Search
-
Department Spotlight: Float Pool
Ring in the New Year and the rest of the holiday season by celebrating Renownâs Float Pool team! After coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's no mystery that healthcare across the country has shifted and adapted to the growing needs and new demands of our patient populations. Renown Health is no different. As the largest not-for-profit health system in the region, we are no stranger to change, even when change presents challenges. Who do we call on when a unit needs more team members in the eleventh hour? Who can help when our patient volume spikes up with seconds to spare? This is where the Float Pool at Renown comes to the rescue. Skilled in a wide variety of healthcare specialties, from acute care nursing and critical care to care aiding and patient safety, this is the team that can seamlessly step in to provide crucial patient care to the units that need it most, whether a team is understaffed for the day or needs extra all-hands-on-deck for a specific patient or procedure. Float Pool team members are equipped to work in virtually any clinical area at Renown, making a genuine difference with every patient they encounter. A Pool of Relief Teams across Renown can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Float Pool has their back in times of need. As the backbone of our health system, these dedicated team members possess a wealth of clinical knowledge and the ability to navigate diverse medical environments. Their flexibility allows them to fill staffing gaps and provide essential support to many different units. âWe fill in the gaps of staffing to make everyone's day better,â said Patti Crepps, Critical Care Float Pool RN. âA float nurse has to be flexible and able to adapt to different situations and places â basically, âgo with the flow.â Patient care is basically the same all over; we make patient care possible by being familiar with all the various specialties and providing the specific care needed depending on the population we are taking care of on that shift.â âFloat Pool staff members are like healthcare chameleons, transitioning between different departments,â added Shelby Riach, Acute Float Pool RN. âWe incorporate flexibility, teamwork and a commitment to ensuring patients receive the best care, regardless of the setting or circumstances.â This team thrives in uncertainty; in fact, no workday is the same in Float Pool â and thatâs exactly the way they like it. Working with many different teams across a multitude of specialties, these Care Aides, RNs, Critical Care Techs, Patient Safety Assistants (PSAs), Certified Nurses Assistants (CNAs) and more enjoy facing change, while they all share a goal of providing the best patient care possible. âNo day looks the same; since we are the Float Pool, we are assigned a different assignment on Smart Square every day, whether it be as a care aide, a patient safety assistant, a unit clerk or patient transport,â said Melina Castenada, Care Aide. âIf we are assigned as a care aide on the floor, we help assist with call lights and help with whatever nurses and CNAs may need, including feeding, transporting, walking, helping patients use the restroom, etc. When we are assigned as a PSA âsitter,â we sit for the patient to help keep them safe. If we are assigned as unit clerk, we help answer phones and direct patients appropriately, file paperwork, answer call lights if needed and assist with office work.â âI love that every day is a different floor with different tasks and a different atmosphere,â added Julia Chappell, Critical Care Technician. âI find out which floor that I will be on right before my shift starts and head to the floor to find out my assignment for the day. Depending on the specialty, such as the medical-surgical floor versus an intensive care unit (ICU), my daily job tasks can vary.â When it comes to high-risk patients, who require special attention, PSAs within Float Pool step in to help. âThe PSA role within Float Pool largely consists of adverse event prevention for our high-risk patients, and being a Float Pool employee allows us to work wherever we are needed,â said Dimitri Macouin, Patient Safety Assistant. âWhether it be in the emergency department, neurology or pediatrics, the PSA will be the eyes and ears for the nurses working with this patient population.â âGreat strides have been made to ensure that PSAs remain vigilant and are recognized as an integral part of the patients' care team rather than 'just a sitter,ââ added Karla Phillips, Patient Safety Assistant. Float Pool also oversees our Discharge Lounge, which offers patients and their families a dedicated space to reconnect and prepare for their discharge from the hospital. âThe increase in utilization of the Discharge Lounge is something we are very proud of,â said Kara Abshier, Care Aide. âWe assist in discharging patients from all over the hospital to help the floor and get new patients into rooms.â Every day brings a new challenge for Float Pool. As these team members wake up with uncertainty, they are ready to embrace the diverse demands of caring for patients of all ages. âThe fact that Float Pool exists is amazing,â said Hannah Luccshesi, Acute Float Pool RN. âWe wake up with no clue as to whether we will be working with babies, children or adults and then fill in the needs of the hospital.â
-
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.
