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    • Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
    • Lung Health
    • Respiratory
    • Smoking

    Living with COPD? How to Maximize Your Summer Experience

    June offers an official welcome to summer and the height of outdoor activities in northern Nevada such as hiking, camping, days spent at the lake and embracing long days and warm evenings with friends and family. Enjoying all that the summer season has to offer may not be as easy for those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, which effects more than 15 million Americans. What is COPD? COPD is a group of lung diseases including emphysema and chronic bronchitis that result in airflow blockages from the lungs. People may experience frequent coughing and shortness of breath among other symptoms. COPD typically impacts adults ages 65 and older and is becoming increasingly more common among women. Although smoking plays a key role in the development of COPD, air pollution and indoor air quality, and respiratory infection also contribute to disease development. While there is no cure for COPD, limiting progression of disease and managing symptoms can be achieved through lifestyle changes, therapy, and medications. Tips for Living with COPD This Summer, and Always Stay Hydrated: Staying hydrated is extremely important for people with COPD, especially during the summer. Not drinking enough water can make breathing more difficult because it increases respiratory symptoms. Make sure to always keep a water bottle with you and aim to drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. Be Mindful of Temperature: COPD symptoms can be exacerbated by hot weather. It is best to participate in outdoor activities during the cooler times of day, like the morning or evening. Check Air Quality Before You Go: Before engaging in outdoor activities, be sure to check the air quality index and plan your activities accordingly. Pace Yourself: Exercising can be difficult for people who have COPD. To make the most of your summer, try not to push yourself too hard and take breaks when you need them. If you start to feel out of breath or tired, take a break in a cool, shaded area until you feel better. Take Matters Into Your Own Hands To address the needs of community members living with COPD, the Renown Health Research Office has teamed up with Pulmonary Medicine to provide patients who are former or current smokers and have a history of frequent exacerbations with an option to participate in the ARNASA study. "COPD exacerbations have a huge negative impact on patient’s lung function” states Dr. Farah Madhani-Lovely, Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Renown Health and Assistant Dean of Clinical Research at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. “We have had inhalers and prednisone for decades but patients are still having exacerbations. Now we have a new pathway we think will prevent exacerbations which is what this clinical trial is designed to prove.” This study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of astegolimab compared with placebo in participants 40-80 years of age with COPD. “This study in particular is so exciting because of the enthusiasm from the sponsor’s end” says Katie Buckley, Lead Clinical Research Coordinator working on pulmonology studies at Renown’s Clinical Research Office. “Often times sites aren’t assigned particularly passionate or engaged personnel who aid in carrying out these studies, but you can tell Roche Genentech’s team truly cares about the success of the study, the safety of their participants, and proving the efficacy of the investigational agent. Working on a study like this takes a village, and when the individuals on all ends share similar mindsets and work towards success as a collective unit instead of as individual moving parts, it’s amazing to see everything we’re able to accomplish.” Renown’s team of expert pulmonologists and researchers are available to join patients with COPD in support of their healthcare journey. If you are interested in learning more about this clinical trial option at Renown Health, talk to your pulmonologist at your next appointment or contact us at 775-982-3646. At Renown Health, our goal is to make it easy for patients to access clinical research as a care opportunity where patients can access a variety of standard care treatment options for their health condition or choose to participate in a clinical trial. For more information about clinical trial opportunities available to you or to ask any questions, contact the Renown Research Office at Renown-CRD@renown.org or 775-982-3646.

