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Preventing Skin Cancer A Doctors Tips
Want to protect yourself from skin damage from the sunâs harmful rays? Dr. Angela Walker, dermatologist with Renown Medical Group, shares what you can do to prevent skin cancer. What can people do to prevent skin cancer while enjoying the outdoors? There are several steps you can take to protect your skin from the sun. âI caution all of my patients to avoid the sun during the hours of 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. when UV rays are strongest. I also encourage people to wear sleeves on cooler days. And donât forget that we still need to wear sunscreen on cloudy days! UV rays can still cause sun damage on cloudy days. Preventing skin cancer also entails wearing sunscreen of at least SPF 30 everyday. Are hats also a good idea for skin protection? Yes, of course! Choose a wide-brim hat that shades the face as well as the back of the neck for extra protection against UV rays. When it comes to identifying skin cancer, what should people watch for? We use easy-to-remember letters when checking for spots on the skin; itâs called the ABCDEs: A - Asymmetry: One half of the mole or lesion doesn't match the other half. B - Border irregularity: The edges of the mole are irregular, blurred, or notched. C - Color variation: The mole has different shades of color or uneven color distribution. D - Diameter: The diameter of the mole is larger than the size of a pencil eraser (about 6 millimeters) or is increasing in size. E - Evolution: Any changes in the mole over time, such as size, shape, color, itching, bleeding, or crusting. These guidelines can help in identifying potentially suspicious skin lesions, but it's important to consult a dermatologist for proper evaluation and diagnosis. Early detection is crucial for successful treatment of skin cancer.
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Are You Using the Right Sunscreen?
Seeking protection for yourself and your loved ones from the intense sun rays at northern Nevada's elevated altitudes? With so many choices available, selecting the ideal sunscreen can be daunting. To guide you through this, we consulted Dr. Angela Walker, a dermatologist from Renown Medical Group, for her expert insights. Sunscreen Application Dermatologists recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30, but keep in mind that no sunscreen protects against 100 percent of UV radiation and that reapplication is necessary. âNo matter the SPF, sunscreen must be applied adequately and frequently, meaning a quarter-sized amount to cover the face and neck and a full shot glass amount for the body when wearing a bathing suit,â said Walker. âReapplication should be every 80 minutes.â Why not use a high SPF, such as 70 or 100? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, they donât offer significantly more protection than SPF 30 and mislead people into thinking they have a higher level of protection. Hereâs the breakdown: SPF 15 blocks 93 percent of UVB rays SPF 30 blocks 97 percent of UVB rays SPF 50 blocks 98 percent of UVB rays SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays Do specific populations require a higher SPF? Walker explains that infants, seniors, and those with a history of skin cancer must take precautions against UV radiation, as their skin is vulnerable. Sunscreen should be an absolute priority before spending time outdoors and avoiding prolonged sun exposure, wearing a hat with wide brim (recommended 4-inch brim) and UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) clothing. Due to the sensitive nature of an infantâs skin, babies under six months should not spend time in the direct sun. For infants and toddlers six months and older, whose skin is thinner than adults, a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (physical protectors) should be applied. Zinc and titanium are less likely to irritate because they do not penetrate the skin and instead sit on the surface and deflect UV radiation. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are vital ingredients to seek out in sunscreen due to their strong ability to deflect UV radiation. Sunscreen Terms Explained UVA = Long wave ultraviolet light. Penetrates deep into the dermis, the skinâs thickest layer, causing tissue damage that wrinkles and photo-aging and contributes to developing skin cancer. UVB = Short wave ultraviolet light. The biggest contributor to the development of skin cancer and are more prevalent during mid-day. SPF = Sun protection factor. Calculated by comparing the amount of time needed to burn sunscreen-protected skin vs. unprotected skin. So, SPF 15 means you can stay in the sun 15 times longer than you could without protection.
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Department Spotlight: Special Procedures
Chronic pain can be one of the most distressing feelings someone may encounter â and more likely than not, you know someone who is managing their pain as a part of their healthcare journey. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 5 U.S. adults have experienced chronic pain in recent years. One of the most common methods of treating pain is through prescription pain medications; however, with the rise of the opioid epidemic across the country, leveraging other interventions to help patients manage their chronic pain has become increasingly more important. What if there was a way to treat pain directly without the automatic need for pain medication? Luckily for patients in northern Nevada, our Special Procedures department at Renown Rehabilitation Hospital specializes in exactly that: interventional pain mitigation sans painkillers. With nearly 95% of their patients who come in with pain-related mobility issues being able to physically walk out of the hospital after their treatment, much-needed relief is clearly in store. Tight-knit and forever-caring, the Special Procedures team knows how to transform the purpose of pain management. A Penchant for Pain Alleviation Renown's Special Procedures team offers a wide variety of pain management solutions that are uniquely tailored to each individual patientâs needs. With the help of a team of 14 attentive nurses, interventional radiology technologists and a surgical technician â plus a dedicated patient access representative ensuring everything goes smoothly behind-the-scenes â these lifechanging interventions include: Epidurals (including steroid epidurals) Nerve blocks Ablations Tenotomies Spinal cord stimulator trials Peripheral nerve stimulator trials The nurses on this specialized team guide patients before, during and after their procedures, making sure they are at ease throughout the entire process. Each nurse emulates both expertise and empathy to help light the path towards healing. âBefore each procedure, we get the patientâs vitals, health history and work with the doctor to answer any questions they may have about what is going to happen in the procedure room,â said Michon Edgington, RN. âAfter theyâre all done, they come back to me, and I make sure they are ready to go home by educating them on their discharge. Our goal is to get them back to their families very quickly.â âIn the actual procedure room, we perform safety checks, do charting, prepare the sterile tray for the doctor and give medication for conscious sedations, all while consistently monitoring the patient and helping the doctor out along the way to help the procedure go well,â added Shannon Boelow, RN. This teamâs dedicated imaging professionals harness expertise that goes beyond capturing images. Their skillful utilization of X-ray technology serves as a guide for doctors administering treatments for pain â and according to our own physicians, our imaging technologists are some of the best in the business. âOur X-ray skills here are specialized,â said Julie Smith, Imaging Lead. âVisually, the doctor needs to see whatâs going on inside the body so they can accurately place needles and steroids. We all work together collectively and work with each doctor to accommodate their preferences, helping the treatments go much faster and minimizing the patientâs exposure to radiation.â Serving as the ideal representation of both precision and support, the surgical technician on this team is an important collaborator in the procedure room, helping to ensure the success of every interventional procedure with a meticulous eye for detail. âAs the Special Procedures surgical technician, I get the room ready with all the necessary instruments, including making sure everything is sterile,â said Carrie Crow, Surgical Technician. âI enjoy keeping the team organized.