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Perfect Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Puppy Treats
This holiday season, sprinkle some extra joy for your favorite furry pals by whipping up these easy, AKC-approved dog treats. With simple ingredients and quick baking times, they're the perfect last-minute surprise to show your pet some love. Turn it into a delightful gift by snagging some adorable, budget-friendly canisters (easily found at dollar or thrift stores) and fill them to the brim with these homemade goodies. It's a merry, tail-wagging gift that's sure to make this season the most pet-friendly one yet! đđŸđȘ
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Department Spotlight: Infection Prevention
Hygiene in healthcare is an essential backbone to providing the safest, most optimal care to every patient. From everyday handwashing techniques and getting all necessary vaccinations to surveilling our health system before the onset of outbreaks, at Renown Health, creating and maintaining a low-infection environment is a group effort. From ensuring fundamental infection prevention practices are carried out to identifying process improvement opportunities, Renownâs Infection Prevention (IP) department is here to help care teams be successful in their role. This effort is led by members who are devoted in sharing evidence-based best practices to our patients, employees, healthcare organization partners and community. Making âZeroâ A Reality Reducing healthcare-associated infections is possible when core infection prevention practices are incorporated into the daily care of our patients. These team members are dedicated to Renownâs commitment to creating a culture of Excellence, caring for our healthcare environment, and our care teams. âOften times, when asked what we do in our work it can be a challenge to answer because unpredictability is built into almost every day; and in that, we as a team must divide and conquer,â said Susanne James, Manager of Infection Prevention. Every day, each team member is assigned a day to perform required surveillance activities. Whether they are reviewing patientsâ infections and isolation and evaluating lab orders for possible infectious processes or reporting communicable diseases to the local health authorities and the CDC, every Infection Preventionist participates in improvement projects and address issues as they arise. The Infection Prevention team plans, organizes, manages and evaluates the Infection Prevention Program and ensures IP policies reflect current best practice. They work closely with all departments at Renown in order to achieve high levels of standards that are implemented to reduce transmission of infection. âAs a team, we perform âInfection Prevention Environment of Care Roundingâ on all units and departments to ensure our environment complies with regulatory requirements,â said Erika Clark, Operations Analyst at Renown Health. "We work together with Facilities and Site Practice Leaders to ensure a safe environment.â The pandemic challenged all Renown teams to find creative solutions for issues no one ever imagined. Our Infection Prevention department worked tirelessly alongside Renown's Hospital Incident Command Structure (HICS) and care teams in creating several lines of defense against COVID-19, including: Launching Renown's Alternate Care Site to meet the need for critical patients. Bringing on the new lab tests and specimen collection criteria. Managing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). Bringing vaccines to staff and then to the community. Managing ill employees and our visitors. Keeping all locations informed on pandemic status and changes (which were occurring at breakneck speed). These initiatives enabled Renown's care teams to focus on providing the safest care possible to patients saving countless lives. This solidified the fact that together, the team can accomplish anything. âInfection Prevention is proud to be a valued and respected member of the care team,â said Susanne James. âWe appreciate being a trusted resource and take this responsibility seriously as this enables us to provide staff the best possible tools to be successful.â Fight the Good Fight Against the Spread of Disease Educating patients and providers plays a huge part on the Infection Prevention stage. This team provides educational materials on a range of topics, some of the most important are, proper hand hygiene and the use of PPE. All these materials can be found throughout our health system and serve as an important reminder â infection prevention starts with all of us. âWe partner with every aspect of the health system â environmental services, nutrition services, lab services, facilities, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, respiratory care, patient access, security, nurses, providers and quality...just to name a few!â said Susanne James. Our Infection Prevention team also partners with Washoe County Health District and other public health agencies to report â and in turn, stop the spread of â diseases and exposures. These close partnerships poise our team to do what we do best: Fight the Good Fight. âI greatly appreciate everyone in the IP department for sharing their expertise as I learned a new position,â said Erika Clark. âI love working with my team and how closely we work with other departments to ensure excellence in all we do.