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Tent serves as respiratory illness evaluation and screening center. WHAT: A Temporary Deployable Medical Structure is being erected outside the Renown Regional Emergency Department as another way to screen and evaluate community members suspected of having respiratory illnesses, and to enhance prevention and limit exposure.  Media is invited to tour the tent before it opens to learn the latest on how Renown Health doctors, nurses and staff are responding to an increase in COVID-19 cases and continue to ensure the safety of patients, staff and our community. WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in the parking lot outside the Renown Regional Medical Center Emergency Room at 1155 Mill St. in Reno. All media must wear a facemask and physically distance themselves. Parking is available in the valet circle at the Tahoe Tower entrance of Renown Regional and is most convenient. Please call or text 775-691-7308 upon your arrival and a member of our team will escort you to the tent. WHY: Across the country, and as a region, we are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases including increases in hospitalized patients. The Renown Health team continues to safely screen, diagnose and care for patients with respiratory illnesses, including those at risk for COVID-19. As a way to limit the exposure and to assure health and safety measures for other hospital patients and providers, Renown is again working with the Washoe County Emergency Manager, the State Public Health Preparedness Team, REMSA, the Reno Fire Department and others to re-erect a Deployable Medical Structure outside the Renown Regional Emergency Department in order to screen and evaluate community members suspected of having respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.  WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19: If you have symptoms related to COVID-19, please call your healthcare provider’s telemedicine program or visit www.renown.org/covid-19/ before scheduling an appointment or seeking care in person. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please seek immediate medical attention. For up-to-date information on Renown’s approach to keeping our community safe, visit our website at renown.org/covid-19/. About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally owned and governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown’s institute model addresses social determinants of health and includes: Child Health, Behavioral Health & Addiction, Healthy Aging and Health Innovation. Clinical institutes include: Cancer, Heart and Vascular Heath and Neurosciences. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project® . For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About Renown Re-Erects Deployable Medical Structure as COVID-19 Cases Rise

Seven Troughs Distilling Co., Damon Industries, The Depot and Forsaken River have worked together to supply Renown Health with 726 gallons of hand sanitizer to date. Thanks to the support of local businesses, Renown Health’s need for hand sanitizer is being met. Seven Troughs Distilling Co., with the help of several area distilleries including The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery and Forsaken River Spirits, is using their distilling equipment to create ethyl alcohol. Damon Industries mixes the ethyl alcohol with other key ingredients in accordance to the hand sanitizer recipe issued by the FDA and World Health Organization, bottles the contents, and distributes the bottles to Renown. This community-wide collaboration has resulted in 726 gallons of hand sanitizer for Renown thus far. Seven Troughs had previously manufactured hand sanitizer and surface sanitizer using their non beverage grade alcohol for years, which employees used internally to sanitize their hands and clean machines. At the start of the pandemic, the distillery continued producing the sanitizer for family and friends. The word spread quickly about Seven Troughs’ capabilities – and that’s when Renown reached out to the distillery to see if they could help.  “All of a sudden, instead of making a 50-gallon batch of hand sanitizer, we needed to make a 500- gallon batch,” said Seven Troughs president Tom Adams. “We quickly realized that we were very much out of our depth. We thought it would be a better plan if we could focus on what we do well, which is making ethanol, and if we could get a partner that could focus on the formulation and bottling. That ended up being Damon Industries.”  Before the pandemic, Damon Industries primarily manufactured juice products for smoothie shops and healthcare facilities – a market that had basically collapsed. The team at Damon Industries was quick to respond to Adams’ call for assistance, as it was a chance to serve the community and keep staff employed. “It didn’t take any convincing,” said Damon Industries’ vice president of sales Brandon Halvorson when asked about the company’s impetus for moving into the hand sanitizer industry. “We knew the community needed a product and we knew we had the partnerships that could get it done. It’s been our pleasure to work with the outstanding people of Renown and of northern Nevada to keep our community supplied during this difficult situation.”  