â Overseeing it all are the physicians, who are eternally grateful for the team for the life-changing interventions they offer every day. âOur physicians are so phenomenal,â said Brittney Summerfield, Manager of Nursing. âThey are very supportive and collaborative, and they always do the right thing. They have total confidence in us.â Seeing patients walk out of the hospital happy and healthy is a driving motivator for this team. Whether they had significant experience in pain management or were ready for a completely new challenge, each team member comes to work every day inspired to move mountains. âI had worked in pain management in other facilities, and I was extremely excited to come here and solely focus on pain,â said Jodi Eldridge, Supervisor of Special Procedures. âI enjoy seeing the patients so happy when they leave no longer in pain. I feel immediate gratification, because you truly feel like youâre doing something big for the patient. Itâs very rewarding.â âI decided to come work here because I worked in the inpatient setting for a long time, and I was ready to see a different side of healthcare and provide a different type of care to our community; plus, my coworkers are the best,â added Lisa Dunnivant, RN. Thereâs no question that the realm of pain management is a delicate one â and there is no team better suited to take on that challenge than Special Procedures, working harmoniously to bring relief and a renewed sense of livelihood for every patient they serve. âSome people believe pain management is just all about pills, and that is simply not true,â said Carrie Crow. âOur procedures are yet another way to help them manage their pain and find relief.â
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20 Years of Compassion and Dedication
When you meet Poeth Kilonzo, Director of Oncology Nursing at Renown Health, you are immediately greeted with a warm smile that puts your mind at ease. Within the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute, Poeth enjoys a strong reputation among her employees and patients as someone they can always rely on, no matter how rough the tides may flow.  As an incredibly humble oncology professional, you may not realize that behind that smile is the power of a best-in-class nurse and leader holding a 20+ year career of diverse nursing experience and leadership excellence â dedicating the majority of her service to Renown Health. Join us as we dive into Poethâs unique journey through Renown. Finding Her Passion Ever since she could remember, Poeth has been a âpeople person.â Above all else, she cared for people â and she cared a lot. What better place for her to be than healthcare? After moving to northern Nevada from Kenya, she began working in private patient care working with home health and dementia patients while taking classes at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) in 2000. One day, a patient asked her a question that would change the course of her career journey: Did you ever think about becoming a nurse? Driven by not only the words of encouragement of her patients and supervisors in home health but also the rallying support from her family and friends, including her husband and high school friend, who both have decades of experience interacting with nurses in healthcare (with her husband spending many of those years at Renown), Poeth knew this was the path she was meant to take. âThat was it; it was like a light switch had flipped,â said Poeth. âI switched to nursing overnight.â According to Poeth, TMCCâs nursing program offered her an incredibly supportive environment, which was especially important as she was a young mom at the time. Working in healthcare, going to nursing school and raising a family all at the same time is no easy task, but to Poeth, this was her calling. âRegardless of my path, I knew I wanted to be a nurse that was close to patients, sitting with them and holding their hand throughout their treatment,â said Poeth. During nursing school, Poeth completed clinicals at several hospitals in Reno â three of them were at Renown Health (known as Washoe Medical Center at the time). What immediately stood out to her was the passion of the pediatrics unit, especially in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). âWhile I knew that pediatrics wasnât going to be my arena, some of the best times in my life were during my pediatrics clinical,â said Poeth. âIt opened me up to how welcoming Renown is.â While doing her rotations, nursing leaders helped Poeth and her fellow classmates discover Renownâs Nurse Apprentice program, an apprenticeship designed exclusively for local northern Nevada nursing students. One of those leaders asked her, âhave you considered doing a rotation in oncology?â And another light switch flipped. âBingo. I am becoming an oncology nurse apprentice,â Poeth recalls. And thatâs exactly what she did.  After her four-month apprenticeship ended in February 2002, she walked into her interview with Joanna Gold, who would end up being her supervisor and one of her greatest mentors until she passed away in recent years. With her experience and enthusiastic spirit on her side, Poeth fervently expressed her passion and interest in working in oncology. And Joanna saw all of that and more. In June 2002, Poeth was presented with a two-year oncology RN contract, which she easily signed â however, she knew right then and there but she was not going anywhere. Renown was her home, and oncology ignited the fire within her. âThe nurses in this unit are part of what kept me here,â Poeth remembers. âThese nurses would really do anything for their patients. The commitment and love they all had for one another truly was like family. It inspired me to learn more and give even better care to my patients." To Poeth, it didnât feel like she was coming to work just to do a job â she was following her dreams. âYou donât think about the work you do; you think about the service,â said Poeth. From there, Poeth spent three years on the floor as an oncology RN and became a night shift supervisor in 2005. She was thriving. But this part of her journey was only the beginning. When Opportunity Arises, Take It In March 2007, Poeth and her husband welcomed their third child â and for her, working a day shift position would serve her the best at her current stage of life. This revelation led her down to Renown South Meadows Medical Center, where she became a staff nurse in Medical Telemetry. It was in the telemetry unit where Poeth contributed to one of the largest digital transformations Renown would ever go through: transitioning from paper records to electronic records on EPIC. From there, Poeth was inspired to get back into leadership in 2012 as the Supervisor of Clinical Nursing overseeing nurses, clinical outcomes and payroll in the medical/telemetry unit and intensive care unit (ICU). The timing of her leadership role lined up perfectly with her decision to take her skills to the next level, achieving a bachelorâs degree from Nevada State College in 2016. The timing of her degree lined up perfectly with what was about to come; she embarked on her first leadership role at Renown This is where she would happily stay for 11 years, eventually becoming the Manager of Nursing in telemetry and the ICU, noting that Renown South Meadows felt like a second home to her. âI wore many hats at South Meadows,â Poeth recalls. âFrom piloting back coding and handling compliance work to being on the patient floor and heading up South Meadowsâ first high school hospital volunteer program, I got very involved. We had seven years without having a single nurse traveler in our unit." It wasnât long before Poeth was inspired to expand her education even further, and she graduated in January 2018 with a masterâs degree in nursing clinical leadership from Western Governors University. Thanks to Renownâs educational assistance programs, our health system invested directly in Poethâs education with tuition reimbursement and a $1,000 nursing scholarship. Soon after celebrating her achievement, Jennifer Allen Fleiner â who was the Director of Nursing at Renown South Meadows at the time â asked Poeth yet another question that would bring her to the precipice of another career detour: âHave you ever considered transferring from South Meadows to Renown Regional?