â Our health system is ever-changing. But according to the experts in our Infection Prevention department, the three main ways to prevent illness and disease that remain the same time and time again are to: Clean your hands. Hand hygiene is the most effective way of preventing the spread of infections. The CDC recommends washing your hands with warm soap and water for 15-20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Clean your hands often and assist our patients to do the same. Learn expert hand-washing advice here. Get vaccinated. Immunizations are one of the top methods you can embrace the fight against preventable diseases, such as COVID-19, flu, measles, tetanus and more. Discover how you can get vaccinated with Renown. Keep germs from spreading. Practice good hygiene by covering your cough or sneeze or wearing a mask and sanitizing frequently touched spaces. Stay home if you feel ill to prevent the spread of illness and infection. Be sure to bring up any illness concerns with your primary care provider. âEvery aspect of our health system has an infection prevention component, and we work daily to ensure our staff, patients and visitors are providing and receiving care free from potential harm or infections,â said Susanne James. âWe are often the first call staff make when they have questions, concerns or just need someone to help improve process or outcomes.â Reveling with Renown Proudly defining themselves as a âsmall but mightyâ team, the six-person Infection Prevention department moves mountains to ensure the safety of anyone who walks through Renownâs doors. The tight-knit nature of this team can be felt from miles away, and to them, being âsmall but mightyâ is not a hindrance, as they have the support of the IP Champions and the entire health system. Â âI originally came to Renown in 2018 as a nurse traveler, the facility and people I worked with immediately made an impact on me,â said Brian Stroud, Infection Preventionist at Renown Health. âMy wife and I chose Renown and Reno due to the positive impact the people had on us. Everyone is welcoming, helpful and caring. Now, I am a full-time employee, and the team has made my transition into infection prevention trouble-free." Renownâs mission of providing a genuine difference for the health and wellbeing of the community is heightened and echoed by the Infection Prevention team. âI chose Renown because of the reputation Renown has earned in the community because of the excellent care and level of services provided,â said Shannon Oriola, Infection Preventionist at Renown Health. âI absolutely love this team and my Renown family!â âWhat brought me to Renown was the opportunity to acquire diverse skills which then motivated me to pursue my masterâs degree,â added Paul DeLeon, Infection Preventionist at Renown Health. âWhat keeps me here is the people â Renown attracts hard working, ethical and caring people.â "My wife and I loved coming out to the Nevada mountains on vacations," added Russ Laarman, Infection Preventionist at Renown Health. "After being in Michigan for 47 years, we took the plunge and made NV our home. The experience has been great! I work with a great team that is very knowledgeable and works hard to ensure positive outcomes for our patients and colleagues at Renown.â Their pride shines through with their own individual accolades, both inside and outside of work. This past year: Shannon Oriola received a scholarship from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) for âimproving outcomes through knowledge and practice,â which provided her with a $1,000 scholarship to attend the annual APIC conference in Indianapolis. Paul DeLeon earned his Certification in Infection Control and Prevention from APIC. Erika Clark completed Renownâs High Potential program, a six-month program that gives employees hands-on learning experience with several competencies, including emotional intelligence, effective communication, building successful relationships and organizational knowledge. Brian Stroud and his wife Charla became official Nevada residents. Russ Laarman scaled Mount Whitney. ...And the list keeps growing! Charged with the goal of keeping disease spread at bay, our Infection Prevention team remains vigilant and dedicated to their mission. Their commitment to Renown and to keeping our health system clean and healthy proves the age-old saying true: not all heroes wear capes. âIâm so very proud of the work Infection Prevention does every day, working with the vast teams throughout the health system to improve lives,â said Susanne James. âWe would like to thank all of you for protecting the health and safety of your colleagues, our patients and the community.â
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Meet Raven: A Renown Therapy Dog
If youâve ever spent time at Renown, you may have noticed there are some four-legged volunteers roaming the halls greeting patients, visitors, and staff. Since 1997, Renown has been fortunate enough to have its very own therapy dog program. As of today, there are 43 dogs in the program, and each of them have gone through countless hours of training to offer healing, comfort and support to those seeking treatment within our health system. Each of these therapy dogs have their own special personalities, but they all share the same mission: to make a paws-itive impact on everyone they meet. One therapy dog that has touched many lives at Renown is Raven, a five-year old Belgian Malinois mix. Raven's Story In March of 2019, Reno residents Richard and Vickie Lange rescued Raven from an animal shelter in Portola, California. When the Langes made Raven part of their family, they immediately started her in obedience training. After seeing her do so well, they thought of an idea that would not only help Raven reach her full potential but also allow them to give back to others â they decided to train Raven to be a therapy dog.