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    • Lung Health
    • Cancer Care
    • Screening

    Lung Cancer Screening and Early Detection

    Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S. The good news is the five-year survival rate increases dramatically if lung cancer is treated before spreading to other parts of the body. Julie Locken, MD, of Renown Health Imaging, explains more. What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer? As you might expect, most lung cancer symptoms appear in the chest and can affect your breathing. Watch for signs such as: Persistent cough Constant chest pain Shortness of breath Wheezing Bloody or rust-colored phlegm Hoarseness Swelling of the neck Pain or weakness in the shoulder, arm or hand Recurring pneumonia, bronchitis or other lung infections Loss of appetite and loss of weight can also be signs of lung cancer That said, there are usually no symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer, which means getting screened can truly be a lifesaver. If you have a history of smoking, you should get screened as a precaution.  What are the risk factors of lung cancer?  Around 80% of lung cancer cases stem from a history of smoking tobacco. But there are other known causes, such as secondhand smoke, radon, asbestos and diesel exhaust. It’s important to do what you can to eliminate exposure to all of these to reduce your lung cancer risk.  People with an immediate relative – a parent, sibling or child – diagnosed with lung cancer and people between 50 and 80 years old are also at higher risk and may need to consider screening.  People who are at the highest risk are those with a history of smoking tobacco, particularly smokers who averaged one pack of cigarettes per day for 20 years or more, as well as former heavy smokers who quit in the last 15 years.

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    • Renown Health
    • Awards and Accreditations

    Renown Regional Medical Center Recognized Among Nations Top Hospitals In Critical Care

    The region’s only trauma center receives top honors from Healthgrades   What is Healthgrades?   Healthgrades, a leading national resource for trusted information about physicians and hospitals, recently announced the recipients of their 2021 Specialty Excellence Awards. These awards recognize hospitals with superior performance and have selected Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nv. as northern Nevada’s top hospital for critical care. Hospitals in this ranking demonstrate excellent patient clinical outcomes in treating pulmonary embolism, respiratory system failure, sepsis, and diabetic emergencies. Health grades further distinguishes hospitals that stand out as America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Specialty Care™, with Renown Regional Medical Center identified as Nevada’s only critical care hospital to be bestowed with this honor.    What this Award Means To Us   “At Renown, I am honored to work beside dedicated healthcare heroes who are working tirelessly to make a genuine difference in the health and well-being of every patient and family we serve,” says Tony Slonim, MD, D.Ph., FACHE, president and CEO of Renown. “Having trained and served as a pediatric intensive care physician, this honor from Healthgrades does so much to recognize the compassion, skill, and determination of this incredible team. I join with our community in saluting the Renown Regional Medical Center’s critical care team as one of the best critical care hospitals in the nation.”  “As the only accredited trauma center between Sacramento and Salt Lake City, we receive and care for critically-injured patients from over 100,000 square miles. Our communities depend on Renown Regional Medical Center for outstanding critical care,” says Dawn D. Ahner, DSc, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Acute Services. “Our multi-disciplinary critical care and intensive care healthcare teams are specially-staffed, equipped and designed to care for, closely monitor, and comprehensively care for patients with life-threatening conditions.” “Having a specialty-trained team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, care managers, physical and occupational therapists around the clock, every day ensures that, no matter the illness or injury, a patient will be treated with the highest degree of care right away,” says Paul Sierzenski, MD, MSHQS, CPE, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer, Acute Services. “What it comes down to is this; the quicker and more accurately you get treated, the better your outcome will be. That's what makes being one of the most respected critical care teams in the country, so vital to all of us.”  “At Renown, we have done so much over the years, to prepare to meet the need for rapid surges in critically ill or injured patients. Through this pandemic, many patients suffering from complications of COVID-19 have needed intensive care services,” says Erik Olson, MHA, Chief Executive Officer of Renown Regional Medical Center. “As the demand for critical care and intensive care continues to increase, the ratio of ICU beds to hospital beds will continue to rise as the ICU occupies an ever-larger role at the center of acute hospital care. We appreciate the recognition from Healthgrades demonstrating the Renown team’s unwavering commitment to the highest level of patient care and safety.”    About Renown Health    Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally owned and 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, an urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown’s institute model addresses social determinants of health and includes Child Health, Behavioral Health & Addiction, Healthy Aging, and Health Innovation. Clinical institutes include Cancer, Heart, and Vascular Heath, Neurosciences, and Robotic Surgery. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org.    About Healthgrades   Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. At Healthgrades, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their provider of choice. With our scheduling solutions and advanced analytics applications, we help our health system and life sciences clients cultivate new patient relationships, improve patient access, and build customer loyalty. At Healthgrades, better health gets a head start.