â  Moments later, Alicia Glassco, Director of Nursing for Renown Regional, asked her the same question, noting that the hospitalâs neurosurgery unit needed the leadership of someone just like Poeth. âIt took me a whole week to make a decision, because this was one of the toughest decisions Iâve ever made in my life,â said Poeth. âI truly loved South Meadows. After that week, my leader told me, âyou know what, Poeth? Youâve reached your pinnacle. You need and deserve a new challenge. Learn from this new team and teach them something. I think you have a huge opportunity for growth.â So, Poeth decided to apply for the position and shadow the neurosurgery team, where unlike her unit, the majority of the team at the time were travelers. But this was a challenge Poeth was up to â so she was accepted into the role. âAt the end of the day, these patients deserved consistent care,â Poeth emphasized. âI knew I had to take this position for the patients â they were the ones who sold me on this job. They are the reason why we are all here. It was important for me to be an advocate for them.â The big hills to climb didnât slow down Poeth; in fact, the exact opposite happened. Within her first year in the neurosurgery unit, her team onboarded 18 new graduates and replaced travelers. âWe were hiring like crazy,â said Poeth. âMy standing agenda at all section meetings focused on hiring and our quality metrics. I started having a relationship with our doctors. Once we created a strong doctor/nurse collaboration, our nurses started staying with us longer.â Everything on the unit was going great. Then, COVID-19 hit.  âSince we had private patient rooms, our unit became the first COVID unit at Renown Regional,â Poeth recalls. âMy whole staff that I had built up had to be distributed elsewhere. I started caring for COVID patients. We relied on our Infection Prevention team a lot. And at the same time, I was worried about my family in Africa.â Despite the stressful nature that the pandemic brought upon health systems everywhere, according to Poeth, she knew she had to continue on. âThe neurosurgery team ended up merging with orthopedic trauma, which was very difficult,â said Poeth. âWe went from 28 beds to 58 beds. The key to success here was training. Nurses are very resilient, and through training, we were able to stabilize the unit.â Noticing the opportunity for virtual demonstrations that were previously offered only in-person, Poeth spearheaded online trainings for nursing, physical therapy, mobility, head injuries and more, allowing teams across Renown to upskill in safe spaces. These programs continued throughout the pandemic, and Poeth was proud to be a figurehead through it all, helping to stabilize the unit while creating strong relationships with the entire team, many of whom followed her from Renown South Meadows to Renown Regional. Then, she gets another visitor â her Chief Nursing Executive â in her office with yet another opportunity. Have You Considered... In September 2022, Chief Nursing Executive Melodie Osborn walked into Poethâs office with those three words that Poeth has heard for decades: âHave you considered...â âBefore Melodie could even finish, I thought, âI have considered A LOT in my career!ââ said Poeth. Melodie told Poeth that the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute was looking for a Director of Oncology Nursing, noting that this could be yet another growth opportunity for her and a chance for her to go back to her roots. âI had just celebrated my twentieth year at Renown; I knew this was going to be a decision I really had to think about,â said Poeth. âEveryone believed in me. Alicia Glassco told me, âPoeth, you are ready for this. Go for it.â Once I applied for the position and started getting my updated chemotherapy certifications, I thought, âthey are right; I got this.ââ At this point in her career, Poeth had been hyper-focused on inpatient care, and this role would be her first time caring for patients in the outpatient setting. After going through the interview process, however, Poeth knew that this was where she was meant to be yet again â and colleagues she hadnât seen in years reaffirmed that commitment. âI felt the most excited about the job when I toured the facility,â Poeth recalls. âIâll never forget what one of the infusion nurses told me on my tour. She told me, âI donât know if you remember me, but I remember you; I came from Renown South Meadows, and you were so nice to me as I was precepting as a new nurse. Your kindness was unforgettable to me.â The fact that people like her wanted me in the unit so badly inspired me to come back.â Soon enough, Poeth became the Director of Oncology Nursing, a position she still proudly holds to this day. Once she was hired, she immediately went into deep learning mode, mastering skills such as revenue integrity, credentialing and the insurance process. She attributes Supervisor of Infusion Kaitlin Hildebrand and Director of Radiation Oncology Services Susan Cox for helping her succeed. Shortly after assuming the position, Poeth noticed yet another opportunity for cross-training within the organization to combat short staffing â training nurses from the Float Pool to care for patients in Infusion Services. âBetween May and July of this year, we trained six nurses from Float Pool to do infusion therapy services, which offered so much relief to my team; I am so thankful to Rendee Perry, the Manager of Nursing in our Float Pool unit, and her team for their support,â said Poeth. âMy mission in outpatient oncology is to serve the staff and patient population and create those strong relationships." Poeth's efforts to circumvent nurse burnout go beyond cross-training â as a director, she is always there for her team members no matter what, leading with kindness every step of the way. âI never miss a 7:45 a.m. huddle unless I am in a âcannot missâ commitment; I want my employees to always know that I am there for them and that they are cared for both on and off the job,â Poeth emphasizes. âI want them to feel like they are valued, their families are valued and their mental health is valued; after all, without my team, we cannot care for patients. Itâs important for them to know that I am here to be a security blanket and that there is always something we can do to solve a problem." Today, Poeth enjoys a full team of core Renown staff members whom patients look forward to seeing â and the high patient satisfaction scores to prove it. âOur team is so established that patients feel comfort in knowing they are always going to know exactly who they are being treated by,â said Poeth. âWe will always work to maintain that consistency.â Staying True to the Mission Renownâs mission of making a genuine difference in the health and well-being of our community resonates closely with Poeth. Before she arrives at the infusion unit every day, she asks herself: What can I do to make it easier for my team to deliver care? âIt takes a village to deliver the care we do,â said Poeth. âOur nurses are priceless. You canât place a monetary value on dealing with life and death every day. This is what inspires me. Itâs all about helping each other out and keeping those relationships strong.â Maintaining those relationships on the floor, according to Poeth, requires one main ingredient: work-life balance. âI want my nurses to be able to balance sending their kids to kindergarten and giving their patients their first chemotherapy treatments,â Poeth emphasizes. âI genuinely care about their lives. Itâs nice when you get to know your teamâs children, grandkids, spouse and hobbies. Iâm grateful that Renown has given us the autonomy to foster that flexible environment within our teams. It is so rewarding to have such a strong impact on these employees.â To Poeth, itâs all about doing and then duplicating. Luckily for her team and infusion patients in northern Nevada, a new infusion center at Renown South Meadows is planned to open in the coming years as part of our commitment to expanding care. Her team is excited to grow their expertise down to south Reno â Poeth's original home hospital. âI strongly believe that as nurses, we are meant to be where we are meant to be at the time,â said Poeth. âBe kind to yourself and remember your âwhy.â Take advantage of the opportunity you have.â To all nurses (and future nurses) out there, Poeth wants you to know that you are welcomed and valued. You are saving lives every day, and to her, that is worth everything. âAlways remain focused, even throughout all the challenges. Never forget why you got into nursing. And lastly, always stay true to your own mission,â closes Poeth.
