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Healing Garden at Renown Expands Over 14,000 Square Feet
Expansion project celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Fianna’s Healing Garden; led by daughter Rebecca Dickson and brother Harvey Fennell. Renown Health Foundation announced today the re-opening of the newly renovated Fianna’s Healing Garden at Renown Regional Medical Center. Fianna Dickson Combs, a longtime Reno resident, business leader and master gardener, shared Renown’s belief in the healing power of nature. Fianna lost her battle to ovarian cancer in 2008 and her family and friends carried out her wishes after she passed away, opening the original healing garden in 2009 to benefit patients and caregivers. Today, the garden continues to grow – the expansion includes connected walking paths, fountain, benches and seating areas, additional sculptures and a grass area with a covered pavilion. Fianna’s Healing Garden is open to patients, their supporters and employees. Members of the media are invited to tour the garden on Monday, June 22 from 10 am – noon. Please bring a face mask and be prepared to receive a health screening upon entering. Donors and individuals from Renown Health Foundation will be available for interviews. Please call 775-691-7308 or email news@renown.org to RSVP by June 22 at 9:30 a.m. “For over a decade, our staff, patients and their loved ones have found peace and solace in spending time in Fianna’s Healing Garden,” said Tony Slonim, MD, D.Ph., president and CEO of Renown Health. “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude and thanks to all who played a role in the garden’s renovation, and those who bring such beauty to our campus. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience the garden’s healing effects, and with it, the beautiful legacy Fianna and her incredible family, continues today.” Key Features The expanded healing garden now spans 28,388 square feet and includes the following new features: More than 2,000 plants and trees Covered pavilion on the east side of the garden offers protection from the elements and can seat up to 75 people. Featured on the back wall of the pavilion is a stunning mural of Mt. Rose. Supported by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation 1,257 square feet of natural grass located in front of the pavilion, allowing garden guests a beautiful, relaxing spot to picnic. Supported by the Reno Aces Traditional rose garden featuring a variety of 20 different award-winning David Austin roses. Supported by the Fennell and Dickson families Weeping cherry tree dedicated to our healthcare heroes for their extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and to those in our community who lost their lives. Combs’ legacy is sustained through the work of her family, friends and community members. Fianna’s eldest daughter Rebecca Dickson and her brother, Harvey Fennell, played an important role in the expansion and helped lead the effort to generate over $800,000 in community support. Fianna’s other brother, Thomas M. Fennell, designed the garden’s new pavilion. Greg Walaitis, chief development officer of Renown Health Foundation said, “On behalf of Renown Health Foundation, we would like to thank Becca Dickson, Harvey and Nancy Fennell for all their hard work and leadership on this project. They knew Fianna’s vision and brought together the community support to make it a stunning reality. We thank them for their extraordinary gift of this Garden to help improve the health and wellness of patients, families and caregivers.” “It brings me great joy knowing my mother’s contribution to Renown has already made a difference in the lives of countless individuals in need of comfort and relief,” said Dickson. “The renovated garden has even more places to sit, reflect, walk, picnic, read or talk, all while embracing nature’s beauty. I can think of no better way to honor my mother’s legacy, and I’m incredibly grateful for the support of our friends and family to bring this project to life.” Ways to Support Fianna’s Healing Garden Make a gift at renown.org/give Call Renown Health Foundation at 775-982-5545 Mail a check to Renown Health Foundation, 1155 Mill St., O2, Reno, NV 89502 Venmo: @RenownFoundation Special Thanks Renown Health Foundation would like to thank the following organizations and individuals, for the garden expansion would be impossible without their support: E. L. Wiegand Foundation Reno Aces Harvey and Nancy Fennell Rebecca Dickson Thomas M. Fennell, Fennell-Purifoy Architects Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation Monroe/Schuler Foundation Thelma and Thomas Hart Foundation E.L. Cord Foundation Marie Crowley Foundation Jerry and Roxie Enneking Dr. David and Jennifer Smith David Geddes Victor Bucher Cary Lurie Renown Employees Architect: Dale Cox Architects Landscaping: Reno Green Landscaping Contractor & Builder: Clark/Sullivan Construction Sounds of Garden: Sierra Integrated Systems “My belief is that nature is the most healing element in our environment, it brings us to a more natural and comfortable place within ourselves” - Fianna Dickson Combs About Renown Health Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown is one of the region’s largest private employers with a workforce of more than 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, Renown Children’s Hospital, Renown Rehabilitation Hospital, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown has a long tradition and commitment to continually improve the care and the health of our community. For more information, visit renown.org.