-
Department Spotlight: Infusion Services
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Join us in honoring our Chemotherapy & Infusion Services team at Renown Health! Living life with a chronic condition is never easy â and the road to recovery can take many different turns. When it comes to a daunting diagnosis like cancer or a lifelong illness like multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis, chemotherapy, transfusions and IV medications are often significant parts of the puzzle. Weâre proud to introduce our experts that provide that crucial puzzle piece. The Chemotherapy & Infusion Services department at Renown Health is where compassionate care meets cutting-edge expertise. Proudly boasting a 100% patient satisfaction rate for 2023, this team â which encompasses nurses, physicians, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, scheduling and insurance staff and financial counselors â embodies a profound dedication to healing while simultaneously empowering patients to face their diagnosis with resilience and hope. Going Above and Beyond The expertise within the Infusion Services team is unmatched in the region, offering education and treatment for a wide variety of illnesses, including: Cancer Multiple sclerosis (MS) Anemia Osteoporosis Osteomyelitis Rheumatoid arthritis Genetic disorders Polycythemia vera According to this team, it truly takes a village to deliver this expert care to all their patients. âIt's really impressive how many key players are involved in caring for our patients!â said Kaitlin Hildebrand, Supervisor of Infusion Services. âThe process starts with our amazing Medical Oncology team or community providers referring patients to us. Our nurses are the absolute best advocates for our patients and are amazing at what they do; over half of us are Certified Oncology Nurses. We couldnât do what we do without our CNAs or our pharmacy team as well; they are such valuable resources for us.â âIt is remarkable to think of the details that take place to ensure care for our patients,â added Amanda Thomas, Chemotherapy RN Specialist. âFirst, our incredible intake team schedules and obtains authorization, and the patient access representatives check in our patients. From there, our CNAs greet our patients, take their vital signs, ensure they have the proper nutrition and make sure they feel welcomed and comfortable with the process. Then, our chemotherapy specialist RN â which is my role â reviews treatments and coordinates with providers, personalizing care for each patient. In the background, the pharmacy specialists perform safety checks and medication preparation. And of course, our sincerely caring team of nurses assess, care and treat the patient while ensuring they feel educated, led by the charge nurse who supports the team doing safety verifications for all chemotherapies.â Managing a diagnosis is more than medication â the hope and healing this team provides their patients is a huge aspect of each patientâs journey. âWe work together to take care of this amazing population of patients,â said Stacy Demitropoulos, Infusion Services RN. âWe go above and beyond. It is more than just giving patients their medications. It is about human connection, helping them navigate this journey in their health and so much more! We help to troubleshoot problems they may be having and help give them resources.â âI view going through someoneâs cancer journey with them as a privilege,â added Ashley Gravelle, Infusion Services RN. âI try to just meet them where they are. Sometimes we are the only people patients are truly able to express themselves to, whether that be complaining about symptoms, talking about death and dying or being lighthearted about something really serious. I will be whatever the patient needs me to be that day.â While the work of infusion therapy is fast-paced and requires close attention to time and detail, these teammates are never alone. They work closely together to ensure every patient gets the individualized care they need and deserve. âInfusion Therapy is busy and extremely time-oriented,â said Audrey Arthur, Infusion Services RN.  âBetween handling chemotherapy, immunotherapy, blood products, injections, antibiotics and central lines, there is always a task that needs to be handled. There is an expectation to provide detailed care as swiftly as possible so that these patients can go back home to their families. Additionally, you must keep treatment moving forward so the next person waiting in the lobby can receive their treatment in an appropriate and timely manner.â âLife in the infusion center is fast-paced but rewarding,â added Nick Leid, Infusion Pharmacist. âThe protocols that have been put in place by our clinical specialists allow us to provide patient care for dozens of patients every day while remaining safe and accurate. On the pharmacy side of the infusion center, we ensure that protocols are being adhered to: Making sure doses are calculated correctly, labs are appropriate for treatment, pre-medications for nausea and other symptoms are ordered correctly and that the products delivered to the patient are made correctly.â âA day in the life of an infusion nurse is a busy one,â added Ashley Gravelle. âWe care for usually 9-10 patients each on a given day, and the treatment ranges from chemotherapy and antibiotics to various biologics, TP, injections, lab draws and port/central line care. You have to be an excellent multitasker and be able to switch gears very quickly. It is impossible to do this work without our whole team. When one of us needs help, someone is always there to jump in. We work as a well- oiled machine.â Together, the infusion services team exemplifies the power of compassionate care, dedication and expertise, lighting the way for healthier tomorrows.
-
Department Spotlight: Renown Transfer and Operations Center
