be back to walk in this year’s Pride Parade, and I sincerely hope to see you there too! Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses and of course keep your skin safe with sunscreen. Whether you’re part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or just an ally, you are welcome.
Come Work With Us
Renown Health strives for excellence in all we do and want you to be a part of that. We offer careers in allied health, information technology, management, nursing and professional and support services.
Nov. 3-7 is National Compliance & Ethics Week! Celebrate with us by getting to know the Audit & Compliance team at Renown Health and Hometown Health.
Take a moment to think about the complex web of healthcare beyond the frontlines. More specifically, let’s zero in on the long list of regulations and processes that every hospital and health system across the country needs to follow. Sounds a bit intimidating to the average person, right? And as the only not-for-profit academic health system in the region, integrity and ethics is not something we cut corners on. So, who can make sense of it all so that our health system stays strong, transparent and trustworthy?
This is our Audit & Compliance department’s time to shine. This intelligent, fast-acting group of compliance specialists and analytics, coding and internal auditors and audit managers, billing compliance coordinators, special investigators, oversight coordinators and more help bridge the gap between ethical practices and the constant demands of a large health system like Renown. Although their work often takes place behind the scenes, the impact of this team can be felt throughout every corner of our network.
Welcoming a new family member into the world can be an exciting time for expectant parents. As many parents can attest, there is no feeling like holding your baby for the first time.
That excitement, however, is often matched with nerves, especially for first time parents who have many questions about what they are about to experience. How do I prepare for birth and postpartum? Can I breastfeed? How do I set my child up for success in their first year? What safety techniques do I need to understand? The list of questions goes on...
...and the Maternal Child Education (MCE) department at Renown Health is here to answer them and set parents up for success with their new bundle of joy