Before boxing up and distributing the hand sanitizer to Renown facilities, employees at Damon Industries stick a Renown-branded Fight the Good Fight label to every bottle, a reminder that the fight against COVID-19 extends far beyond the walls of Renown’s care sites. “I am amazed by how quickly Seven Troughs and Damon Industries sprang into action to meet our need for hand sanitizer,” said Renown’s director of operations Ian Wayman. “In addition to their swift manufacturing efforts, they’re selling us the hand sanitizer at an extremely reasonable rate, charging just enough to pay for supplies and keep their staff employed. This type of genuine and sincere support from our community partners serves as a reminder that we truly are all in this together.”     About Renown Health Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown is one of the region’s largest private employers with a workforce of more than 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown has a long tradition and commitment to continually improve the care and the health of our community. For more information, visit renown.org. About Seven Troughs Distilling Co. Seven Troughs Distilling Co., LLC was established in 2012 as the Great Basin’s first licensed distillery since 1877. Focusing on historically styled spirits, Seven Troughs’ offering includes award-winning whiskies, gin, and rum. When not manufacturing hand-sanitizer, Seven Troughs offers tours and tastings at our Sparks, Nevada distillery and a full restaurant and craft cocktail menu at our Downtown Reno location, the Seven Troughs Speakeasy. www.7troughsdistilling.com. About Damon Industries Damon Industries is passionate about creating products that help and inspire. We move millions of gallons per year, but always start with our core values. Family, Fun, Integrity, and Gratitude guide us from procurement to production. Our partnerships are as important to us as the wide range of products we produce. Beverages and cleaners to sauces and whiskey, we make sure to treat our customers, employees, and suppliers like family. Damonpacking.com

Read More About Local Businesses to Help Renown Fight Against Germs Amid Pandemic

Renown Health Adds Proactive Level of Protection to Address COVID-19 Deployable Medical Structure at Renown Regional Erected as Precautionary Measure WHAT: As we continue our planning and preparation for the impact of COVID-19, Renown Health now has an alternate care site – a deployable medical facility to serve as an additional respiratory illness evaluation and screening center for Emergency Room patients at Renown Regional. Media is invited to tour the tent before it opens and learn more about how Renown Health physicians and staff are prepared to ensure the safety of patients, staff and our community. It’s important to note there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases at Renown at this time. This deployable medical structure is simply a precautionary measure and adds a proactive level of protection if needed because Renown is committed to doing everything possible to protect patients, staff and community members. WHEN AND WHERE: Thursday, March 12 at 1 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Renown Regional Medical Center Emergency Room at 1155 Mill St, Reno, NV. All media must be escorted on hospital property. Mill Street Parking is most convenient. WHY: Due to increasing levels of respiratory illness in our community, as a way to manage influx and limit the exposure between individuals suspected of having respiratory illness and patients and care providers in other areas of the hospital, Renown Health worked with the State Public Health Preparedness to request a deployable medical facility through the Washoe County Emergency Manager. REMSA, the Reno Fire Department and Renown staff also play an integral role in setting up the tent and getting it ready with appropriate supplies. This proactive step to separate patients with symptoms of respiratory illness who need emergency medical care will protect patients in the Emergency Department and other areas of the hospital. Transmission of respiratory illness from patient to patient is not the only concern as healthcare workers can get sick, too. This is a precautionary step Renown is taking as a way we can further help protect patients, staff and community. Renown Regional Medical Center is the only certified Level II (2) trauma center between Sacramento, CA and Salt Lake City, UT. We receive and care for critically-ill and injured patients from as close as our Reno-Tahoe backyard and as far away as Mammoth Lakes, CA, as well as distant rural locations across northern and central Nevada. Additionally, Renown Regional Medical Center has successfully been re-verified as a Level II trauma center through Feb. 11, 2023 from the American College of Surgeons, continuing 30 years of certification. Renown Regional Medical Center has also been awarded the The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Hospital Accreditation based on compliance with hospital standards related to emergency management, environment of care, infection prevention and control, leadership and medication management. Renown’s Roseview, Sierra and Cardiac Intensive Care Units have each been awarded a Beacon Award of Excellence from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) based on patient outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. Renown has the only intensive care units awarded this distinction in Nevada.   WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING RESPIRATORY OR INFLUENZA-LIKE ILLNESS OR POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19: Renown is encouraging people to use online tools first, such as virtual visits covered by many insurance companies, including Teladoc, for those insured by Renown’s health plan, Hometown Health. Renown Medical Group patients may also call the Respiratory Health screening line, free and available 24/7 at 775-982-5000 For up-to-date information on Renown’s approach to keeping our community safe, visit our website at https://www.renown.org/covid-19/.   About Renown Health Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown is one of the region’s largest private employers with a workforce of more than 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown has a long tradition and commitment to continually improve the care and the health of our community. For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About Media Advisory - Video & Photo Opportunity

For leaders, employees and patients of Renown Health, April 14, 2020 will eternally be etched into the COVID-19 pandemic timeline. This was the day the organization invited community leaders and members of the media to tour the Alternate Care Site (ACS) in the Mill St. Parking structure. While other healthcare systems around the world were setting up field hospitals to care for an anticipated influx of COVID-19 patients, Renown was the first to do so in a parking garage. During this preview event, Renown Health CEO and President, Dr. Tony Slonim, spoke to area leaders on the decision to commission the $11 million Alternate Care Site, which at the time, was a precautionary measure and a demonstration of Renown’s commitment to the health and well-being of the one million people and communities it serves across 100,000 square miles of Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Also on April 14, 2020, Dr. Slonim observed his 56th birthday. Rather than a celebration to mark the occasion, during the news conference, he received a call that would further alter his life. The intensivist caring for his dad, Anthony Slonim Sr., in a New Jersey hospital, told him that after a hard-fought battle against the novel coronavirus, his father had died. Dr. Slonim said, “April 14, 2020 was the day the COVID-19 pandemic was no longer just a tragedy devastating the east coast and other hotspots around the world. COVID-19 hit home, stealing my father and threating both of my beloved communities- New Jersey and Reno - that my family calls home.” The bright light of LOVE shines through the darkness Later that week, on April 16, 2020, Beth Macmillan, Executive Director of Artown loaned Renown the LOVE sculpture, a one-ton, welded aluminum artwork with letters 10-feet tall and eight-feet wide created by artist Laura Kimpton and fabricated by Jeff Schomberg, where it lights up Renown Regional Medical Center’s main entrance. LOVE glows, and continues to glow, in Renown’s signature purple every evening, shining brightly for patients, employees, visitors and passersby to enjoy. The art piece debuted at Burning Man in 2019, and was originally slated for the 9/11 Tribute Museum in NYC.  “Healthcare heroes and patients of the hospital have been warmed and inspired by the art and this one word, LOVE! Now, more than ever, the power of art has provided something beautiful on which to focus,” says Beth Macmillan. In July, the LOVE sculpture found a permanent home at Renown thanks to a donation from the Robert and Dorothy Keyser Foundation. “Through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the LOVE sculpture has been a powerful source of hope, inspiration and determination for our community,” said Blake Smith, chair of the Keyser Foundation. “Now, we can’t imagine the entrance of the hospital without it. We are happy that the incredible piece of art will continue shining a bright light while spreading warmth and comfort to all who care for those in our hospitals, patients and families, and those who pass by.” (LOVE sign B-Roll.) For Dr. Slonim, he found the art a reminder of the love of his father. “I have so much respect for artists like Laura and Jeff, and the way they connect with people through their art. Passing by the LOVE sculpture was immensely therapeutic for me, especially after the loss of my dad,” said Dr. Slonim. “Caring for others and their emotions is also an art. Over the last year, I have been inspired by the compassionate caregivers who have practiced the art of medicine under extremely stressful and difficult conditions brought on by the pandemic.” When words fail, art speaks Recognizing art’s powerful healing capabilities, Renown collaborated with