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Winter Skin Care: 5 Must-Know Pro Tips
As the seasons shift, so do the demands of our skin. We sat down with Heidi Nicol, a seasoned aesthetician at Renown Dermatology, Laser & Skin Care, to uncover the secrets of pampering your skin during the winter onset. The aftermath of summer often leaves us with dry, dull skin and unexpected breakouts. However, a few tweaks to your skincare regimen can make this seasonal transition smoother. 1. Re-evaluate Your Cleanser Now might be the opportune moment to transition to a non-drying cleanser. The one that worked wonders in the summer might be aggressive for the colder months. Nicol suggests opting for a "gentle" cleanser that effectively cleanses and exfoliates without including abrasive ingredients. 2. Amp Up the Hydration With the dip in temperature, your skin craves a richer moisturizer. Seek out products enriched with Hyaluronic Acid. This powerhouse ingredient amplifies your skin's ability to retain moisture, ensuring it stays supple throughout the day. 3. Introduce Retinol If retinol isn't a staple in your skincare arsenal yet, consider introducing it now. Its prowess in diminishing sun-induced brown spots and fine lines is unparalleled.
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Employee Blog: Team Renown at Northern Nevada Pride
Itâs 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 âRâ 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 couldnât have stopped smiling if Iâd tried. Iâd 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 â 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 â like so many others in the LGBTQIA+ community â 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 yearâs 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 youâre part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or just an ally, you are welcome.
Read More About Employee Blog: Team Renown at Northern Nevada Pride
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Zarah Path from Traveler to OR Nurse
As many nurses can attest, the journey they have taken to arrive at where they are today is full of twists and turns. For Zarah Jayco, an operating room nurse at Renown Regional Medical Center, her journey is nothing short of a fulfilling and exciting one. Zarah is no stranger to taking detours to find what truly makes her feel the bursts of passion she had been looking for her entire life. She found that passion in the operating room â and travel nursing led her to Renown Health. Today, she is a firm believer that she is exactly where she is supposed to be. âI Just Want to Help Peopleâ Throughout her life, Zarah knew she was destined for a meaningful career â but didnât exactly know what. One day, she sat down with her mom, a nurse herself, where she asked the question that would ignite Zarahâs curiosity: What is important to you? âThatâs when I told my mom: âhonestly, I just want to help people.ââ It was at that moment that she realized nursing could be a fit for her. Everything about venturing into the nursing field started to make sense. So, thatâs precisely what she did. Zarah went to nursing school. When she stepped into the OR during her clinical rotation, she was immediately inspired. Zarahâs core values as a nurse were rooted from caring for her 90-year-old grandmother while she was in hospice. Her grandmother gave her some powerful lessons and words as she set off on her career: âYou are in the right place.â Upon completion of her perioperative program, Zarah the OR Nurse we know and love started her journey. She began her trek as a travel nurse, going up and down California to do exactly what she was meant to do: care for surgical patients. âI Traded the Ocean Waves for the Mountainsâ As Zarah continued to travel and find different locations for new assignments, her husband received an opportunity for work to transfer to the Biggest Little City. The duo packed up their California lives and moved to northern Nevada, where Zarah signed up for a night shift OR nurse position at Renown Regional Medical Center. But the travelerâs mindset wouldnât last long. Renown embraced Zarah with open arms, and she was immediately drawn into the community-feel that our health system offered. She felt welcomed and surrounded by âloving, hardworking peopleâ across her department and all other teams she encountered. As Renown cares for patients across 100,000 square miles, Zarah was especially impressed with how rooted Renown is in northern Nevada, noting how it âtruly feels like we are caring for the communityâ with our health systemâs wide reach. She was inspired to live up to that mission and more. âReno and Renown really reeled me in, and I fell in love with the city and everything it has to offer,â said Zarah. âI traded the ocean waves for the mountains, and the more we got to know Reno, the more we realized that this change of pace and lifestyle was definitely a good fit for us.â Zarah the OR Travel Nurse became Zarah the Renown OR Core Staff Charge Nurse. And she knew she made the right decision. Working in the OR, according to Zarah, is challenging in the best way possible. At night, all surgery cases at Renown are emergencies. The team springs into action to answer one vital question: How do we provide the best care for this patient? âIt is essential for us to anticipate potential outcomes,â said Zarah. âWhen we book a surgical case, we look at everything to make sure we are absolutely prepared and ready.â Staying at Renown was an easy choice for Zarah. To her, there is nothing like being a part of a core team that inspires her every day and âhas each othersâ back,ââ Zarah stated. âDuring the course of my assignment at Renown, the culture harnessed a kind of environment that felt like a hardworking family. This was the hook that reeled me into considering being part of core staff. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to build relationships that I hold in the highest esteem.â
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Department Spotlight: Patient Access
Health systems across the country recently celebrated Patient Access Week from April 2-8. Join us in recognizing our Patient Access team at Renown! Fighting the Good Fight starts the moment a patient steps onto the grounds of our health system. When patients visit Renown on their healthcare journey, they look to the experts to not only help them navigate through the complexities of the process but also ensure their experience with us starts off on the right foot. Renown Healthâs Patient Access Representatives (also referred to as âPARsâ) are the faces of this entire process. As the key links between patients, providers and insurers, they strive to create a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. PARs are committed to providing all of Renownâs patients access to the quality care when needed. After all, itâs in their name! A Friendly Face PARs are the front faces of almost all clinical areas at Renown. As the starting point for much of the patient experience, the day-in-the-life of PARs can vary. Checking patients in and out, getting demographic information, verifying insurance, answering phone calls, fostering communication between patients and their care teams, scheduling patients for follow-ups, explaining financial responsibilities and our financial aid programs, creating an overall positive experience and environment, the list goes on â but they all remain united under one goal: setting patients off on the right foot as they access care through our health system. âEach day, PARs are met with new patients who are seeking solutions to different concerns,â said Macy Betts, PAR for Renown Womenâs Health. âWe are the front doors to this department. We are not just checking patients in and out; we are the first step to the patients receiving the care they deserve.