Stepping into the Renown Transfer and Operations Center (RTOC) means stepping into a transformative hub of excellence where lives are saved and healthcare is reimagined. As a cornerstone of Renown Health's commitment to exceptional patient care, the RTOC serves as a dynamic nerve center that seamlessly coordinates medical resources, ambulance rides, hospital bed space, remote home systems, hospital transfers and emergency preparedness. In this best-in-class facility, the boundaries of what is possible in healthcare are constantly pushed, and new horizons of patient care are discovered.  Staffed with a dedicated team of skilled professionals, the RTOC harnesses the power of advanced technology and compassionate expertise to ensure that patients receive the highest level of care and support, no matter where they are. Through a synchronized network of communication, coordination, and compassionate care, the RTOC team ensures that patients receive the critical support they need when it matters most, working tirelessly to redefine what it means to deliver world-class healthcare.  A National Standard Charged with the goal of overseeing the placement and transportation for every patient, the RTOC officially launched in 2021 as northern Nevadaâs first and only transfer center of its kind and a nationally celebrated facility. As Renownâs highly coordinated care logistics system, this team uses the cutting-edge technology at their fingertips to customize healthcare to the needs of every patient, manage patient flow and drive healthcare innovation. âCompared to where weâve started to where we are now, itâs a 180-degree difference,â said Kelli McDonnell, Manager of RTOC. âWhen we first started building our facility right before the pandemic happened, we took what was six conference rooms and classrooms and turned it into a command center that organizations across the country admire and come to Reno to see what we do. Mel Morris, the Director of RTOC, was recruited exclusively to build our facility with her history of building successful hospital command centers. Many people didnât realize what a transfer center was or that Renown was the only center in the region â and we only continue to grow.â This best-in-class facility, and the masterful team behind it, handles: Coordinating all incoming patients transferred from neighboring hospitals and 27 counties across northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe, northeast California and neighboring states. Matching patients to the most appropriate bed placement using diagnostic, triage and Epic electronic medical record clinical information in conjunction with medical staff expertise to outline a plan of care that determines the best bed assignment given the patientâs needs. Coordinating video-enabled Telehealth monitoring capabilities for Renownâs four Intensive Care Units (ICUs), as well as Renown patient Telehealth and virtual visits. Monitoring Remote Home systems with Masimo during the COVID-19 pandemic, where some patients received hospital-level care in the comfort of their own homes while Renown clinicians monitored and evaluated their data and plan of care. Serving emergency and disaster management for area hospitals, first-responders and the community with local, regional and statewide emergency and disaster management for sudden-onset emergencies. The RTOC is home to many different critical roles for our health system, including Transfer Center Nurses, Ride Line Coordinators, RTOC Coordinators and more, many duties of which each team member cross-trains on to be able to fill in whenever needed. While their roles may differ, their commitment to their patients remains the same â and they all work together to achieve the same outcome: delivering the right care, at the right time and place. âAs an RTOC Coordinator, we do a variety of different things,â said Anna Schaffer, RTOC Coordinator. âWe do triage coordination to help our nurses and hospitalists get patients in the emergency department admitted, and we also do bed control to find patients appropriate bed placement. Communication is important, so we always make sure to stay closely connected with the charge nurses on those floors.â âWe start with a basic âneed to knowâ and place patients accordingly,â added Karly Brown, RTOC Coordinator. âWe get surgery numbers, ICU capacity and discharges and find beds for all patients as quickly as possible. We have the advantage of being able to see the entire hospital.â âI primarily schedule transportation for patients at the hospital who are either going home or going to a skilled nursing facility,â said Sarah Clark, Ride Line Coordinator. âI get requests from case managers to schedule rides, and I work with REMSA and other ambulance services to schedule them. It relies a lot on appropriate and efficient communication and critical thinking.â Patients in facilities across northern Nevada and northeastern California, especially the rural communities, look to the RTOC to help guide ambulances, bed coordinators and hospital staff in finding care for our rural patients. âAs a transfer center nurse, I facilitate incoming patients from rural facilities in Nevada and surrounding areas in California,â added Meg Myles, Transfer Center Nurse Specialist. âThere are days we may take up to 30 direct admissions from these areas.â âWe are the point of contact for inter-facility transfers, whether we are sending patients out or bringing them into Renown,â said Lisa Lac, Transfer Center Nurse Specialist. âWe take phone calls from those rural areas, identify what services are needed, connect them to the appropriate provider and coordinate any transfers.â âSimply put, we are the bed wizards,â said Addison Rittenhouse, RTOC Coordinator. The RTOC team continues to break barriers and push the boundaries of medical excellence through leveraging the technology at their fingertips and their unwavering dedication to the health of our community. Inspiring a new era of medical possibilities, these team members have achieved a multitude of accomplishments for both their department and their patients since the birth of the center. âWe have significantly reduced the time it takes to get patient admit orders in, thanks in part to the new Triage Coordinator role, and we provide easier access for patients to transfer to us from other facilities,â said Beth Rios, RTOC Coordinator. âWe have taken a bigger role in helping the smaller hospitals in our area in caring for patients and improve patient throughput.â âAs a team, weâve done a lot of work in creating an engaging and positive environment, and our internal morale committee has been a huge help with that,â said Kelli McDonnell. âWeâve been working tremendously over the last year and taking all the feedback that we received from the Employee Engagement Survey to make improvements. We had 100 percent survey participation within five days, which is incredible.â âI am so proud of our escalation and problem-solving skills,â said Becca Dietrich, RTOC Coordinator. âWhen an issue is raised to us, we will always find a timely solution on our end so our care teams can focus on the issue in front of them. We are the eyes in the sky, seeing movement everywhere.â Each day in the life of our RTOC team members is a testament to their commitment, resilience and timework, making a profound impact on countless lives.