prominent artist and fine art photographer, Anicia Beckwith, to immortalize the many battles fought against and amidst COVID-19 within the healthcare system’s walls. Beckwith captured portrait images of Renown caregivers, patients and their loved ones, showing raw and touching scenes from the COVID Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Departments, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Wilbur D. May Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Alternate Care Site field hospital. A group of Renown caregivers hold a COVID patient’s hand. Tears well up in their eyes as the patient takes his last breath. Care providers respond to a patient’s only request – a facial shave. The man beams at the sight of his freshly groomed face, and is visibly touched by the tender care he received to make it happen. Lupe, an environmental services worker, takes special care in her efforts to clean and sanitize patient rooms—a craft she has perfected and taken pride in for the 25+ years she’s worked at Renown. These are just a few of the captivating moments Beckwith illustrates through her art. Beckwith’s full photo gallery of images from Renown are located here; and downloadable visual assets are available here.    “I was in awe as I watched Renown caregivers administer chest compressions to a patient whose heart had just stopped,” said Beckwith. Promptly after assisting in saving that patient’s life, I observed a nurse walk into the room next door where an elderly patient peacefully discussed coming to the end of hers. I can’t help but wonder how the staff have these conversations daily—always with compassion, dignity and grace. It was an honor and privilege to commemorate this pivotal time in our world’s history, and in turn, aid in the healing process for those hurting both physically and emotionally.”  “Anicia’s photography provided a comforting outlet for all who were involved in the project,” said Annie Zucker, Manager of Community Impact at Renown. “Her work gave care givers an opportunity to reflect on the last year and fueled the strength and determination they needed to get through it, as sometimes it takes an outside lens to see the magnitude and impact of your work. Anicia gave patients and families an opportunity share their stories and feel support and encouragement from the outside world.” In addition to taking photos on standard digital cameras, Beckwith also honed her skills using various vintage film cameras and historical techniques. “I purposely use these images as testimony to the science in front and behind the lens,” said Beckwith. “COVID has shown us technological advances cannot cure every condition, and sometimes we must go back to the basics to move forward. Some of the film I used for this project is no longer made and rare to possess. Each time I click the shutter translates to one less photographic possibility left in the world. To decide when and what to capture is a metaphor for the importance, reverence and weight I place on the subject in front of me.” Beckwith plans to continue her photography project at Renown using a 104-year-old camera that was present during the time of the Spanish Flu of 1918. Her goal is to highlight the remarkable stories of strength, resilience and perseverance that have come from the ashes of the pandemic, as we look towards a hopeful future. “For more than 30 years, art has played an important role at Renown Health,” said Sy Johnson, Chief of Staff at Renown. “Healing is more than getting quality medical care—it’s about the heart, the mind and the spirit. We are proud to bring extraordinary artists like Laura Kimpton, Jeff Schomberg, Anicia Beckwith and others, to find meaningful ways to connect with our patients, employees and community through the universal language of healing arts. Much of the art on our campuses has been made possible by generous artists and donors, who have make a tremendous impact on how our community—and our providers—reflect, engage and heal.”  If you are interested in supporting the Healing Arts Program at Renown Health, a charitable, non-profit health organization, please consider giving to Renown Health Foundation.  Donations are accepted through the following ways: Make a gift at www.renown.org/give Call Renown Health Foundation at 775-982-5545 Mail a check to Renown Health Foundation, 1155 Mill St., O2, Reno, NV 89502 Venmo: @RenownFoundation     About Renown Health Renown Health is the region’s largest, locally governed, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. With a diverse workforce of more than 7,000 employees, Renown has fostered a longstanding culture of excellence, determination and innovation. The organization comprises a trauma center, two acute care hospitals, a children’s hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, a medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest, locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Clinical institutes include: Cancer, Heart and Vascular Heath, Neurosciences and Robotic Surgery. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org.

Read More About A One-Year Reflection: Using the Art of Medicine to Heal Amidst a Pandemic