â âWe take pride in our work,â added Tanya Quintanilla, Shari Longley and Nancy Arroyo Garcia, PARs for Renown Pediatrics. âUsually, we are the first point of contact within Renown, so we donât take our role lightly. For example, when we see a newborn, we must ensure the registration has been verified, which consists of patient demographics, patient preferences and insurance verification. We need to be consistent and thorough because what we do affects every point of contact a patient may have within Renown.â âAs my teamâs senior PAR, my day begins with gathering the outpatient therapy work queue numbers and assigning the team to work them,â added Logan Johnson, Senior PAR in Pre-Registration at Renown. âOur goal is to contact and schedule patients for physical, occupational and/or speech therapy as soon as possible so that they have the maximum benefit and can get back to a normal life as quickly as possible. Our encounters can make or break the entire experience.â PARs never underestimate the power of good communication and compassion. Even during the busiest of times, our PARs work diligently to ensure all patients and their care teams fully understand the administrative side of whichever part of their journey they are about to embark on, lending a helping hand and a smile. âWhether youâre communicating with patients, leaders or coworkers, communication is key,â said Jonathan Figueroa, PAR for the Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health (IHVH). âWe try and make sure that we do everything possible to make their visit go as smoothly as possible.â âCommunication makes the world go round,â added Keith Madrona, Sherry Riley, Erika Rios and Andie Kilpatrick, PARs at Renown Urgent Care â Ryland. âHaving a friendly attitude and demeanor is very important. âThe PARs in Labor & Delivery do so much more than just registering patients â from escorting expectant parents to their rooms, welcoming newborn babies, processing pre-estimates and more â and the patience and excellent communication I receive from other teams is what keeps me going,â added Nanci Barash-Vietti, PAR for Renown Labor & Delivery (L&D). âThis is critical to the success and effectiveness of the PARs in our department.â Shift changes for PARs mimic other teams at Renown, leveraging technology and both written and spoken communication to ensure the next shift begins successfully. "When I come in, the night shift will give me a report on what is going on and what the schedule looks like during the day; then I log in to my computer and get everything that I will need for that day up on the screen,â said Allie Boracchia, PAR for Renown L&D. âUsually around this time we have a 7-8 a.m. induction scheduled for the first patient, so I will grab the pre-made packet that the night shift put together, the unit clerk will call the nurse to get a room number, and I take the patient to the room and have them sign all the forms. After the patient has the baby, then we admit them and finish registration. This is continuous all day long.â Our PARs all agree that regardless of the setting, whether it be emergent or routine, every patient is looking for that advocate from the moment they enter through our doors. âBeing friendly, patient and understanding is a must,â said Sheryl Lundgren, PAR for the William N. Pennington Institute for Cancer. âIt is so nice being able to brighten the days of patients who are living with a cancer diagnosis.â âIn the urgent care setting, a lot of the patients we see are not feeling their best, so it is important that we show them we care and are here to help make check in go smoothly,â added Sam Deithrich, PAR at the Renown Urgent Care â Los Altos.  âPatients are relieved that they are speaking to a real person that will help set up appointments,â added Rick Jordan and Celeste Landry, PARs in Lab Services at Renown South Meadows.  PARs embrace lifelong learning at Renown, especially as their roles differ day-to-day. They are always ready to jump in and assist on tasks that might be new for them, growing their skills on the job and never hesitating to say, âHow can I help?â âAs a PAR, you are always learning new things, even when it seems like you know just about everything,â said Liz Cardenas-Ramos, PAR for Renown Endocrinology. âItâs been such a positive experience.â âGiving yourself grace to learn and grow in Patient Access is the key,â said Maggie Savoie, PAR for Renown Primary Care â Fernley. âI find myself learning every day at Renown, and if youâre learning, youâre growing. Being able to take a breath and say, âthis is a learning opportunity for me, and tomorrow I will be better a better PAR because Iâve gained this knowledgeâ is an amazing way to stay positive in the position.â âIn L&D, we are all multi-tasking, and every day I am learning something new about my department and patients, as well as how to excel in my position,â added Nanci Barash-Vietti. Renown PARs are the front lines to health care access, and they wear that badge with pride. Jeanette Flores, PAR in the Emergency Department at Renown South Meadows, sums up the role of Patient Access well: âTalk about first impressions!â âI am proud of our team and the excellent care we give our patients,â said Dawn Linker, PAR for the Renown IHVH. âWe want them to have a good experience.â Impactful Accomplishments The role of our Patient Access team members goes beyond the desk. A patientâs healthcare journey begins, and sometimes even ends, with the helping hands of our PARs, leaving a lasting positive impression of Renown. "Our interactions with the patients make a difference before they see the provider, so we always demonstrate a welcoming and helpful atmosphere for the patients to feel like their needs are being met,â said Mary Dettling, PAR for Renown Endocrinology. âI love seeing the difference we make in peoplesâ lives,â added Shannon Leone, PAR for the Stacie Mathewson Behavioral Health & Addiction Institute. âWe can get patients at their toughest and worst times. Watching them overcome their fears, traumas and addictions has been very rewarding.â Our PARs donât just make goals for themselves â time and time again, they surpass them, all in the name of patient experience and excellence. âWe have not only met our monthly point-of-sale scores, but we also have exceeded our stretch goal for the last eight months and our scores have been in the 50th percentile or higher,â said Jeanette Flores. âAlong with being the top point-of-sale collectors, we have also been known to be some of the sweetest and most helpful staff at South Meadows,â said Katie Morrill, PAR in the Emergency Department at Renown South Meadows. As their teams grow, so does their impact on our patients. PARs are dedicated to providing the best customer service possible, and with their expanding teams, that service goes even further, even throughout the pandemic. âA year ago, we only had one PAR; now, we have a full and amazing team,â said Alex Bucholz, PAR for Renown Advanced Wound Care. âWe have come so far in a short amount of time.â "During the pandemic, we have maintained a core group of individuals who come in every day and help keep this office and all its parts moving smoothly,â added Shannon Leone. âWe have maintained a full patient load the last three years and never had to close our office for any reason. We have even had the opportunity to start our Medicated Assisted Treatment and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation programs.â "We successfully operated and maintained our pediatric COVID clinic, which is the only one within our five clinics,â added Tanya Quintanilla, Shari Longley and Nancy Arroyo Garcia. âWe feel proud knowing our tiny humans are protected with the COVID vaccine.