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Renown Celebrates Pride Month and LGBTQ+ Communities with Love
Rainbow lights illuminate Renown’s iconic “LOVE” sculpture, and powerful employee stories shared during Pride Month. Reno, Nev. (June 16, 2020) –In celebration of Pride Month and Reno’s LGBTQ+ communities, Renown’s LOVE sculpture, a one-ton, welded aluminum artwork with letters 10-feet tall and eight-feet wide, will be illuminated by rainbow LED lights throughout the month of June. LOVE is located at Renown Regional Medical Center’s main entrance at 1155 Mill Street in Reno, Nev. and visible to vehicular and pedestrian traffic along the Mill Street and Ryland Street corridors. Dr. Tony Slonim, president and CEO of Renown says, “At Renown, we are proud to support our LGBTQ+ communities. During Pride Month and beyond, we are honored to offer an inclusive, safe environment for our staff and patients—one that celebrates diversity in all its forms. The LOVE sculpture has already brought a bright light into our world, and I look forward to the joy it will bring to everyone who gets to see it in rainbow colors.” In commemoration of Pride Month, Renown is committed to highlighting some of the LGBTQ+ individuals who make up a portion of its 7,000 employees. Sean Savoy, Renown’s manager of spiritual care, shares how his experiences as a gay man positively affect his career in spiritual healing and the compassion he shows others. "The foundation of spiritual care is compassion – being with people in need by caring, supporting, and showing empathy, and promoting a sense of well-being,” said Savoy. Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community informs that deep sense of compassion and empathy in a very special and unique way.I have found the intersectionality of my gay and spiritual selves has been a blessing in my life." Created by artist Laura Kimpton and fabricated by Jeff Schomberg, the LOVE sculpture first appeared at Burning Man in 2019. Thanks to a partnership with non-profit Artown, the sculpture debuted at Renown in April of 2020, and since served as a symbol of hope and determination for hospital staff, patients and community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Generous donors and the Renown Health Foundation funded the sculpture’s instillation. ### About Renown Health Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown is one of the region’s largest private employers with a workforce of more than 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown has a long tradition and commitment to continually improve the care and the health of our community. For more information, visit renown.org. Media Contact: Public Relations M: 775-691-7308 E: news@renown.org
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Renown Children's Hospital Announces 2023 Children's Miracle Network Champion Child
Renown Children’s Hospital and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) are excited to announce Shaylie Edwards as the 2023 Champion Child. A fighter from a young age, seven-year-old Shaylie has overcome many challenges in her short life. In 2019 when she was three, Shaylie was hit by a car while using a crosswalk with her father. She was admitted to the Wilbur D. May Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Renown Children’s Hospital and stayed there for three months. A video introducing Shaylie and her journey can be found here. Shaylie’s mom, Erica Edwards reports that as a result of the accident, Shaylie has been treated by Renown Children’s Hospital physicians, nurses and team for a broken neck in two places, a broken jaw in two places, a fractured sacrum, a broken femur and three small brain bleeds. She has been in outpatient therapy for the last three years and continues making strides daily. “Shaylie’s perseverance, dedication and joy inspires all of us at Renown Children’s Hospital,” said Kristina Deeter, MD, MBA, FAAP Physician-in-Chief, Renown Children’s Hospital and Chair of Pediatrics, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine,” (pictured right with Shaylie). “It has been an incredible joy to witness her progress and to care for Shaylie and her family. We are thrilled she has been chosen to share her story with the world.” The New England Journal of Medicine cites preventable injuries as the number one leading cause of death among children. This includes motor vehicle accidents, firearm injuries, drowning, poisoning, burns and suffocation. According to Safe Kids Worldwide, an average of 155 children under the age of 10 die every year as a result of pedestrian injury, with 64% of those involving motor vehicles. Across the U.S., due to distracted driving, a pedestrian is killed every two hours and injured every seven minutes. Most drivers feel they can safely take their eyes off the road for 0-2 seconds, but a car can travel the length of a football field in 5 seconds at 55 MPH. Shaylie’s family and the team at Renown Children’s Hospital urge drivers to be fully aware and eliminate distractions while driving. “We were in the Wilbur D. May PICU for three months and the first five days were very iffy. We did not know if she would come out of her coma, but Shaylie is a fighter. The care team at Renown Children’s Hospital made me feel at home and like we were all going through this together,” said Shaylie’s mother, Erica Edwards. “Shaylie’s recovery was a collaboration between doctors, nurses, and our family. Together we were there to support Shaylie, who has proven to us repeatedly that she has a greater purpose in life.” “It was heartwarming to meet Shaylie and her family,” said Dr. Brian Erling, MBA, CEO of Renown Health. “Shaylie is truly a champion! She and her family have faced life's unanticipated events with strength and resilience. Despite the struggles, they have carried on with hope and determination. They find joy in life every day and inspire us all. We have much to learn from their example.” Through Renown Children’s Hospital, Shaylie and 100,000 area children now have access to more than 60 pediatricians, including those