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    • Neurology
    • Awards and Accreditations
    • Renown Health

    Renown Neuro Diagnostic Laboratory Nationally Recognized

    Earning its third five-year accreditation, Renown’s neuro-diagnostic lab remains Nevada’s only accredited ABRET facility. The Renown Institute for Neurosciences is pleased to announce that the neuro-diagnostic lab at Renown Regional Medical Center has been re-accredited by the American Board of Registration of Electroencephalographic and Evoked Potential Technologists (ABRET). ABRET’s lab accreditation process evaluates technical standards, the quality of a laboratory’s output, and lab management. “Renown Health is a leader and a destination for health in treating neurological disorders and advancing innovations in neurology. The specialists at the Renown Institute for Neurosciences provide comprehensive brain, nerve and surgical support along with a full range of diagnostic and additional procedures and a disease-specific, patient-focused approach to care,” says Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, FACHE, President and CEO, Renown Health. “This prestigious honor from ABRET means Renown’s Electroencephalogram (EEG) Laboratory has met strict standards and is recognized as a place where patients and physicians can confidently receive quality diagnostics.” “In addition to re-accreditation from ABRET, the Institute for Neurosciences has earned a Gold Seal of Approval by the Joint Commission and offers advanced treatment options including t-PA (Tissue Plasminogen Activator) and biplane angiography. The Level III accredited Epilepsy laboratory implements some of the newest treatments available,” said Renown’s Chief Medical Officer, Paul Sierzenski, MD, MSHQS, CPE, FACEP. “Renown patients also have access to the most promising new therapies through national clinical trials, which have been shown to significantly improve patients’ health and well-being.” “I am proud to recognize our dedicated team of caregivers for their continued passion and excellence in maintaining the highest standards in patient care,” said Renown Institute for Neurosciences’ Division Chief, Dr. Rolando Ania. “It is all thanks to their tremendous efforts that we remain the only ABRET accredited laboratory, as well as the only nationally accredited epilepsy center (NAEC Level III), in the state of Nevada.” Using a collaborative approach, specialists at the Renown Institute for Neurosciences use leading-edge diagnostic tools to identify neurological conditions and treat patients with the most effective techniques available. What is a Neuro-diagnostic Lab? A neuro-diagnostic lab allows care teams the technology to evaluate how a patient’s peripheral, autonomic, and central nervous systems function, and aid in diagnosing and treating conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and other diseases of the nervous system. What is an Electroencephalogram (EEG)? An Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures and records the electrical activity of the brain. During the test, special sensors called electrodes are attached to the patient’s head and hooked by wires to a computer. The computer then records the brain’s electrical activity on the screen. Using a collaborative approach, specialists at the Renown Institute for Neurosciences use leading-edge diagnostic tools to identify neurological conditions and treat patients with the most effective techniques available. Renown Health hospitals are ranked as Nevada’s top hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.

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    • Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
    • Awards and Accreditations