â Like many other teams at Renown, our PARs are masters at teamwork. Despite any obstacles that may happen along the way, they are always there for each other to ensure every patient gets the care and attention they deserve. âWe call ourselves the âA-Teamâ here in Pulmonary,â said Shannon Birnberg, PAR for Renown Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine. âWe have persevered through changes, additions and departures. We are most proud of bringing different personalities to the team and being super strong and effective.â âI have noticed the team always steps up whenever needed,â added Brittany Hughes, PAR for the Renown IHVH. âEveryone has a great attitude and is very positive!â âWhile our team is fairly new, we are growing together, learning our strengths and weaknesses and always pushing for stronger unity,â added Angel Freer, PAR in the Emergency Department at Renown Regional. When our PARs find ways to simplify a process or make a workflow run more efficiently, they donât waste any time in making that happen. They take any opportunity to enhance patient experience. âOur team came up with a solution on how to get patients registered faster,â said Jess Castillo-Marquez, PAR in Lab Services at Renown Regional. âWe came up with modalities which assign each PAR their own procedure in which they will be registering for during their scheduled shift. It has been a great success, helping our productivity and keeping our patients satisfied with our service.â âWe are proud of our successful implementation of our new therapy workflow,â added Logan Johnson. âPatients are now waiting much less to be contacted about their care.â Our PARs know that teamwork makes the dream work, and their commitment to the patients they serve â and the goals they continue to blow out of the water â continue to inspire them daily.  âYou are only as strong as your team,â said Aundie Yonker, PAR in the Emergency Department at Renown Regional.
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A Renown Anesthesiologist's Unique Journey
Dr. Nariman Rahimzadehâs career path has been anything but typical. From humble beginnings as a shuttle bus driver for Renown Regional Medical Center, then named Washoe Medical Center, to his service as Chief of Staff for Renown South Meadows Medical Center, the steps and detours he took along the way â and the strong support from his colleagues and family members â make up a tale of perseverance, conviction, compassion and inspiration. However, his healthcare career journey began several years before he even joined Washoe Medical Center in the 1990s. It all began 7,446 miles away in Iran. This is Dr. Rahimzadehâs story. Defining Moments The moment Dr. Rahimzadeh knew he wanted to dedicate his career to the healthcare field started during his childhood. Growing up in Iran during the midst of the Iranian Revolution, a thought that often came to mind was, âWho is helping all the people injured in the war?â The answer? The doctors. âIn Iranian society, doctors are extremely valued, as they are the first to help people in need,â said Dr. Rahimzadeh. âI knew I wanted to give back to society in some way, and I see my time in Iran as very formative in my future career. I just didnât know it yet.â After immigrating to the U.S. with his family during his preteen years, he only had one mission: to support his family. âMy desires were to help my family not fall behind,â he said. âI didnât have career aspirations at the time. All I knew is that I wanted to help my family and my community, which immediately opened its arms up to us, as well as be a good student and a good ambassador for Iran.â Dr. Rahimzadeh remembers several influential people that helped solidify his aspiration from âhelping peopleâ to âhelping people as a healthcare professional.â Their family physician and other medical professionals in the familyâs lives were monumental in helping him make this decision. Coupled with his natural love for the sciences, the decision to become a doctor became clear.  But the question remained, âHow do I get started in the healthcare field?â No Links to Healthcare? No Problem With no physicians in his immediate family and no direct connections to healthcare, Dr. Rahimzadeh set off to follow the advice he received from the influential people in his life: get a job at a healthcare facility, regardless of what the job title is. Some of his friends had recently joined Washoe Medical Center as patient transporters and mentioned job openings that were available. He sprang into action and headed to Washoe Medical Center to apply. Just one problem â he didnât have the EMT certification requirement.  Enter Barry OâSullivan, who would be Dr. Rahimzadehâs first supervisor at Washoe Medical Center (and a friend he still speaks with to this day). Barry saw promise in Dr. Rahimzadeh immediately. As a result, Barry made a suggestion to him that would ultimately set him on the course towards medicine. âBarry told me that he had an open position that I could work while completing the senior year of my undergraduate degree and studying for my EMT certification and eventually becoming a patient transporter. He told me Washoe Medical Center would support me in this endeavor. So, I asked what the job was and learned it was driving a shuttle bus.â Without hesitation, Dr. Rahimzadeh responded, âIâll take it.â And so, his fulfilling journey with Washoe Medical Center, and eventually Renown Health, began. While he finished up the last few months of his degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, (UNR) Dr. Rahimzadeh proudly drove the shuttle bus a few days a week. The job not only helped him pay for his degree and put food on the table, but it also allowed him to begin living out his passion for helping people in the healthcare field. Dr. Rahimzadeh graduated with his bachelor's degree in Pre-Medicine from UNR and finished his EMT certification program. Sure enough, Barry and Washoe Medical Center lived up to their promises and helped him secure his first direct healthcare job as an EMT and Patient Transporter with REMSA. But he didnât stop there â after several years as a ground transporter, his career literally took flight. He joined REMSA Ground Ambulance and eventually Care Flight as a Flight EMT II, caring for patients that were flying to Washoe Medical Center from nearby communities that needed lifesaving medical care. Helping save lives every day as a member of the emergency medical team is an ultimate feat, especially when it comes to Dr. Rahimzadeh. And he didnât stop there. Valuing One-on-One Connections In the 1990s, as it is today, the U.S. experienced a significant primary care provider shortage which resulted in many medical schools encouraging students to complete their residencies in a primary care specialty, like internal medicine â which is precisely what Dr. Rahimzadeh set out to do at the University of Connecticut.  However, his mind would soon change about the course of his career.  âI had a deep, introspective conversation with my residency program director, openly and honestly chatting about my future,â Dr. Rahimzadeh said. âI ended up taking a week off of my residency and wrote a long pros and cons list about what I wanted to do with my life in the medical field.â Eventually he decided on anesthesiology because of the opportunity to have a one-on-one relationship with every surgery patient, regardless of their procedure. âEven though itâs for a short duration of time, it is a very impactful relationship,â he said. âI feel I am making a difference in the outcomes and lives of patients every day.