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Max Coppes, M.D., Ph.D., MBA who has served as Nell J. Redfield Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada School of Medicine (UNR Med) and pediatrician-in-chief at Renown Children’s Hospital for the last six years has announced he is stepping down to lead Renown’s Pennington Cancer Institute on a full-time basis. Dr. Coppes will continue to serve as Professor of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine at UNR Med. “Our goal is to improve the health of Nevadans and reduce the burden of cancer,” said Thomas Graf, CEO of Renown Health. “Having Dr. Coppes as our clinical leader for the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute on a full-time basis reflects Renown and UNR Med’s commitment to increase access to cancer care, foster a deeper partnership with UNR Med on clinical trials, collaborate on cancer research opportunities, and enhance medical education and post-graduate training. We are thrilled to have Dr. Max leading this important effort.” Today’s announcement comes two weeks after the William N. Pennington Foundation announced a $15.5 million gift to the Renown Health Foundation to help establish the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute at Renown. Dr. Coppes, a pediatric oncologist by training, has experience in leading large-scale, nationally recognized academic cancer center teams in both the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Coppes came to Reno in 2014 from the British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, where he served as president with responsibility for six regional cancer centers and two cancer research centers. He was an attending physician at BC Children's Hospital and a professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. During his career, Coppes served as senior vice president at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and held positions at several prestigious facilities in the U.S. and Canada including The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Georgetown University, The National Cancer Institute, and the Cleveland Clinic. Since 2016, Dr. Coppes has served in the joint leadership role as the Nell J. Redfield Chair of Pediatrics at UNR Med and pediatrician-in-chief at Renown Children's Hospital, a position made possible through generous philanthropic support from the Nell J. Redfield Foundation along with investments by Renown Health and the School of Medicine. In 2016, the Pennington Foundation recognized the need for enhanced care and expertise for pediatrics and donated $7.5 million to Renown Children’s Hospital to establish the William N. Pennington Fund for Advanced Pediatric Care. “As the Nell J. Redfield Chair of Pediatrics at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and pediatrician-in-chief at Renown Children's Hospital, Dr. Coppes blazed the trail for the integration of academic and clinical missions at UNR Med and Renown. He demonstrated visionary leadership and undoubtedly will bring the same energy and vision as the clinical leader for the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute,” said Melissa Piasecki, Acting Dean of UNR Med and Chief Academic Officer for Renown Health. “Dr. Max Coppes is an extraordinary leader. In the last six years he has done much to elevate the standard of pediatric care available in our community,” said Sy Johnson, President and Chief of Staff of Renown. “Thanks to Dr. Coppes’ leadership, the generosity of the Pennington gift and other donors, 100,000 area children now have access to pediatric specialists and contemporary healthcare services at the region’s only children’s hospital. Now, less than 3% of all pediatric patients and their families need to leave the area for specialty care. That is an incredible accomplishment.” Significant achievements made under Dr. Coppes leadership include: Advancing Renown Children’s Hospital, the only dedicated children’s hospital in northern Nevada, offering programs and services for families from a 100,000 square mile area, from Sacramento, CA to Salt Lake City, Utah. Renown Children’s provides the area’s only Children’s Emergency Room, Pediatric ICU (PICU), children’s imaging center and the largest neonatal ICU (NICU), a level III intensive care unit. Under his leadership, the following service lines were established; adolescent medicine, pediatric hematology/oncology, pediatric nephrology, pediatric infectious diseases, pediatric ophthalmology, pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgery, pediatric urology, pediatric dentistry, and pediatric emergency medicine. Hiring and supporting a team of over 40 pediatric physician specialists. These clinicians provide 30,000 patient visits annually, offering an exceptional level of care to help families. As a testimony to the community’s confidence in the care provided, market share for pediatric services at Renown Health is now close to 90%. Renown’s membership in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), which gives local pediatric cancer patients access to the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood cancer and most leading-edge treatments. Application to establish a 3-year accredited (by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) pediatric residency program in Reno. If approved in September 2022, Renown Health and UNR Med will start training four new pediatricians each year starting in July 2023. Successful application to the Nevada Governor's Office of Science, Innovation & Technology to receive financial support to fund a new Graduate Medical Education program. Renown Children’s Hospital was awarded $ 870,433 for the new pediatric residency program. New construction of an expanded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with increased capacity to 49 bassinets, an expanded Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with increased capacity to 16 private patient and family rooms, and a new Renown Children's Hospital in-patient floor with increased capacity for 38 private patient and family rooms for a total capacity of 58 pediatric beds on Level 4 of Renown Regional Medical Center. In 2021, Dr. Coppes was named the Healthcare Hero Community Partner by Northern Nevada Business Magazine.