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Rooted with Renown, One Families Story of Remarkable Odds
Renown Health is proud to debut our newest commercial spot, Days, on Thanksgiving Day 2022. This commercial features members of the greater northern Nevada community, former Renown patients and employees. Chris and Ann Cook are some of these community members, and we are grateful we get to tell their story. Family is everything for Chris and Ann Cook. Their loved ones span across the United States and even farther to Germany, so time spent with their children and grandchildren means the world to them. When Chris went to the emergency room for a persistent headache and drooping eye over twenty years ago, they could have never predicted the number of hours their family would spend at Renown care facilities in the coming years. âWhenever we step inside a building with that purple logo, we know right away we will be supported by friends, family and Renown staff. Our family has turned countless hours inside hospital walls into memories of gratitude for the care we receive.â Chris Cook said. âIt is these memories that make us appreciate the health of our family today.â  A Relationship with Renown that Spans Decades The Cooks can remember a time before Renown Regional Medical Centerâs inception when Washoe Medical Center (Washoe Med) stood in its place. It was at Washoe Med that Chris received emergency brain surgery after a visit to the emergency room over 20 years ago. Immediately following a CT scan, Chris was transported to Washoe Med, now Renown Health, for emergency brain surgery and eventually to treat a hematoma. Doctors close to his case were amazed by his survival, considering Chrisâ divergent situation resulting from a raisin-size colloid cyst and dissected corotated artery. He spent three weeks in the ICU recovering at the hospital, his spirits lifted by the amazing staff who brightened his day with gestures of kindness. From there, he was supported by countless friends and family members over the next three months while recovering at home. A Home Away from Home Later, the Cooksâ daughter received cancer care at Renown at the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute. Ann, Chris and their daughter found small comforts when running into the familiar faces of their daughters' past schoolmates, who are now Renown employees, in the hallways. The family became well-acquainted with the food options at Renown Regionalâs Sierra CafĂ©, even finding favorites like the sushi bar. Reliable Care, Close to Home The Cooks have also experienced many happy and comforting memories at Renown and Washoe Med over the past twenty years, including the births of three of their seven grandchildren. And when Chris needed an emergency appendectomy on a Friday night four years ago, they felt confident that the best care would be received at Renown Regional Medical Center.  From lab work to routine procedures or visits to urgent care, the Cooks feel rest-assured knowing Renown will be the place they can consistently trust for care with many locations close to their home in Sparks, Nevada. After spending many hours within Renown walls, Chris and Ann remarked how impressed they were by Renown Regional Medical Centerâs growth in the past decade from their first encounter over twenty years ago. With a deep appreciation for the care received at Renown facilities and the technology used to help treat patients, Chris and Ann said, âWe really feel confident that if something bad were to happen, youâd want to be in the care of Renown.â Family, Health and The Future "Our care at Renown has changed the course of our familyâs lives and led to the success of who we are today. So, when the team at Renown approached us about participating in the commercial shoot, we knew this was meant to be the next piece in our Renown story." Chris and Ann said. "Of course, it was nice to be back at Renown, not as a patient this time, but to help the team create something great."