    Thomas S Dolan Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

    The program becomes first of its kind to be accredited in Nevada Renown Health is pleased to announce the certification of the Thomas S. Dolan Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at Renown South Meadows Medical Center by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). AACVPR certification demonstrates that an organization's Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is aligned with current guidelines set by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation for appropriate and effective early outpatient care of patients with cardiac or pulmonary issues. Certification offers peace of mind, so that patients can feel confident in knowing that staff has the experience and skills necessary to coordinate the many issues faced by people receiving a life-changing cardiac or pulmonary diagnosis.  Pulmonary rehabilitation programs help people with health issues such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recover faster and live healthier.  “Having access to quality pulmonary rehabilitation services so close to home, staffed by a highly skilled group of compassionate care providers, truly is a gift to our community,” said Tony Slonim,MD, D.Ph., president and CEO of Renown. “We are extremely proud of the work being done in our pulmonary rehabilitation program, and also forever grateful for Tom Dolan’s donation to the program in 2019, which empowers Nevadans to improve both their health and quality of life.”  “Thomas S. Dolan Pulmonary Rehabilitation is the only accredited pulmonary rehabilitation program in the state of Nevada,” said Renown South Meadows Medical Center and Rehabilitation Hospital Vice President Chris Nicholas. “We take pride in this distinguished honor from the AACVPR as it acknowledges and amplifies the life-changing work happening here. Our dedicated caregivers provide support to our patients every step of the way, helping them lead vibrant and fulfilling lives despite their health conditions.” The comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program at Renown South Meadows Medical Center offers treadmills, stationary bicycles, strength training and an education classroom to help patients achieve health goals. To earn accreditation, Renown’s pulmonary rehabilitation program participated in an application process requiring extensive documentation of the program’s practices. AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other related professional societies. In November 2019, Tom Dolan, owner and founder of Dolan Auto Group, donated to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Renown South Meadows Medical Center after his personal experience thriving in pulmonary rehabilitation brought northern Nevada’s capabilities, and needs to his attention. His generous donation has allowed Renown to double the number of patients who receive treatment and increase the access to pulmonary rehab in our community. “As a former patient myself, I found so much benefit in my pulmonary rehab,” said Dolan. “I have always wanted to support this program and increase the number of people it serves. It’s great to see that we now have the only certified pulmonary rehab in Nevada. “The most essential component of lung health is breaking the cycle of inactivity associated with lung disease,” said Lung Critical Care Physician Dr. Farah Madhani-Lovely. “Our community is fortunate to have an accredited program like this to empower our patients.”   About AACVPR Founded in 1985, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the mission of reducing morbidity, mortality and disability from cardiovascular and pulmonary disease through education, prevention, rehabilitation, research and disease management. Central to the core mission is improving the quality of life for patients and their families. Learn more about AACVPR at www.aacvpr.org.

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    • Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
    • Asthma
    • Lung Health
    • Prevention and Wellness

    Stay Inside When Skies Are Smoky

    Even when fires burn outside our area, the air quality in the region can reach dangerous levels. Our expert explains how to maintain your lung health when fire season strikes. It’s a sight we know all too well as northern Nevadans — a hazy or thick layer on the horizon when smoke rolls in from nearby fires. Sometimes the smoke is more evident than others, but it’s important to remember, even when the smoke may not be as visible across the valley, it still impacts our air quality. The last week or so, our air quality has been in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range, which can be dangerous for people who are sensitive to air pollution. Air Quality Changes: Who’s at Risk? Renown Pediatric Pulmonologist Sonia Budhecha, M.D., explains certain people are especially at risk when smoke moves in: Older people, whose lungs are not as healthy as they used to be Young children, whose lungs are still developing People with heart and lung disease including asthma, COPD and emphysema “Smoke and haze from fires carry particulates that can get into your respiratory system and eyes, which can be a danger for all ages,” Dr. Budhecha says. How You Can Protect Yourself Until the smoke clears and the air returns to the “good” range, it is best to follow these tips to protect yourself and your family: Stay indoors and keep windows closed Turn on the air conditioning to recirculate clean air Drink plenty of fluids to help your body flush out any toxins you inhale Additionally, all community members should reduce their physical activity and try to prevent heavy exertion outside. If you or a loved one has a heart or lung disease, avoid physical exertion altogether because smoke can aggravate these conditions. “People with heart disease may experience shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations or fatigue,” Dr. Budhecha says. “People with lung disease may also have shortness of breath, chest discomfort, wheezing, phlegm or a cough.” Smoky Signs and Symptoms Smoke can also impact healthy people — irritating your eyes, nose or throat. And in some cases, inhaling smoke can lead to bronchitis. When haze moves into our area, keep an eye out for these symptoms: Burning or stinging eyes Runny nose Cough or scratchy throat Headaches Wheezing Shortness of breath Difficult taking a full breath Chest heaviness Lightheadedness Dizziness If experiencing any of the above symptoms, seek medical attention or call your doctor for advice. Sometimes, these symptoms do not appear for as long as 24 to 48 hours after smoke inhalation. For those that have pre-existing lung or heart conditions, consult with a health care provider on action or management plans. To schedule an appointment Visit Renown Pulmonary Medicine, or call 775-982-5000. Understanding Our Air Quality The Air Quality Index (AQI) is broken down by large (PM10) and small (PM2.5) particulates. According to Dr. Budhecha, large particulates are usually ones that can be seen and smelled. They can damage your eyes and nose but don’t often get deep in the lungs or blood vessels.   “The more dangerous ones are PM2.5, which can’t always be seen or smelled,” Dr. Budhecha says. “Any time the AQI is above 51, children with lung or heart disease should not be outdoors.” For the latest air quality update in your area, visit AirNow.gov or call (775) 785-4110.