specializing in adolescent medicine; anesthesia; cardiology; craniofacial surgery; dentistry; ear, nose and throat conditions; emergency medicine; endocrinology; gastroenterology; general pediatrics; hospitalist medicine; intensive care; neonatology; neurology; oncology; ophthalmology; orthopedics; psychiatry; psychology; pulmonology; surgery; urology and other subspecialties previously lacking in the community, as well as a pediatric emergency room, pediatric ICU and contemporary healthcare services at Renown Children’s Hospital. Prior to 2016, about 30% of all pediatric patients had to leave northern Nevada to receive the specialty care they needed. Now, thanks to donor support, Renown estimates that 97% of all pediatric patients and their families can receive both general and specialty pediatric care locally. The next nearest children’s hospital in the state is 7 hours or 438 miles away in Las Vegas. Renown Children’s Hospital is proud to be the only CMNH hospital in northern Nevada, one of only 170 premier children’s hospitals in North America. Shaylie will serve as Renown Children’s Hospital’s CMNH Champion Child for the next year, shining as the face of the hospital in the community and sharing her inspiring story. Renown Health Foundation oversees the local CMNH programs and its fundraising. One hundred percent of all funds raised by CMNH partners stay local to support children and families in our community. Your generous support affords much-needed items to help our littlest patients cope with the potential stressors associated with hospitalization and illness. To donate, visit www.renown.org/donate. About Renown Health Renown Health is Nevada’s largest, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 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. Renown is hiring people like you. Visit us at www.renown.org/careers. About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment, and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $7 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity's Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit's mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children's hospitals need community support, and learn about your member hospital, at www.renown.org/CMNH.
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Why I Give: Dan’s Story
In the fall of 2020, Dan's world was suddenly shaken when he received a distressing call: his son, Jeremy, was admitted to Renown with complications from spinal meningitis. Without a second thought, Dan rushed from Southern California to be by Jeremy's side. For an agonizing 10 days, Dan remained in the ICU. He was overwhelmed with worry and helplessness as Jeremy fought for his life on a ventilator. During this time, Dan, an esteemed artist and professor, found comfort in the collection of artworks adorning the walls at Renown. With more than 2,000 pieces of original art, Renown has meticulously curated hospital rooms, hallways and various spaces to support those in need. Dan, who talks about art's magic every day as a professor, experienced its power in a new light.
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Department Spotlight: Children’s Infusion Services
Help us celebrate the holiday season by sharing joy with our Children’s Infusion Services team! Thinking about blood can make any of us squeamish, and seeing it can be even more intimidating to the children in our lives. Being treated for a condition that requires blood transfusions or chemotherapy infusions is no easy feat, especially during the holiday season. This time of year, we are proud that we can offer our pediatric patients the power of proximity and excellence by having access to high level care close to home. The Children’s Infusion Services (CIS) department at Renown Children’s Hospital is committed to bringing the gift of quality care to our community’s youngest patients. Whether they are caring for a child with a blood disorder or giving expert infusion care for a child battling cancer, no team does what they do better than these expert nurses, medical assistants, intake coordinators and physicians. ‘Tis the Season to Bring Hope As the only pediatric oncology and hematology program in the region, the CIS department has a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. From inpatient chemotherapy to outpatient infusion services, this team treats a long list of pediatric blood conditions including: Pediatric cancers Anemias Immune-mediated blood disorders Sickle-cell disease Bone marrow failure syndromes Bleeding disorders “Our team provides a large variety of services from labs draws, sedations for procedures, infusions for diagnoses such as Crohn's disease, blood transfusions, as well as chemotherapy,” said Jen Torres, RN. “Our team works extremely well together. We try to go above and beyond for our patients every day. It may be something as simple as a hug to comfort a parent or a special birthday gift for a patient.” “My job allows me to work with several departments and providers when coordinating care for our littlest of patients,” added Jane Strawn, Intake Coordinator. “I assure proper authorizations are in place for the care that is needed, I communicate with our families when scheduling appointments, I organize End of Treatment Celebrations, as well as birthday shout outs and work closely with our Child Life team to help make the challenging appointment little easier.” To best serve their patients, the team thrives on being expert multitaskers. Central line care, chemotherapy administration, blood transfusions, medication management, preventative injections, lab draws, lumbar punctures, biopsies, imaging – you name it, they do it. And they do it all with the utmost focus on safety and support. “Our days have a lot of variation, as we perform a number of different services,” said Meagan Bertotti, RN. “We provide infusions for patients with chronic or acute medical conditions and chemotherapy/biotherapy treatment to patients undergoing cancer treatments. Overall, though, we work as a team to make these difficult procedures