Search
Results for ''s'
Clear-
Department Spotlight: Children’s Infusion Services
Help us celebrate the holiday season by sharing joy with our Children’s Infusion Services team! Thinking about blood can make any of us squeamish, and seeing it can be even more intimidating to the children in our lives. Being treated for a condition that requires blood transfusions or chemotherapy infusions is no easy feat, especially during the holiday season. This time of year, we are proud that we can offer our pediatric patients the power of proximity and excellence by having access to high level care close to home. The Children’s Infusion Services (CIS) department at Renown Children’s Hospital is committed to bringing the gift of quality care to our community’s youngest patients. Whether they are caring for a child with a blood disorder or giving expert infusion care for a child battling cancer, no team does what they do better than these expert nurses, medical assistants, intake coordinators and physicians. ‘Tis the Season to Bring Hope As the only pediatric oncology and hematology program in the region, the CIS department has a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. From inpatient chemotherapy to outpatient infusion services, this team treats a long list of pediatric blood conditions including: Pediatric cancers Anemias Immune-mediated blood disorders Sickle-cell disease Bone marrow failure syndromes Bleeding disorders “Our team provides a large variety of services from labs draws, sedations for procedures, infusions for diagnoses such as Crohn's disease, blood transfusions, as well as chemotherapy,” said Jen Torres, RN. “Our team works extremely well together. We try to go above and beyond for our patients every day. It may be something as simple as a hug to comfort a parent or a special birthday gift for a patient.” “My job allows me to work with several departments and providers when coordinating care for our littlest of patients,” added Jane Strawn, Intake Coordinator. “I assure proper authorizations are in place for the care that is needed, I communicate with our families when scheduling appointments, I organize End of Treatment Celebrations, as well as birthday shout outs and work closely with our Child Life team to help make the challenging appointment little easier.” To best serve their patients, the team thrives on being expert multitaskers. Central line care, chemotherapy administration, blood transfusions, medication management, preventative injections, lab draws, lumbar punctures, biopsies, imaging – you name it, they do it. And they do it all with the utmost focus on safety and support. “Our days have a lot of variation, as we perform a number of different services,” said Meagan Bertotti, RN. “We provide infusions for patients with chronic or acute medical conditions and chemotherapy/biotherapy treatment to patients undergoing cancer treatments. Overall, though, we work as a team to make these difficult procedures and treatments as easy as possible for the patients and families by providing engagement and support.” “While we handle a lot of chemotherapy treatments for pediatric patients, we also do other infusions and transfusions as well such as blood and platelet transfusions, enzyme replacement therapies, different types of injections such as Rabies vaccine or Synagis for high-risk babies who need that extra protection during the RSV season, and lab draws,” said Chelsea Angues, RN. “We care for patients that get their therapies from outside hospitals, but the patient lives within the Reno area. We receive orders from those outside hospitals to care for those patients, so they can still be with their families and not have to travel.” As members of the Children’s Oncology Group, a highly-regarded clinical trials group where over 90% of pediatric cancer patients across the U.S. receive treatment, teams like CIS in Renown Children’s Hospital deliver the highest standard of care. This partnership is a true testament to the devoted collaboration and relationship-building this team commits to on behalf of their patients every day. "One of the biggest accomplishments of our team is the fact that we became a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, and the Children's Infusion Center and Pediatric Oncology became one unit,” said Shelby Nolte. "Instead of being a clinic on one side and an infusion center on the other, we really came together to make it a whole unit that collaborates on almost everything.” “We've put much time into trying to understand other departments, their flow, their rationales and their processes so we can come to a solution that benefits our patients the greatest,” added Tiffany Macie, RN. “We've taken the last few years to really build our relationships with our pharmacy staff, our lab staff and our central supply resources. Our relationship building extends beyond the walls of the Renown building as well and out to the community providers too. In the past few years, we've been able to build relationships with the providers in the community where they trust they can send us their patients for treatment and lab draws. Finally, we've spent much time working on the relationships as a team. It's emotional work we do on our unit, and these families become our family. It's important to us that we take the time to be together outside of our shifts to enjoy one another and laugh!” In the compassionate realm of pediatric healthcare, CIS knows that the complexities of a cancer or blood disorder diagnosis can take an emotional toll on their patients and families. The team firmly believes that emotional support can be as important as the physical and medical support throughout each patient’s unique care journey, striving to be a comforting presence during daunting times. “The most important part of my day is collaborating with the Children's Infusion team to make life manageable for the families that are going through this experience,” added Shelby Nolte, Senior Medical Assistant. “We work as a team to make life easier for the blow of a cancer diagnosis. We are there for our families in every way. If they need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen or just someone to play cards with or tell a funny story too, we are there.” “One of the things our team does extremely well to help our patients and their families with new diagnoses is to simply meet them where they are,” said Tiffany Macie. “That looks different for every family and every patient. We work in an environment where can build relationships with our patients and their families. This allows us the unique opportunity to really get to know them. We learn their fears, their joys, their worries, what their family lives are like, and we learn how to best meet them where they are.” Transcending the conventional boundaries of care, the CIS department closely supports each patient, offering them solace tailored to the unique fabric of each family's life.