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The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus award for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care. Renown Health has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke Gold Plus with Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor RollGet With The Guidelines® - Stroke quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood and oxygen it needs, so brain cells die. Early stroke detection and treatment are key to improving survival, minimizing disability and accelerating recovery times. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines. Get With The Guidelines - Stroke is an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to these guidelines, which can minimize the long-term effects of a stroke and even prevent death. Renown Health is committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Thomas Graf, MD, FAAFP, Renown Health Chief Executive Officer. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better. The end goal is to ensure more people in northern Nevada can experience longer, healthier lives.” Each year, program participants qualify for the award by demonstrating how their organization has committed to providing quality care for stroke patients. In addition to following treatment guidelines, Get With The Guidelines participants also educate patients to help them manage their health and recovery at home. “We are incredibly pleased to recognize Renown Health for its commitment to caring for patients with stroke,” said Steven Messe, MD, chairperson of the Stroke System of Care Advisory Group. “Participation in Get With The Guidelines is associated with improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.” Renown Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with the clot-buster alteplase. Renown Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke. About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, 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 region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®.  About Get With The Guidelines® Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

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The American Heart Association presents Get With The Guidelines®- Stroke Gold Plus awards for proven dedication to ensuring all stroke patients have access to best practices and life-saving care. Renown Health emergency, medical and surgical providers have received three American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® awards. These awards demonstrate commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatments according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines; reducing disabilities and increasing the number of lives saved. Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the main cause of adult disability. Studies show patients recover better when providers consistently follow treatment guidelines. Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research and evidence-based guidelines. “A stroke is an extremely serious condition that requires emergent medical treatment. The faster treatment is provided, the lower the risk of brain injury. We are proud of our thousands of physicians, nurses and clinicians who consistently practice exceptional patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Renown Health. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and consistent protocols to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help people live longer and better lives.” “As a participant in Get With The Guidelines programs, Renown qualified for the awards by demonstrating that physicians and clinicians across our integrated health system are committed to improving quality care for stroke patients,” said Bill Plauth, MD, MMM, CPE, Chief Medical Officer for Renown Health and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. “If you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke, call 911, as you need skilled medical care immediately. Stroke care focuses on helping people recover as much function as possible and return to independent living. The Renown Neurovascular and Stroke Program and Renown Rehabilitation Hospital teams provide expert emergency stroke care and comprehensive neurovascular care and rehabilitation services.” “We are pleased to recognize Renown Health for its commitment to caring for those in their community who need cardiovascular care,” said John Warner, MD, FAHA, past president of the American Heart Association and CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Hospitals that follow the American Heart Association’s quality improvement protocols often see improved patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.” “Renown Regional Medical Center is the only designated Comprehensive Stroke Center in northern Nevada,” says Benjamin Pence, DO, Director, Institute for Neurosciences at Renown. “This means that we have the highest level of certification to receive and treat the most complex stroke cases. Our Institute for Neurosciences team is led by the area's top neurologists, and we conduct research studies involving new ways of preventing, diagnosing, and managing neurological disorders. We care for patients suffering from nerve and brain disorders due to stroke, headache, epilepsy, and other acute causes. We also monitor and develop treatment options for patients with memory and movement disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's Disease or Multiple Sclerosis.” Renown Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital (within 60 minutes or less) and treatment for at least 85 percent of applicable patients. “It is an honor to be among the American Heart Association’s Stroke Honor Roll Elite award recipients,” said Bret Frey, MD, president of Northern Nevada Emergency Physicians Care teams at Renown Health. “We adhere to these rigorous guidelines daily and demonstrate our unwavering commitment to ensuring more people in northern Nevada receive leading emergency and trauma care and the gift of extended, healthier lives.” Renown Health also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll - Stroke award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke. This award is given to hospitals that qualify for the silver level or higher achievement award within the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke program and achieve an overall Diabetes Cardiovascular Initiative Composite Score of more than 80 percent. 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. To join the Renown team, visit renown.org/careers. About Get With The Guidelines Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and hastening recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 12 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org.

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