Erin began her career at Renown in 2014 after completing a clinical rotation in the Intensive Care Unit, where she says she was “blown away” by the scope of work respiratory therapists were able to do. After spending three months with this team, she knew Renown was where she belonged. After graduating, she joined the Renown team as a Respiratory Therapist and soon set her sights on growth.
“When I first started here in 2014, I quickly realized I wanted to train in the Emergency Department as well as become a charge Respiratory Therapist. The leadership team supported this growth, and within a year I conquered that goal” Erin said.
After moving back to her hometown in California, Erin gained valuable experience at a critical access hospital, working in labor and delivery, outpatient services such as PET cardiac stress testing and EEGs. Staying in touch with her Renown colleagues, she was excited to return in 2022 as a Clinical Educator.
"Throughout the last decade I found that my self-motivator was teaching others. Whether that be nursing, respiratory therapists, other ancillary staff, new hires, or students it truly brought me drive that I wasn’t getting anywhere else. I love to know about up-and-coming products and the latest and greatest evidence-based research. Being a respiratory therapist educator allows me to home in on this and fuels my fire.”
Building a Future Without Student Debt
Her commitment to growth has led to impressive milestones. Within her first year back at Renown, Erin earned the Adult Critical Care Specialty certification, a four-hour rigorous exam. She also recently completed her Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care through Boise State University, with the support of Renown’s Tuition Reimbursement Program.
“Getting my bachelors was my goal, but financially I could not have made it work without the program Having two kids in childcare at the time was a barrier, as well as our family went through an unexpected financially difficult time. Because of this program, I was able to complete my degree with zero financial burden."
Her recent degree has already strengthened her work as an educator. “I learned an immense amount of knowledge surrounding leadership, how to perform systemic reviews and meta-analysis,” Erin said. “This was such a value add because being in education, we review policy and standard work. I was able to bring back research and evidence-based best practice to the policies that were under revision." She also shared her expertise at the Clinical Education Department’s New Educator Meeting, presenting on how to build a class from scratch.
Finding a Support System
For Erin, Renown’s culture makes all the difference. She credits her manager Amanda Stallings and her colleagues for being a constant source of encouragement and support while completing her degree. From regular check-ins to flexibility while balancing life, school and work she was very grateful for her team.
“Every single thing we create, modify, pitch to the team comes from our hearts and research. This team was welcoming as soon as I first stepped into the building. We are there to pick each other up and collaborate.”
Above all, she values the sense of purpose that comes with working here, “Everyone here is passionate about patient care and there’s a real feeling that we’re all working together to make a positive impact. It’s inspiring to be part of that kind of environment.”
Erin’s Words of Wisdom
Her advice to colleagues is clear: “Go for it. Investing in your education is investing in yourself and your future. Renown’s tuition reimbursement program is an amazing opportunity to grow professionally without the heavy financial burden. It’s never too late to keep learning."
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
From Renown Intern to Supervisor: Meet Heather Townsend
With a can-do attitude and optimistic spirit, Heather Townsend has dedicated over 15 years to Renown. Climbing her way up from intern to her current role as a Clinical Pharmacist Supervisor, Heather has earned multiple awards for her dedication and achievements in healthcare. Well before her journey started at Renown, Heather’s fascination with pharmaceuticals started at a young age when she was living in rural Nevada and realized healthcare was hard to come by.
Remember the 2000s era iPhone commercial with the “There’s an App for That” tagline? Let’s put a healthcare spin on that – at Renown Health, there’s a unit for that. Emergency, labor and delivery, pediatric acute care, trauma, surgery, the list goes on.
When it comes to critical care, your mind probably jumps to either the intensive care unit (ICU), emergency room (ER) or a unit that provides care for a more standard hospitalization. But what about the patients who fall in between those two levels of care?
Yep, there’s a unit for that at Renown, too. It’s called the Intermediate Care Unit (IMCU), located on the sixth floor of the Tahoe Tower (T6) at Renown Regional Medical Center, boasting a dedicated team of nurses, physicians, critical care technicians and more.
The IMCU cares for patients who still need close monitoring and specialized care but don't need an ICU stay. Everyone in this department shares common missions: catch early signs of change, intervene swiftly and help patients progress to a lower level of care – and eventually, back home.