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    • Renown Health
    • Awards and Accreditations

    South Meadows Medical Center Named Number 1 Hospital

    U.S. News & World Report recently released their 2020-21 Best Hospitals rankings naming Renown South Meadows Medical Center as the number one hospital in Nevada. U.S. News looked at 4,554 hospitals, which represent nearly all U.S. facilities providing inpatient care. Hospitals are evaluated across a wide range of conditions and procedures, including 16 medical specialty areas of care. “We are committed to be among the best in the nation for quality, safety and patient experience,” said Tony Slonim, MD, D.Ph., FACHE, president and CEO of Renown. “This ranking confirms what Renown has always been dedicated to — providing the best patient care possible. Quality and safety are the responsibility of every employee and physician at Renown, and we are proud that Renown South Meadows has been chosen as the best in the state and among the best in the nation.” “We thank the incredible physicians, nurses and employees at Renown South Meadows Medical Center and across Renown for their dedication to excellent patient care – our employees, patients and our community are the true award winners,” said Chris Nicholas, Vice President & Administrator, Renown South Meadows & Renown Rehabilitation Hospital. “We applaud them as being not only the best in the state, but among the best in the nation.” “We are proud that Renown South Meadows is one of Nevada’s highest rated hospitals, and it’s exciting to have that recognition. Over the last year both our acute care hospitals – South Meadows and Renown Regional Medical Center, have made substantial improvements. We are working every day to ensure we are delivering the highest quality, safest care to our patients and our community,” said Dawn D. Ahner, DSc, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer — Acute Services for Renown. Renown South Meadows has been recognized by several national organizations for excellence and quality, including the Joint Commission, Leapfrog and Health Insight. Renown South Meadows Medical Center is an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Pathway Designated hospital for nursing excellence. Renown South Meadows provides an emergency department staffed 24/7 with board-certified emergency physicians, a wide range of services including primary and urgent care medical offices, a lab and health improvement programs. Renown is currently recruiting outstanding employees at https://careers.renown.org/.

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    • Renown Health
    • Awards and Accreditations
    • Senior Care