Read More About Department Spotlight: Renown Transfer and Operations Center
-
Department Spotlight: Medical-Surgical Nursing
The title of âlargest nursing specialty in the countryâ belongs to medical-surgical nursing (commonly known as âmed-surgâ). Devoted to providing care for patients with a variety of health conditions and who are preparing for or recovering from surgery, this ever-popular nursing niche attracts impassioned, talented individuals who make a genuine difference in the health and well-being of every patient. Med-surg nurses at Renown Health emulate this dedication and more. From general surgery to oncology and orthopedics, the med-surg team at Renown Regional Medical Center and Renown South Meadows Medical Center play a critical role in our care delivery for patients facing challenging diagnoses or procedures. Their ability to seamlessly juggle multiple tasks while providing the highest quality of care makes them excellent patient advocates, guiding them through the path to healing. High-Paced with High Results Our med-surg team has the ability and willingness to provide high-caliber nursing for patients with virtually any medical condition â orthopedic injury, trauma surgery, infections, sepsis, pulmonary disease, you name it. No matter the diagnosis or procedure, med-surg has the experience and enthusiasm to handle the fast nature of the job well. Med-surg nurses are always on the go, handling a growing list of conditions together as a team. They work side by side to assess each patientâs condition and assist with both education and discharge planning for patients and families. âMed-surg is a high-paced and unpredictable environment with the largest variety of diagnoses and patient populations,â said Danyel Gish, Manager of Nursing at Renown Regional. âEvery patient is everyoneâs patient in med-surg. We help each other by answering each otherâs call lights, communicate clear expectations and build strong trusting relationships with one another.â âYou never know what kind of disease or conditions your patient may present with,â added Brittani Manatt, Registered Nurse in the Cancer Nursing Unit at Renown Regional. âWe care for patients with almost any medical diagnosis.â Being admitted to the hospital, regardless of the reason, can be a scary and vulnerable time for anyone. However, patients can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their competent and confident med-surg nurses are here by their side before and after they experience surgery or treatment. âWe communicate with our patients at every step of their care journey to ensure they understand what is going on and help alleviate any fears or concerns,â said Jenni Gilligan, Associate Nurse Manager at Renown South Meadows. âSome of my tips include asking the patient how they are feeling and validating those feelings; getting them and their families and friends involved in the process; and ensuring them that we are here for them and will take the best possible care of them." âWhat we do as a team to reduce patientsâ fears revolves around clear communication and support, whether itâs grabbing them a Starbucks drink, taking them outside for a walk or simply just listening to their concerns,â added Rose Simonian, Supervisor of Clinical Nursing at Renown Regional. âConnecting with our patients through kindness and laughter helps alleviate some of the anxiety that comes with being in the hospital.â Jenni and Rose are exactly right â that clear communication is the âsecret sauceâ to success within the med-surg team. Their patients are the direct beneficiaries of this crucial skill. âEverything we do throughout our shift focuses on teamwork and communication, making sure every piece of our plan comes together for optimal patient care,â said Cristina Vazquez, Registered Nurse at Renown Regional. âWe collaborate a lot within each healthcare team,â added Reena Clark, Registered Nurse at Renown South Meadows. âWe also make sure the patients participate and are involved in their plan of care. This is important to set a common goal and help each other achieve that goal for the patient. The nurses on the floor are the eyes, ears and hands of inpatient care." When faced with a daunting diagnosis or procedure, itâs important to have a strong support system within your personal care team, cheering you on every step of the way. Our med-surg team members are masters at this, finding new ways to connect with patients and help them feel empowered to Fight the Good Fight. âWe always try to find something that the patient loves or is passionate about that helps shift their mindset,â said Paola Espinoza-Patino, Associate Nurse Manager in the Cancer Nursing Unit at Renown Regional. âIt will help them focus their attention on something that brings them joy, even if itâs for a short period of time. This helps them let their guard down and trust the team. We are here to take the best care of them as possible.â "Med-surg provides a safe place to openly discuss any fears or anxieties a patient may be experiencing,â added Danyel Gish. âOur nurses are kind, compassionate and highly-trained professionals that work hand-in-hand with our patients to maintain their safety and wellness. We understand that being in the hospital can be a difficult experience, but we work hard to provide a calming presence and reassurance. We identify different ways to connect with our patients by holding their hands, listening, educating and providing individualized care and interventions.â Much like many other departments across Renown, for med-surg, their patientsâ accomplishments are their accomplishments. Witnessing one of their patients reach a significant milestone in their healthcare journey inspires them to continue doing what they do best: provide care driven by equal parts determination and hope. âThe biggest accomplishment for me is seeing a patient complete their last round of chemotherapy with us and getting to ring our âChemo Bell,ââ added Trevor Owens, Unit Clerk at the William N. Pennington Cancer Institute. âThere is no greater joy than witnessing the happiness and relief of a patient completing a step in their healthcare journey." Working tirelessly to provide exceptional care to every patient â and celebrating all their wins along the way â alongside their dedication to Renownâs cultural commitments of Caring and Collaboration are what make our med-surg nurses prosper day-in, day-out.
Read More About Department Spotlight: Medical-Surgical Nursing
-
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
-
What's Special About Nursing at Renown Health
At Renown Health, we live by a core set of values. We are caring and compassionate. We demonstrate respect and integrity. We build relationships and collaborate with patients, families, clinicians and communities. We strive for excellence in all we do. Those values extend beyond patient care to the way we support our employees. We have worked hard to create an environment that empowers each person to learn, grow and thrive. Here are just a few examples of the ways we do that: Establishing a mentorship and leadership development program that provides insight, expertise and learning opportunities. Forming employee committees that improve health and well-being both at work and in our community that complement Renownâs work-life balance programs. Recognizing and rewarding team members for living our values. Providing paid time each quarter to support employee volunteerism and giving back to our community. Offering a variety of education programs, including tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment and a professional advancement bonus program, to help employees achieve their higher education goals. Hosting the largest Graduate Nurse Residency program in the state, which is also one of the largest in the nation. We strive to inspire, educate and help nurses shine, and in return, we know they will make a positive impact on the lives of their coworkers and the people we serve.