Read More About Department Spotlight: Children’s Infusion Services
-
Paola’s Story: Bringing Hope and Determination to Patient Care
You may recognize her from billboards around town or the cover of Renown's latest annual report, but what you might not know is the story behind the now-familiar face. Paola Espinoza-Patino is the oncology unit's associate nurse manager at Renown Regional, and she grounds her work in hope and determination daily. Meet Paola:
Read More About Paola’s Story: Bringing Hope and Determination to Patient Care
-
Renown Children’s Hospital Joins The Children’s Oncology Group
Dr. J. Martin Johnston, Renown Health's Chief of Hematology and Oncology. Renown now home to northern Nevada's only Children's Oncology Group institution, giving local pediatric cancer patients access to the most cutting-edge treatments. Renown Children's Hospital announced today that it is now a member of the Children's Oncology Group (COG), the world's largest organization devoted exclusively to childhood cancer. Membership in the COG allows Renown to enroll its youngest patients in the latest clinical trials, including ground-breaking treatments for many childhood cancers, studies to better understand these diseases, and trials focused around supportive care and survivorship. Renown is now enrolling pediatric patients in clinical trials through the COG. Through this process, many childhood cancer patients will be eligible to receive newly-developed therapies. For example, some trials employ immunotherapeutic drugs in addition to conventional chemotherapy, in hopes that adding the immunotherapy results in better health outcomes for pediatric cancer patients. "As a pediatric intensivist by training, I understand how quickly advancements are made in pediatric medicine," said Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, President & CEO of Renown Health. "As a member of the COG, pediatric oncology patients of Renown Children's Hospital now have access to the latest and most cutting-edge treatment options in addition to commonly prescribed treatments. I am proud of the highly-skilled caregivers at Renown who are constantly expanding their knowledge and contributing research to give our pediatric patients and their families hope for the future." "Until now, we have been able to offer treatments at Renown based on the current standard of care, which means the treatment is based on published trial results that may not reflect the latest research in the field," said Renown's Chief of Hematology/Oncology, J. Martin Johnston, MD. "Previously, a pediatric oncology patient could only enroll in a COG trial if the family had the capacity to temporarily relocate to the Bay Area or Salt Lake City, for example. Now, our patients will have the opportunity to enroll in these trials without the need to travel so far from home." "When faced with pediatric cancer, the last thing parents should worry about is traveling great lengths to receive the best in cancer care," said Larry Duncan, Vice President of Pediatrics and Surgery and Administrator, Renown Children's. "We are proud to now offer the most advanced childhood cancer treatment options here at Renown, close to home and convenient for area patients and their families. We always strive to see more patients beat cancer, and being part of the COG helps our expert team of pediatric oncologists implement innovative and new ways to make that happen." Carson City local Brenda Milligan's son, Austin, was 5 when he was diagnosed with leukemia and received treatment at Renown Children's Hospital. As an active participant in her now 10-year-old son's treatment plan, Brenda shares that she regularly sought out advice from COG providers across the country and is pleased that northern Nevadan parents of children being treated for leukemia can now take full advantage of the COG right at home. "The COG allows Renown's providers to have access to treatment plans that weren't available when Austin was receiving treatment," said Brenda. "It comforts me to know that not only can children receive cancer treatment right at home, but their parents can now elect for them to participate in trials and plans that are at the forefront of cancer treatment today." According to the COG, more than 90 percent of 14,000 U.S. children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer annually are cared for at COG member institutions. As a COG member institution, Renown joins over 200 institutions including Stanford, UCSF and Kaiser Permanente in this prestigious honor. The COG is made up of more than 9,000 experts worldwide and has nearly 100 active clinical-translational trials running at once. Research from the COG has drastically transformed children's cancer outcomes. Just 50 years ago, pediatric cancer was thought to be untreatable; while today, it has a combined five-year survival rate of 80 percent. "The key to ending childhood cancer is through extensive scientific research and clinical trials," said Max Coppes, Cancer Center Director at Renown Institute for Cancer. "As a COG member institution, our doctors will have the opportunity to collaborate with other pediatric oncologists around the world who share a common goal—to cure all children of cancer. At Renown, we are proud to be at the forefront of life-saving research and treatments for pediatric oncology patients throughout our region." "We are also grateful to the William N. Pennington Foundation for its support in establishing the William N. Pennington Fund for Advance Pediatric Care in 2016, which allowed us to hire more than 15 specialized pediatricians, including in oncology/hematology, which was crucial to our application for COG membership." About Renown Children's Hospital Renown Children's Hospital is the only dedicated children's hospital in northern Nevada, and offers a variety of programs and services designed specifically to care for families in our community. It has the region's only pediatric ER and ICU. Renown Children's Hospital is not-for-profit and relies on philanthropic support. Visit renown.org/give to support Renown Children's Hospital. For more information on programs and services, visit renown.org/children.
Read More About Renown Children’s Hospital Joins The Children’s Oncology Group
-
-
20May
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
18Nov
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
2Dec
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
16Sep
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
21Oct
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
15Jul
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
16Dec
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
7Oct
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-
-
-
4Nov
Facilitated by a prostate cancer survivor, this no-cost support group is designed to help men cope with prostate cancer by offering education and support for patients during their cancer journey. Details: Both in-person and virtual groups are available. Video-enabled attendance is available for all attendees. Patients can access remotely and join from any video-enabled device (smartphone, iPad, laptop, or webcam/desktop). Upon registering, you will receive instructions on how to connect virtually. Groups will be held every first and third Monday of each month, from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. in the Sierra Tower – Conference Room 103 at Renown Regional Hospital. Please note: You can renew registrations every calendar year. If you need assistance with registration, contact RSVP at 775-982-7787 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Read More About Men’s Prostate Cancer Support Group
-