â Dr. Rahimzadeh finished his internal medicine residency in three years and passed his board exam, and he went on to do the same thing for anesthesiology. He then ventured back home to Reno. Career Progression at Its Finest Dr. Rahimzadeh knows that people donât always get to settle down in a place that influenced their upbringing, care and dream, yet he was able to make that vision a reality for himself. âI feel like Renown Health and myself have this intertwined relationship that led to my growth as a person and as a physician,â he said. âFor that, I feel very blessed." Upon his arrival back to Reno with two residencies under his belt, Dr. Rahimzadeh was quickly hired at one of the two anesthesiology groups in town at the time. He started his career with Sierra Anesthesia and after working for the group for several years, he joined Associated Anesthesiologists of Reno in 2014, which went on to become one of the largest anesthesiology groups in northern Nevada. The group continuously worked very closely with Renown, taking care of all of its surgical patient needs and eventually becoming Renown Medical Group employees as of April 1, 2022, with Dr. Rahimzadeh setting up his home base at the Renown South Meadows campus. Today, Dr. Rahimzadeh wears three âhatsâ at Renown. As a medical professional first and foremost, his largest âhatâ is his general anesthesiologist role, where he cares for patients in the operating room. Another significant âhatâ is his role as the Medical Director for Surgical Services, where he reviews surgical patient charges alongside his dedicated team of nurses and ensures optimal patient outcomes by verifying they have had the appropriate workup to proceed with surgery in a safe manner. To round out his immense responsibilities with Renown, he serves as Chief of Staff for Renown South Meadows, where he makes connections with colleagues and collaborates with leaders to review protocols, policies and address concerns that arise. Outside of Renown, Dr. Rahimzadeh is still a contributor within his own anesthesiology practice. He also is the current President of the Nevada State Society of Anesthesiologists and the Director to the Board of Directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, helping bridge the gap in anesthesia concerns between his northern and southern Nevada colleagues. He reflects on the opportunities Renown and our local community have extended to him by saying, âIf you can dream big enough and continue to chase your dreams, you can make it happen right here.â On the COVID-19 Frontlines Nothing could prepare us for the dire situation hospitals on the east coast â especially those in Livingston, New Jersey â were experiencing at the beginning of the pandemic. Livingston was known as the âsecond hardest hit areaâ by COVID-19 in April of 2020. Hospitals were overwhelmed with patients in the ICU fighting for their lives. They needed help, and they needed help now.  Unable and unwilling to sit idly by, Dr. Rahimzadeh and six of his colleagues from his practice traveled to Livingston to help. They jumped in on the frontlines alongside other anesthesiologists and intensivists to offset the sudden influx of COVID-19 patients. Many lives were saved, and Dr. Rahimzadeh was a direct part of that. âWhen you care and work with people that also care, you can move the needle a lot â it doesnât matter where you're from,â he said. Home Means Nevada â and Renown Renown Health is deeply rooted in the northern Nevada community. Dr. Rahimzadeh is proud to be among a diverse team who have taken responsibility for its community for generations.  "We live in a very passionate and caring community, which is often underestimated,â he said. âItâs clear to me that Renown refuses to settle. Renown is incredibly progressive in providing the best for the community. We never remain stagnant, we keep moving forward and we take care of your loved ones. This health system has never been able to sit still and settle for the status quo. That stands out to me.â One story especially sticks out to Dr. Rahimzadeh as the moment when he knew that Renown was home. In 1997 while working as a patient transporter, his grandmother passed away on the sixth floor of the Sierra Tower at what is now Renown Regional Medical Center. At the funeral, a huge bouquet of flowers arrived. Not being especially close to anyone in Reno yet, Dr. Rahimzadeh's family had no idea who sent the beautiful arrangement. Turns out, it was Rod Callahan, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Washoe Medical Center at the time.  âAt that point, I knew I wasnât just a part of a workforce with thousands of employees,â said Dr. Rahimzadeh. âThe COO cared so much about me that he felt compelled to send such a wonderful gift during a tragic time. Thatâs the value of a local, community-focused hospital; the people here know you and care about you. Thereâs a reason why people stay at Renown for so long â we feel that connection.â Dr. Rahimzadeh also reflected on how far Renown South Meadows has come, from the time he immigrated to the U.S. to today. âGrowing up, Renown South Meadows was kind of a âmom and pop shopâ primarily serving senior citizens in one wing and surgical patients in the other,â he said. âNow, I am so proud to see how far it has come. It really made its niche in the community in a great way. The future is bright!â Itâs clear that Dr. Rahimzadeh is leaving a lasting legacy with his family, from the local community to global medicine. His son is a senior at Baylor University in Texas with a strong desire to go into medicine, just like his dad. His daughter is a junior at Bishop Manogue Catholic High School in Reno and enjoys being involved in her community. His loving wife is a speech therapist in the area. The Rahimzadeh family is thriving together, and they all share the same conviction about northern Nevada and Renown: âThis is home.â
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Renown & The National Guard: How These Employees Serve with Maximum Impact
Jason Farnsworth, Evan Fox and Jennifer Jenni are three of Renownâs more than 500 employees who currently serve, or who have served, in our miliary. Their deep-rooted passion for helping our community extends to the Nevada National Guard (NANG), an organization that shares many values with Renown. We sat down with Jason, Evan and Jenni to ask their perspective on what propels them to serve people in our home state and learn more about how Renown's partnership with the Nevada National Guard has supported their personal and professional growth. Meet Jason Farnsworth, the Face Behind Renownâs Partnership with the National Guard Jason Farnsworth is the Director of Respiratory Care Services at Renown and the Chief Master Sergeant, Medical Superintendent of the Nevada National Guard. He has been with the Guard and Renown for 23 years. Jason joined the Guard over 20 years ago to help pay for his college education. After using up his paid vacation time from Renown for Guard events like deployments or training in his initial years as a Guard member, Jason approached Renown senior leadership with the idea of paid military leave. âIn full support of employees who choose to serve, Renown stepped up to give a resounding, âyes,â as they have time and time again for our military community,â Jason said. From that day forward, policies were implemented at Renown to further support individuals who serve our country with paid military leave. As a result, Jason submitted an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Secretary of Defense Freedom Award nomination and Renown Health won the highest-level department of defense employer recognition in the nation. Since then, Jason has received four associate degrees, one bachelorâs degree and a masterâs degree with the governmentâs support and has been promoted several times to his current roles at Renown and the Guard. âAs I progressed at Renown, I was able to progress in the National Guard. They've complimented one another on leadership skills and clinical competencies.