Read More About What's Special About Nursing at Renown Health
-
Getting to Know Stephanie Kruse
There are a lot of impressive titles you can use to describe Stephanie Kruse: entrepreneur, marketer, philanthropist, leader, adventurer, nurse. And now with her planned gift to the Renown Health Nursing Excellence Endowment, she can add one more to the list: a member of the Renown Legacy Society â a group of visionary supporters who have chosen to make a lasting commitment to the future health and wellbeing of northern Nevadans. This generous planned gift comes on the heels of a significant cash gift made to the Nursing Education Fund last summer. Stephanie is an inspiring example of someone who has dedicated her life to helping others. The daughter of a nurse and a retired nurse herself, Stephanie knows the hard work, selflessness and dedication it takes to create a successful business and community. As Chair of the Renown Health Foundation Board of Directors, she also understands the importance of attracting and retaining nurses within a healthcare system. As a way to contribute to a cause near and dear to her heart, she decided to include the Renown Nursing Excellence Endowment as a beneficiary of her retirement plans. âI wanted to honor the memory of my mother, who was a registered nurse in a small-town hospital in Iowa.,â said Stephanie. âI was always very conscious of her passion for providing great care to her patients, and I wanted to provide funding for others interested in nursing.â Across the nation, health systems are facing a shortage of nurses and nursing-related professionals. Renown is proactively implementing programs to build our pipeline of potential future nurses and keep those already in the field. Stephanieâs generous gift will help the endowment provide programs such as training, scholarships, loan repayment and professional development to increase retention and recruitment of prospective nurses. âAs nurses, we are entrusted with our patientsâ lives,â said Melodie Osborn, Chief Nurse Executive at Renown Health. âWe have the privilege of caring for people in their most vulnerable time and helping those who cannot help themselves. Stephanieâs generous gift to the Nursing Excellence Endowment Fund will help us develop new nurses for the future so we can continue to provide care to those in need for generations to come.â No Stranger to Healthcare Long before she found herself leading the Renown Health Foundation Board, Stephanie learned the ins and outs of healthcare. She graduated from nursing school and became a part-time nurse in a Sioux Falls, South Dakota nursing home while attending Augustana College to obtain a degree in journalism and a minor in theater. As part of her journalism program, Stephanie completed an internship in the public relations department of a Sioux Falls hospital, and that led to her accepting a position as director of public relations at a sister hospital. She later was recruited by Saint Mary's Hospital and moved to Reno to be the director of marketing in 1981. She stayed at Saint Mary's for almost 10 years before starting her own company in pursuit of her passion for marketing strategy. Since launching her brand, Stephanie has grown KPS3 to a multi-million-dollar firm with more than 60 staff members. Somehow, she is still able to find time to serve on six (!) volunteer boards, most of which are dedicated to improving access to better health and human services. âI have a soft spot in my heart for organizations who strive against all odds to help those with the greatest needs,â said Stephanie.
-
Department Spotlight: Clinical Engineering
Renown Health strongly supports and advocates for innovative medical technology. Our diverse lineup of medical equipment enables our care leaders to provide quality care to every patient. But what if a piece of technology breaks down? What happens when our care teams are ready for technological upgrades? Where do employees go when they have a question about a complicated piece of equipment? Enter the Clinical Engineering department. This sophisticated team is staffed with intelligent, science-minded individuals who are ready to jump in and help at any given second. From newborn incubators to robots that clean the hospital floors, these team members are the med-tech masters that keep our health system running. Equipment Experts Upon entering the Clinical Engineering departmentâs workshop, you are welcomed with an abundance of high-tech equipment undergoing repairs and upgrades. The department takes care of more than 26,000 pieces of equipment throughout the entire healthcare network, including the technologies at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, which they just took over this past year. To the average person, this may seem overwhelming; however, for this team, this is the exact environment they thrive in to make the technology magic happen. âI am motivated and engaged every day at work,â said Tony Martinez, Supervisor of Clinical Engineering for Renown. âOur department is fast-paced and rewarding, and thatâs a big plus.â While some team members enter the department as equipment generalists, this team offers training to develop their skills on certain pieces of equipment, eventually becoming specialists.  âEvery month, we encourage our colleagues to undergo specific training on more delicate equipment,â said Tony. âOnce we get to that point in their training, we assign different equipment to our team members every month. They pick up the experience very quickly.â As a Clinical Engineering Technician for Renown, Rylie Nickerson took advantage of the training and educational opportunities offered to her and is now a ventilator specialist especially for Renownâs neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). âRegardless of whether Iâm working on ventilators or on another piece of equipment Iâm assigned to, Iâm always thinking about how I can help the patients, nurses and doctors,â said Rylie. Raul Hernandez, a Clinical Engineering Specialist for Renown, is the go-to person for anesthesia, heart-lung bypass, red cell saver and life support equipment. He embraces the fact that, regardless of whether you are a specialist or a generalist, there is no typical day working in this department. âEvery day brings different challenges,â said Raul. âI really enjoy the mental exercises I do every day. They keep me grounded and focused.â On top of their day-to-day work and any special projects or emergencies that come up, the team is on an ongoing preventative maintenance schedule. Think of this work like your carâs oil change â routine maintenance to prevent something from breaking down in the future. âAt any point, we might have 100-200 extra pieces of equipment to handle during preventative maintenance,â said Taylor Gray, a Clinical Engineering Technician for Renown. âWe are always helping each other through any issues.