and treatments as easy as possible for the patients and families by providing engagement and support.” “While we handle a lot of chemotherapy treatments for pediatric patients, we also do other infusions and transfusions as well such as blood and platelet transfusions, enzyme replacement therapies, different types of injections such as Rabies vaccine or Synagis for high-risk babies who need that extra protection during the RSV season, and lab draws,” said Chelsea Angues, RN. “We care for patients that get their therapies from outside hospitals, but the patient lives within the Reno area. We receive orders from those outside hospitals to care for those patients, so they can still be with their families and not have to travel.” As members of the Children’s Oncology Group, a highly-regarded clinical trials group where over 90% of pediatric cancer patients across the U.S. receive treatment, teams like CIS in Renown Children’s Hospital deliver the highest standard of care. This partnership is a true testament to the devoted collaboration and relationship-building this team commits to on behalf of their patients every day. "One of the biggest accomplishments of our team is the fact that we became a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, and the Children's Infusion Center and Pediatric Oncology became one unit,” said Shelby Nolte. "Instead of being a clinic on one side and an infusion center on the other, we really came together to make it a whole unit that collaborates on almost everything.” “We've put much time into trying to understand other departments, their flow, their rationales and their processes so we can come to a solution that benefits our patients the greatest,” added Tiffany Macie, RN. “We've taken the last few years to really build our relationships with our pharmacy staff, our lab staff and our central supply resources. Our relationship building extends beyond the walls of the Renown building as well and out to the community providers too. In the past few years, we've been able to build relationships with the providers in the community where they trust they can send us their patients for treatment and lab draws. Finally, we've spent much time working on the relationships as a team. It's emotional work we do on our unit, and these families become our family. It's important to us that we take the time to be together outside of our shifts to enjoy one another and laugh!” In the compassionate realm of pediatric healthcare, CIS knows that the complexities of a cancer or blood disorder diagnosis can take an emotional toll on their patients and families. The team firmly believes that emotional support can be as important as the physical and medical support throughout each patient’s unique care journey, striving to be a comforting presence during daunting times. “The most important part of my day is collaborating with the Children's Infusion team to make life manageable for the families that are going through this experience,” added Shelby Nolte, Senior Medical Assistant. “We work as a team to make life easier for the blow of a cancer diagnosis. We are there for our families in every way. If they need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen or just someone to play cards with or tell a funny story too, we are there.” “One of the things our team does extremely well to help our patients and their families with new diagnoses is to simply meet them where they are,” said Tiffany Macie. “That looks different for every family and every patient. We work in an environment where can build relationships with our patients and their families. This allows us the unique opportunity to really get to know them. We learn their fears, their joys, their worries, what their family lives are like, and we learn how to best meet them where they are.” Transcending the conventional boundaries of care, the CIS department closely supports each patient, offering them solace tailored to the unique fabric of each family's life.
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Handmade Bracelets a Labor of Love for Cancer Patients
The road through cancer treatment can test even the toughest of spirits. A local organization is handcrafting and donating beaded bracelets to the courageous women who have reached the finish line at Renown Infusion Services. After finishing her sixth and final cycle of chemotherapy at Renown Infusion Services, Joan Jackson told her nurse, Daun Russell, RN, she was tired. Russell returned with a box and opened it -- as she does for all cancer patients completing treatment -- and said, “pick one.” What Jackson was selecting was a beautiful, handmade bracelet crafted and donated by the local Soroptimist organization. Jackson picked a purple bracelet with a tag that read, "Congratulations on completing your treatment. Imagine what you can do now." “Picking the bracelet was such a special thing to mark my last day of chemo,” Jackson says. "Their gesture impacted me for the good after going through so much.” The women behind the bracelets Bev Perkins, a member of the Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows, says the bracelet project began in 2009 as a way of celebrating those who completed cancer treatment. She wanted the project to be hands-on, so she involved the club members by organizing a small budget and asking others to donate jewelry. The group comes together each year to make the bracelets. Perkins disassembles the donated jewelry, adding newly purchased beads to make kits for the bracelets. The volunteers also add a metal tag inscribed with an inspiring word, like “believe,” “hope” or “love.” “It’s a labor of love for us,” says Kay Dumhan, group treasurer. “It’s to show empowerment and to help these women know there are people who are encouraged by them.” “When bracelets are donated there is usually quite a bit of feedback on how much it’s appreciated,” Dumhan says. “We never want to run out so we make sure we have a supply there. We’ve had cancer survivors as members and that makes it all the more personal.”
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