â How Evan Fox Finds Synergy in His Roles at Renown and the National Guard After five years as a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at Renown Regional Medical Center and two years as a First Lieutenant Critical Care Nurse in the Guard, Evan Fox has implemented care plans for many community members and put his expertise to good use. The countless trauma hours he has completed at Renown have directly translated to the field as a Guard member. He states that âhis roles are synergistic, and his innumerable hours of critical care are worth their weight in gold because of the transferability between the two positions.â Evanâs Roles Provide Service to Our Community, and Beyond Evan feels passionately that his experience with the Guard is unique because you live in the area that you serve, whereas with other military branches you are often stationed elsewhere. Recently, heâs cared for many people involved in firefighting missions in our surrounding areas. As a member of the medical group of the Nevada National Guard, Evan is prepared to provide critical care at any given moment in the event of deployment due to a natural or man-made disaster. He can provide critical care in our region and across the nation. How Jenniferâs Leadership Journey Continues to Grow Jennifer Jenni is the nurse manager of the cardiac ICU and intermediate care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center. She has been with Renown for 13 years and initially started at Renown South Meadows Medical Center in the general surgical unit. She felt compelled to take advantage of Renownâs development programs as she worked her way up to supervisor and now as a manager. She is also a registered nurse and captain in the Nevada National Guard as well as a member of an enhanced resource force team, equipped to provide aid anywhere in the nation in the event of a disaster. With Jennifer, People Always Come First Her dedication to serving people has always been a part of who she is, even before she became a leader. From an early age, Jennifer felt strongly that she wanted to be involved in the military in some way stating that âthe Guard is very much a service to the people, whether it's our community or nationwide.â While her clinical leadership qualities and skills have translated well to her role as a captain, holding two leadership titles is no easy feat â especially when it comes to the continued training her roles require. However, because of the support Renown provides its military community, Jennifer was able to confidently attend officer training in Alabama last year. Jennifer was fully supported by her Renown team when she was away and took advantage of her paid military leave benefit. More Than Just a Partnership, but a Family Jason, Evan and Jennifer are among the many employees who choose to serve both here at Renown and in the Guard. You might see National Guard members who are also Renown employees in areas like the cardiac ICU, trauma ICU, emergency department or medics who work on hospital floors. âNot only is my family out at the National Guard, but they are also here at Renown. Itâs amazing to see how many people spend their lives giving back,â Jason said.
Read More About Renown & The National Guard: How These Employees Serve with Maximum Impact
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Top 3 Dermatology Services
Our skin loses its elasticity and ability to retain moisture as we age. As a result, sun exposure leads to age spots, wrinkles and even cancer. Dermatologist-recommended treatments can reverse the signs of aging and help resolve skin conditions. The board-certified experts at Renown Dermatology, Laser and Skin Care provide care for various skin conditionsâfrom psoriasis and acne to skin cancer. We've outlined the top three treatments available, how they work, and the results you can expect. 1. Define with Dermaplane Our popular Dermaplane procedure exfoliates the outermost layer of dead skin cells, and vellus hairs (peach fuzz), leaving the skin smooth and supple. A glycolic peel is then added for a fresh, healthy glow. Dermaplane can be combined with other skin care treatments and will reveal immediate results with zero downtime! Your vellus (fine) facial hair will not become thicker or darker after dermaplaning. Instead, the hair will grow back but won't change color or thickness. 2. Illuminating Omnilux LED Light Therapy LED therapy is a natural treatment, does not contain harmful UV wavelengths, and does not create heat or thermally damage the skin. Omnilux LEDs emit light photons of specific wavelengths into your skin and are absorbed by cell components, particularly the mitochondria. Two Types of Light Therapy Red Light Reduces wrinkles by stimulating elastin and collagen Improves skin tone Warm, relaxing 20-minute treatment with no downtime Blue Light Reduces active acne Helps reduce redness and inflammation Reduces length of breakouts Relaxing 20-minute treatment with no downtime 3. Therapeutic Triple Facial Plus Reduce the appearance of fine lines instantly with our most popular skincare package. This ultra-conditioning treatment freshens the skin's appearance without extended healing or downtime. Enjoy three treatments in a single 60-minute session: Dermaplaning for exfoliation and the removal of vellus hair Glycolic mask for a fresh, healthy glow Laser toning for collagen stimulation  The Dermatology, Laser and Skin Care team offers competitively-priced treatments and procedures. In addition, our seasonal specials provide competitive pricing to help you stay on budget. Sign up and be the first to know about money-saving cosmetic service specials sent to you quarterly!
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Fall Skincare and Sunscreen Tips
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, higher altitude increases the risk of sun-induced skin damage. UV radiation exposure rises 4 to 5 percent every 1,000 feet above sea level. In addition, snow reflects up to 80 percent of the UV light from the sun, meaning that you are often hit by the same rays twice. This only increases the risk of damage. If you're among the 58 percent of adult Americans who choose not to wear sunscreen, you may be even less likely to apply sunscreen during the fall and winter. Experts at the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute, explain that exposure to the sun happens when we least expect it, like during our daily commute. The ultraviolet A (UVA) rays can penetrate the windows of your car, office or home and get deep into the dermis, the thickest layer of our skin. So whatâs the solution to preventing skin damage â or even worse, skin cancer â in the colder months? Apply, then Re-apply Sunscreen "There are a million sunscreens, so find one that feels good on your skin. Hydrating formulas are great for the drier months, so use a broad spectrum UVA and UVB lotion with a mix of ingredients to ensure you are fully protected." Still not sure which sunscreen to use? Look for the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation next time youâre out shopping for your sun protection products. A good rule of thumb is to use about one ounce (a shot glass full) and re-apply every two hours, or more often if sweating. Also, make sure to: Follow directions and shake the bottle before using. Make sure all skin is covered (including neck, ears and lips). For people with thin or thinning hair, apply to the scalp as well. Carry your favorite bottle of sunscreen with you at all times. Skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, sledders, snow shovelers and winter enthusiasts take note: When spending time out the snow, we recommend a sport sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.