â Our Clinical Engineering team shows exactly what it means to be collaborative. Even though their to-do lists are ever-growing, this team never feels alone. They know they can always lean on each other for support, regardless of the workload. âWe always have each otherâs backs,â said Taylor. âI feel so happy and satisfied in my job, and my coworkers are a large part of that.â Celebrating the Genuine Difference The Clinical Engineering department is driven by their desire to help and take care of the entire health system, and in turn, make a genuine difference for the communities we serve, from the medical staff to the patients.  âThe satisfaction you get in our field when we impact patientsâ lives and their healing process is so motivating and engaging,â said Tony Martinez. âItâs a great feeling.â The team knows the common saying âWalk a mile in someoneâs shoesâ very well; so well, in fact, that they take it to the next level, doing everything they can to prevent frustrations and extended down times. âWe try to walk a mile in someoneâs shoes before they get angry,â said Reagan Jordan, Director of Clinical Engineering for Renown. âYour satisfaction is our mission, and our team continually works to improve their outcomes every day.â This department is where the entrepreneurial spirit and science-focused mind meet. For people like Raul Hernandez, who came from a business background as well as decades of medical technology experience, Renown helps him bring both his personal and business skills into focus. âThis environment is very beneficial for Renown, me, and of course, the patients,â added Raul. Being members of a team that is committed to excellence and purpose inspires them to reach new heights in patient care. âI am constantly reminded of the positive impact we have by witnessing the individual experiences we have and hearing the enthusiasm and thankfulness in their voices,â said Raul. âIt gives me a great sense of pride to work at Renown.â "There is a strong feeling of mutual respect here,â added Ed Trejo, a Clinical Engineering Technician at Renown. âWe are always here to help.â The proof is in the data. The Clinical Engineering team scored as one of the top departments in the recent Renown employee engagement survey, with their results sitting at more than 94 percent.  âThis speaks to not only our department leadership but also the team as a whole,â said Reagan. âI am extremely proud of them. Despite the pandemic, they are knocking it out of the park.â For this department, coming to Renown is easy; staying at Renown is even easier. âStaying at Renown is the easy choice,â said Raul. âAnd this team is only going to grow.â Workflow Whizzes and Kindness Champions âRolling with the punches,â as Tony Martinez says, comes naturally to the Clinical Engineering team. With the constant workflow of equipment coming into the shop, every team member has learned how to be experts at prioritizing, especially based on the needs of our organization. Even though their jobs can bring a lot of intensity, this departmentâs positive attitude radiates throughout the hospital. Upon entering the workshop, everyone is greeted with a smile from every team member, along with an immediate willingness to dive into the complex world of engineering. âThe experience of helping other people with their unique needs is invaluable,â said Taylor Gray. If this work environment sounds enticing, great news â the Clinical Engineering team is growing. Motivated, aspiring engineers with a passion for healthcare and an associateâs degree in a related field are welcome.  Military experience is also valued very highly in this team. As many of our military servicemen and servicewomen gain specialized engineering experience while enlisted, the military-to-engineer career ladder at Renown is especially strong. In fact, according to Paul Joseph, a Clinical Engineering Technician at Renown, the majority of their teammates come from a military background.  Above all, being capable of prioritizing on the fly, thinking critically, having an open-mined outlook and being self-driven are the top skills that this department values. As Ed Trejo states, âIf youâre willing to wear different hats, you will do very well here." âGo with the flow, and expect the unexpected,â added Rylie Nickerson. Those who join this team feel at home. The warm embrace of the teamâs kind nature and the supportive environment they all foster inspires an efficient workflow that helps our entire hospital system function at the top of its game. At the end of the day, everyone who joins the team, or anyone who even interacts with the team in any capacity, will be in good hands. Mandy Noriega, a Clinical Engineering Technician for Renown, closes these thoughts with a great reminder to each and every one of us: âAfter all, teamwork makes the dream work.â
-
Department Spotlight: Security
âSafety is Number One,â isnât just a saying â it's a fact of life, especially at Renown Health. The safety of all patients, visitors, staff and volunteers is always the top priority, and our Security Department takes that commitment seriously. This team is devoted in their efforts to provide a safe environment for all, building cooperative and proactive security processes leveraging crime prevention techniques and state-of-the-art technology. Renown Security sets the safety and well-being bar high, and they continually exceed that standard day in, day out at all of our hospitals and urgent care, primary care and lab locations. Specially Trained, Continually Present Our Security Department isnât staffed with your run-of-the-mill Security Officers; these team members surpass security and safety expectations. Think city and state police-level standards. You read that right â many of Renownâs Security Officers come from Nevada Highway Patrol, the Washoe County and Carson City Sheriffâs Offices, the state probation and parole board and more.  This team fosters specialized training in a collaborative environment. Every member of the security team has extensive training in compassion, empathy and de-escalation techniques to provide the highest levels of safety and security. They implement this training in all their daily duties, whether they are saying a simple âhelloâ to a patient passing by or preventing harm to a staff member. Before their shift begins, the team meets to debrief meeting to discuss major incidents that occurred on the previous shift. These meetings ensure the next shift is aware of situations to be on special alert for and individuals to look out for. After, the team members head off to their assignments. âThe day could be as mellow as greeting someone at the welcome table, or it could be as chaotic as de-escalating someone in distress,â said Emmanuel Fernandez-Orozco, Supervisor of Security at Renown Regional. âRegardless of the day, every experience is rewarding in its own way. The only thing that is promised is that every day will be different.