    Local Organization Receive $250K Build Health Challenge Award

    Award given to Truckee Meadows Health Communities, Renown Health & Washoe County Health District. Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities (TMHC), Renown Health and the Washoe County Health District received the BUILD Health Challenge® award, a $250,000 grant to support Caring For Reno’s Elders (C.A.R.E.) program. The award comes as a collaborative result of more than 30 local organizations submitting a proposal for the funding. Renown Health announced that the organization is matching the grant alongside other pledged funding from the community, bringing the current C.A.R.E. support to $580,000. Together the entities will focus on senior loneliness and the health issues it creates. The partners are honored that Truckee Meadows was selected as one of 18 communities to receive funding from BUILD in the 2019-2021 term. “C.A.R.E will be a community approach to enhance life quality for elders by reducing social isolation and loneliness, issues that seriously impact senior health,” said co-team leader Kindle Craig, Sr. Director Renown Institutes. “Loneliness is the root cause of many issues including suicide1 , chronic disease2 and a reduction in lifespan3 . Washoe County senior suicide rates are two and four times the national rate for those aged 65 and 85 years, respectively4 . That is unacceptable.” Sharon Zadra, TMHC executive director and co-team leader, said this project will tackle barriers to socialization such as access to affordable housing, transportation and healthcare.  “We’ll bring the entire community on-board, long-term, to increase social connectedness and reduce health and mortality issues associated with loneliness by starting a cross generational ‘Kindness Epidemic,’” Zadra said. The BUILD Health Challenge is a national program focused on bold, upstream, integrated, local and data driven projects that can improve community health. The award provides funding, capacity building support and access to a national peer-learning network to enhance collaborative partnerships locally to address our community’s most pressing health challenges. The C.A.R.E team expresses special thanks to the BUILD Health Challenge for its support of this initiative. “Loneliness and isolation in our senior population leads to declines in both mental and physical health, and increased mortality,” said Kevin Dick, Washoe County District Health Officer. “We are incredibly honored to join the BUILD cohort, teaming with TMHC and Renown Health to bring long-term solutions by building a cohesive social network to improve the health of our elders.”  The BUILD Health Challenge® is made possible with the support of: BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, de Beaumont Foundation, Episcopal Health Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., New Jersey Health Initiatives, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. TMHC, Renown Health and WCHD have worked united for the last five years, rallying diverse partners and community leaders to influence and advocate for the region’s capacity to ensure a healthy community.

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    • Cancer Care
    • Awards and Accreditations

    What Is the Importance of Having an Institute for Cancer?

    What is an institute for cancer — and why does it matter that we have one right here in Reno? Here, a radiation oncologist answers those questions and more.  Sadly, our community health needs assessment shows cancer is the second leading cause of death in Washoe County. But many residents may not know there is an institute for cancer right here in Reno that can care for you or your loved one after diagnosis. Dr. Michael Hardacre, a radiation oncologist with Renown Institute for Cancer is here with more. What is an institute for cancer? The way I like to think of it: An Institute has healthcare providers highly trained in patient-centered care. For example, when you have cancer, many times you’ll see a lot of doctors. A program brings those doctors together — so you really have one team working together. An Institute takes that one step further. Say there are other needs beyond the doctor’s office such as nurse navigators, dietitians, physical therapists to help you get on track, etc. An Institute really proactively thinks of the need of the cancer patient. It then makes sure all those things are available to them throughout their treatment. The term “institute for cancer” identifies a cancer program that is comprehensive and multidisciplinary in nature. For Renown, that means that we have the specialists in medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology working together with other specialists to assure that a patient has coordinated care throughout the entire treatment course of cancer care. Together with cancer prevention and diagnostics, genetic assessment, supportive care, clinical trials, and cancer survivorship, the institute for cancer provides care for the community, families and patients along the entire spectrum of cancer care. What types of cancer do you treat? We’re fortunate to be able to provide cancer treatments for all types of cancers, and we’re one of the major referral centers for northern Nevada. Most commonly, just like much of the country, lung cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer are the most frequent we see. Our care spans brain, to neck cancer and everything in between. As an accredited comprehensive community cancer program, Renown Health provides services for all cancer types. The highest volume cancers treated at Renown are breast, colorectal, lung, genitourinary, blood and gynecologic cancers. Most treatments can be done right here in Reno, but when there are specialty needs such as stem cell or bone marrow transplantation, we partner with quaternary centers, like Stanford, to assure a smooth transition of care both to and from the quaternary center. What kinds of care and treatments are offered? We offer a wide range of comprehensive care. We treat the cancer itself — surgical, radiation oncology, medical oncology in the form of chemotherapy or pills. Also addressed: dietary needs, physical therapy and navigation through this whole process. People may be surprised by the scope and scale of the Renown Institute for Cancer. For instance, our Radiation Center has the latest technologies to treat cancers. This includes the Linear Accelerators, which are machines with treatment planning software tools. In addition to the traditional external radiation treatments provided in most centers, Renown performs specialty treatments using High-Dose Brachytherapy, a treatment with an active radiation “source” and in Brain Stereotactic Radiosurgery, assuring that patients can stay right here in northern Nevada — close to home. What does that mean for the quality of care? I think it’s always great in any environment to have external people come into your program and not only share what’s happening nationally and what we could do better, but also to validate “are you doing things at the highest level you can?” That accreditation process is just one way to give us that seal of approval. We’re lucky enough this year to get the gold award by the American College of Surgeons — its highest honor. We were honored to receive it. Why is important that you’re an accredited institute? Accreditation assures our community that quality is a top priority for us. Each of the accrediting bodies has a set of standards that identify service and quality standards. Renown Institute for Cancer has the following accreditations: American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer: Full Cancer Program accreditation, standards address issues from cancer prevention/diagnosis to treatment to survivorship and/or end-of-life. Renown received the Gold Level Accreditation in 2018, the highest level of accreditation possible; American College of Surgeons’ National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers: Full Breast Center/Program accreditation, standards address issues from breast cancer prevention/diagnosis to treatment to survivorship and/or end-of-life; American College of Radiology – Radiation Therapy: Full Radiation Oncology accreditation for radiation equipment, treatment planning, treatment and treatment follow-up; and American College of Radiology – Mammography Services.