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Getting to Know Renown's Canine Companions
A slobbery kiss, a wagging tail, a judgement-free smile. There are few things better than the love and attention of a canine companion. At Renown Health, we have a loyal and playful group of pet therapy teams. This volunteer program uses animal-assisted interactions (AAI) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT) to provide comfort, reduce boredom, increase social interactions, improve mood, boost general well-being and â perhaps most importantly â bring smiles to our patientsâ faces. Benefits of AAT & AAI: Lowers blood pressure and heart rate by relieving anxiety Helps in pain management Eases feelings of depression, loneliness, boredom and isolation Stimulates communication Encourages physical activity For more information about the program, a complete list of our teams or to get involved, click here. Meet Keno and Linda Linda, Kenoâs human, has volunteered as one-half of a therapy dog team for more than 14 years. Keno is her third Newfoundland, and he is a sweet and cuddly 2-year-old pup, who, according to Linds, thinks is a lap dog. âMy mother was in assisted living for almost 10 years, and I saw what an impact a therapy dog can have,â Linda said. When she moved to Reno from Portland six years ago, she immediately contacted Renown. A Memory the Stands Out: A patient in the ICU was not responsive because of oxygen deprivation due to almost drowning. Linda and Keno went into the patientâs room at his physical therapistâs request, and the therapist asked the patient to reach out and pet the dog. After the third request, he moved his hand toward the dog, and his mother burst into tears. It was the first time the patient had moved since his accident. Linda and Keno went back several days in a row, and soon the patient was talking, sitting up and eating on his own. Â Meet Madi and Clark Madi, Clarkâs human, is an employee at Renown, and Clark made it a family affair by joining the team in Sept. 2021. Clark is a unique pup with an amazing demeanor who adores everyone as much as they adore him. He is a hardworking Goldendoodle who loves to be a goofball at home when heâs off the clock. Why They Became a Therapy Dog Team: Madi was inspired to get Clark trained as a therapy dog because, as an employee at Renown, she was always so happy to see dogs walking around, and she knew that I wanted to provide that same relief to others. Her favorite thing about being a Renown volunteer is the joy it spreads to those working and the patients they are caring for. Â Meet Richard and Raven Raven is a four old Belgian Malinois who has been working as a therapy dog for two and a half years. She is calm, friendly and loves having her tummy rubbed. âThe therapy dog teams are just one little part of Fighting the Good Fight,â Ravenâs human Richard said. A Memory that Stands Out: Raven and Richard were assigned to the Sierra oncology ward one shift and visited a woman who had a picture of her dog displayed next to her bed. Raven immediately went to the bedside and the patient started petting her. As she spent more time petting Raven, Richard could see the stress disappearing from her face. He later learned that it was the patientâs first chemotherapy infusion, and Raven gave her the peace and the strength she needed to face the chemotherapy head-on. Â Meet Savannah and Hallie Hallie and Savannahâs journey as a therapy dog team began in 2017 at the Morgan Stanley Childrenâs Hospital in New York and has also taken them to San Francisco General Hospital and Stanford Hospital. The duo moved to Reno in 2020 and immediately joined the Renown Pet Therapy Program. A friend, energetic and cuddly American Cocker Spaniel, Hallie especially loves spending time with the young children at the hospital. A Memory That Stands Out: Savannah remembers one visit to a patient in the Childrenâs Emergency Room who was struggling with suicidal thoughts. Having struggled with mental health herself, Savannah felt a deep connection to the patient and a need to help. She recalls placing Hallie on the patientâs bed a seeing a âvery small hint of a smile.â Savannah later learned that the Renown nurses hadnât seen the patient smile in days. It was that moment that made Savannah realize what a profound impact Hallie can have on patients. Â Meet Chivas and Donna Chivas was a McNab/Border Collie mix who volunteered at Renown with her human Donna for two years. With help from Donna, Chivas was a master at reading situations in the hospital and reacting accordingly. For example, if a patient was afraid of dogs, she would sit with her back to the person so she didnât come off as threatening. Contrarily, she would lie down on the floor when playing with young children to let them pet her on their level. Why They Became a Pet Therapy Team: This dynamic duo started out as a member of a local pet therapy group. During the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, they participated in outdoor pet therapy parades for various hospitals in the area. Donna and Chivas met Renown Volunteer Coordinator Wendy Peuket at one of the parades and she inspired Donna to pursue becoming a registered therapy dog team for Renown's Therapy Dog Program. Chivas sadly passed away unexpectedly in early December 2021, and the world is a whole lot dimmer place without Chivasâ light shining brightly.