â While every Security Officer has varying experiences, one aspect of their job always stays the same: they are always on alert for any potential safety issue. Even on the âslowestâ days, it is important for this team to stay vigilant in order to mitigate any potential risks. There are several security programs that the team uses to keep everyone at Renown safe and secure: Renown's security operations center team (also known as dispatch) monitors all cameras in real time, with security officers patrolling parking areas 24/7.  Security escorts are always available for any employee, patient or guest at every Renown location. Security Officers can escort anyone to their designated site, check surroundings for danger and monitor the person until they safely leave for their next destination.   Rescue officers are available for any Renown location where an employee feels unsafe. Security maintains a strong relationship with the Reno Police Department (RPD) and assists with reporting and providing information that aids RPD in pursuing and deterring criminal activity. âIn security, we are a counselor, teacher and rule enforcement officer, all rolled into one,â said Bob Stone, Supervisor of Security for Renown Health. Talk about master multitaskers! Protection is only one part of the job. Through positive and meaningful interactions with guests, patients, community and staff, regardless of where they are posted, the Security Department continually helps Renown achieve its mission of making a difference for the people they serve. Devoted Dispatch Speaking of multitasking, no one does this better than the Security Dispatch Center. Security Dispatchers are the âeagle eyes in the skyâ at Renown, keeping a close watch on everything that happens within every Renown location, as well as REMSA (including Care Flight). From overlooking the many cameras around campus and administering codes over the PA system to manning the radio and phones to ensure Security Officers are dispatched quickly, our dispatch team helps ensure every safety or security issue at Renown is immediately addressed. When a call comes in, dispatchers like Jessica Fernandez, Security Dispatcher for Renown Health, go through a quick discovery process (sometimes in seconds) to figure out the details of the situation or code and what level of security is needed to assess and de-escalate.  According to Jessica, the ability to prioritize is something she values in her work. â80 percent of our duties are on the phone and the radios, and we are skilled in prioritizing concerns based on the sheer volume of calls we get,â she said. Jessica and her teammates are proud of the outcomes from their calls. Their attentiveness to every nook and cranny at Renown and their quick response times to make them not only a valued partner to the Security Department but also a necessity to our health system. Your In-House De-Escalation Experts Being in a hospital environment is undoubtedly stressful for any patient, and many factors can increase these emotions. The Security Department takes these feelings seriously and never hesitates to take appropriate action to ensure the safety of everyone at Renown. With the unfortunate rise of violence against healthcare workers, especially amid the pandemic, our first-rate security team has been crucial in countering violence with specialized de-escalation techniques. The key to de-escalating, according to the Security Department, is to put yourself in the shoes of whoever you are working with. As stated by Bob Stone, the team approaches each situation by asking themselves: How would I want to be treated if I was in the same circumstance? âBeing empathetic to their situation and listening to what is going on in their lives is key to re-directing them accordingly,â said Bob. âApplying real-life experience to similar circumstances can make them feel like they are not alone. Educating people on hospital policies can also help them reduce their anxieties and solve the problems.â  Jhorddy Lopez, Security Officer at Renown Regional, approaches each situation with the mindset of knowing that each personâs reactions are different. âDifferent techniques need to be implemented every time,â said Jhorddy. âYou have to use your best judgment call.â Quick and effective judgment calls are a task that the Security Department has conquered. Rosie Garcia, Security Officer at Renown Regional, knows that using your best judgment means getting both sides of the story. âWhenever I need to step in and de-escalate a situation, I first speak with whoever is attending to the patient and gather information,â said Rosie. âThen, I always get the patientâs side as well. I want to understand how theyâre feeling, so both the staff member and the patient can meet in the middle and come up with a collaborative solution.â An example of the heroism and advanced de-escalation displayed by our Security Officers takes us back to last spring. In the middle of the night, a Care Flight helicopter transporting a patient and their family was about to touch down on the landing pad outside of Renown Regional. Right as the helicopter was about to land, an individual jumped over the safety barricade and onto the landing pad. Alexander Pico, a former Security Officer Lead at Renown Regional (who recently joined the Carson City Sheriffâs Department) immediately communicated with the individual to leave the area. The individual then went under the rear blade, which is the most dangerous part of the helicopter. Knowing that he had to risk his own life at this point to save another, Alexander ran around the back of the helicopter and tackled the individual, preventing catastrophic injury or even death. Steve Perkins now uses this example of a swift judgment call, which was captured on dispatch cameras, as training material for new staff. Exceptional character, compassion and emotional intelligence are the attributes that every member of the Security Department holds. As noted by Steve Perkins, these attributes âallow for a quick assessment of each situation in order to de-escalate and move towards the best possible solution." Securing the Job The Security Department at Renown is actively hiring caring, dedicated team members who are ready to jump in and perform exceptional high-risk healthcare security services for our health system. âWe seek people with the right combination of ability and demeanor,â said Steve Perkins. "The training and skills development we provide result in a high caliber of success.â Every team member in the Security Department is passionate about the same thing: helping others. And in a healthcare environment, this is important. âWorking a healthcare security job is far different than working any other security job,â said Jhorddy Lopez. âAt a hospital, you get the chance to interact with people one-on-one. I get to experience the feeling of, âI can make a difference in this personâs life.