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    • Awards and Accreditations
    • Community Partnerships

    One Patients Story of Survival

    Thanks in part to the care provided by Renown’s award-winning team of ICU nurses, Tony Mowatt is alive, thriving and engaged. Read his story — and learn about the exclusive Beacon Award of Excellence — below.  The open road. The growl of the engine. The feeling of freedom. That’s what Oakland resident Tony Mowatt was enjoying as he drove up Highway 88 toward Reno for the semi-annual Street Vibrations event. But he wasn’t expecting to hit the diesel truck — or to fly off of his bike over 100 yards, skidding onto the side of the road. He was severely injured and in the midst of rural Nevada. He had crashed just outside Centerville, Nev., and was miles away from any critical care hospital. Having the only trauma center equipped to treat his serious injuries, Tony was flown to Renown Regional Medical Center and admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).   ICU Nurses Treat Patient, Support Family  Tony’s girlfriend, Tasha Klubock, was notified by his friend that he had been taken to the hospital. She immediately drove from Oakland to Reno to see Tony at Renown. Her first night there was overwhelming and scary — nobody knew if Tony was going to survive. But the nurses helped Tasha cope with the initial shock. Caring for the patient isn’t their only job — they also care for the family. “They [the nurses] just kept coming in and checking on me,” she said. “Angela was so amazing that first night. I really just bonded to her, and I remember when the shift switched, I panicked thinking about who was coming on and wanting to meet the next nurse … But they all came to talk to me — I had updates from everybody. It was just amazing.” ICU Nurses Became Family Tony spent 32 days in Renown’s Sierra ICU, surviving a serious head injury, all with Tasha by his side. He and Tasha still stay in touch with Renown nurses. “Even though this was literally one of the most hideous, craziest things to go through,” Tasha said. “There was so much hope and they became such a family to me and I still think of that time fondly because of the nurses.” “I’m alive because they wanted me to be,” Tony said. And Tony and Tasha are now happily engaged and planning their wedding. Exceptional Care: Renown ICU Nurses Win Awards Renown’s ICU nurses provide care like this every day to countless patients — it’s so second nature to them that they forget how exceptional it truly is. But it’s certainly care like Tony’s that has earned them national recognition. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses awarded the Beacon Award of Excellence to the Sierra, Cardiac and Roseview ICUs. These are the only ICUs in Nevada to obtain this honor. The Beacon Award recognizes critical care nursing teams who exemplify excellence in areas like leadership, process systems, quality care, knowledge, learning and development, excellence in patient care and superior patient health outcomes. “I couldn’t have been more proud of what we’ve done to accomplish this,” said Nick Dovedot, Cardiac ICU nurse. “It represents who we are. Just a great group of individuals who all work together as a team to make our patients get better.”

    Read More About One Patients Story of Survival

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