ââ Any interaction can change the course of a personâs day, and the Security Department embraces this fact. âI really do love helping people so much, whether it be an elderly patient who needs help with their wheelchair or a situation where I need to step in and de-escalate,â said Rosie Garcia.  In order to succeed in this fast-paced department, being a collaborative team member is crucial. âA good coworker is a team player â someone that loves to work in a team atmosphere,â said Emmanuel Fernandez-Orozco. Jhorddy Lopez reiterates this, adding that âcommunication and trust are also extremely important. Everyone has to have great communication skills and have each otherâs backs.â For people like Bob Stone, having a special connection to Renown inspires him to serve. As someone who experienced two life-saving hospital stays here, he is proud to give back to the organization that gave so much to him. âIt was only natural to return to a facility I was familiar with my entire life,â said Bob. âAfter serving as a paramedic and transporting patients into Renown from Plumas County, I knew I was not done giving back to the community. Renown was the place to do exactly that.â All Genders Welcome A common misconception about the security field is that it is strictly a âmanâs job.â In Renownâs Security Department, that couldnât be further from the truth.  As a female Security Officer, Rosie Garcia is a prime example of proving that idea wrong. As a master patroller and de-escalation expert, she ensures everything is running smoothly and that everyone feels safe at all times. âWhen I first started here, I knew right away that nobody that works here is biased,â said Rosie. âEveryone is equal, and I am treated as an equal in this department. I know I can do the job as well as any man." Both Rosie and her counterparts in the Security Department firmly believe that this line of work is for everyone, and they continually lift each other up and support one another. âNo matter your gender, as long as you have confidence and integrity, you will do well,â adds Rosie. The Bottom Line If you are passionate about creating a secure environment to ensure patients get the care they deserve and employees receive the safety they merit, the Security Department is your team to join. âI come into work with pride,â said Jhorddy Lopez. âKnowing that I can change someoneâs life â that makes me proud to work here.â âYouâre in good hands with us,â closes Steve Perkins.
-
What is Dry Drowning?
Whether you're a parent, grandparent, caregiver or sibling, you should know drowning is the second leading cause of death among children. Yet, while we are vigilant about protecting children from water accidents and drowning, a condition known as dry drowning or delayed drowning can go unnoticed. In fact, most people aren't even aware it exists. Dry drowning defined Dry drowning is a side-effect of a near-drowning experience and includes spasms of the vocal cords and larynx â known as a laryngospasm. This occurs when the body attempts to shut down the passage of any liquid into the lungs. Unfortunately, it can also shut down the passage of air into the lungs and force fluid into the stomach and lungs. Often the condition is not discovered until it's too late â severe cases can cause death within one to 24 hours after a water incident occurs. Who is susceptible? Novice or first-time swimmers are at increased risk, as are children with asthma and known breathing issues. In addition, children who have had pneumonia or experienced acute respiratory distress syndrome are also at greater risk. To reduce these factors, caregivers should be exceptionally watchful of inexperienced swimmers. According to Leland Sullivan, MD, of Northern Nevada Emergency Physicians, children under the age of 5 are most susceptible to drowning and often drown in residential swimming pools. Infants less than 1-year-old most often drown in bathtubs. What are the signs of a dry drowning episode? If your child has a near-drowning incident, a few moments of coughing until they calm down is normal. However, you should know the more severe signs and symptoms to watch for during the 24 hours following the incident, including: Persistent coughing Difficulty breathing and/or shortness of breath Chest pains Extreme fatigue and/or lethargy Change in typical behavior Face becomes pale  What is the treatment and prognosis for dry drowning? Dr. Sullivan recommends that all victims of near-drowning incidents seek medical attention, even if they have no symptoms. If caught early, dry drowning can be treated. If you think your child is experiencing a dry drowning episode, go to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible â do not attempt treatment at home. Healthcare professionals will work to supply oxygen to your child's lungs to restore and regulate breathing.
-
Celebrating Renown Health's Nursing Excellence Conference
Renown Health recently wrapped up the twentieth annual Nursing Excellence and Excellence in Critical Care Conferences, the conference theme was the Courageous Calling and over 400 nurses from specialty fields across the region attended to learn, reflect, build relationships and obtain continuing education units (CEUs).  Celebrating The Courageous Calling During the first day of the Nursing Excellence Conference, local and national leaders presented topics including redefining resilience, documentation liability, transgender healthcare and caring for the homeless population. Among the list of impressive speakers were Chief Nurse Executive at Renown Health, Melodie Osborn, and Nora McInerny, writer and host of the "Terrible Thanks for Asking" podcast.  On day two,speakers focused on the critical care specialties within nursing, including intensive care, emergency room, pediatric intensive care and neonatal intensive care. Topics covered included post-COVID-19 pulmonology with Dr. Graham, traumatic brain injuries with Dr. Demers, COVID-19 reflections with Anicia Beckwith, a discussion about "Mis Câ with Dr. Healy, innovations in imaging with Dr. Rangaswamy and cardiology with Dr. Danaf. Thank you to our sponsors and raffle donors for making this event possible: Erik Olson and Larry Duncan, Jana Elliott, Melodie Osborn, Becky Haase, Lori Tuntland, Dr. Akbar, Dr. Lous, Mel Morris, Grand Sierra Resort, Renown Health Gift Shops, Renown Health Directors of Nursing, Renown Health Marketing & Communications Department, Renown Health Dermatology, Laser, & Skin Care and Renown Health Foundation.  Learn more about finding purpose in the health of our community when working at Renown Health here.
Read More About Celebrating Renown Health's Nursing Excellence Conference