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Pictured left to right: Erin VanKirk, MSN, RN, Renown Health Director of Nursing Education; Mitch Krebs, Program Director at Helmsley Charitable Trust; Dr. Graf, Renown Health CEO; Greg Walaitis Renown Health Chief Development Officer. Renown Health will use the grant to build the Helmsley Simulation and Innovation Center to improve the health system’s training abilities The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has granted $3.1 million to Renown Health for construction of a new simulation and innovation center that will greatly expand the health system’s ability to train healthcare providers throughout northern Nevada. The new center will be named the Helmsley Simulation and Innovation Center. Expected to open in April 2023, the center will feature three simulated patient rooms, classroom space, computer labs and a conference center, allowing trainers to run current and future healthcare professionals through real-life acute, outpatient, telemedicine and specialty care scenarios. The new center will let Renown Health train substantially more nurses, physicians, community clinical partners, medical students and rural providers while improving medical and nursing expertise to support staff throughout northern Nevada. “The Helmsley Charitable Trust is excited to fund this new simulation center, which will provide healthcare professionals across rural Nevada with state-of-the-art training in a variety of situations they’ll encounter,” said Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “The project fits with our goal to level the playing field by giving rural residents access to top-notch healthcare, regardless of their ZIP code.” “Simulation education has become standard practice for many of our healthcare personnel,” said Erin Van Kirk MSN, RN, Director of Nursing Education. “This lab will provide expanded opportunities in a controlled setting where physicians, nurses, and students can gain valuable experience in providing the best care possible.” Renown Health has outgrown its current simulation lab, which opened in 2016 in Renown Regional Medical Center. The new, larger, state-of-the-art simulation and innovation center will increase Renown Health’s training capacity from 1,500 to 2,500 each year. The new facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art simulation mannequins and other equipment that includes a telemetry monitor, IV and epidural equipment, a code cart, a defibrillator, a balloon pump, ventilators and a cooling machine. The center will also support Renown Health’s recently established partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, expanding training modules focused on rural health and virtual care through telemedicine. “The facility will help Renown Health respond to our region’s growing population by allowing us to support the training and competency necessary for our care providers to make a genuine difference in the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve,” said Melodie Osborn, RN, MBA, Chief Nursing Executive at Renown Health. “This generous grant for the new simulation and innovation center from the Helmsley Charitable Trust is truly an investment in the bright future we envision for Renown, our care teams and the community.” 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. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. For more information, visit renown.org. About the Helmsley Charitable Trust The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has committed more than $3 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $500 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, Montana, and Nevada. For more information, visit helmsleytrust.org.

Read More About Helmsley Charitable Trust Grants $3.1 Million to Renown Health

The award is given annually to a member of the Nevada pharmacy community making significant and sustained contributions to the field Kate Ward, Pharm.D., BCPS Director of Clinical Pharmacy at Renown Health is the 2022 recipient of the Nevada Society of Health System Pharmacists (NVSHP) President’s Award. Dr. Ward has been with Renown for over a decade, starting as a Clinical Pharmacist in 2009. As the Director of Clinical Pharmacy, she is responsible for the oversight of all clinical pharmacy activities at Renown Regional, South Meadows and Rehab. Additionally, Dr. Ward is the Residency Director of the Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) Pharmacy Practice Residency at Renown Regional Medical Center. “We are so proud that Kate has been recognized by the Nevada Society of Health System Pharmacists with the President’s Award and for her many accomplishments as a member of our Renown Pharmacy team. With 66% of adults taking five or more drugs per day and 27% taking 10 or more per day, a pharmacist’s review is critical in supporting patient safety and well-being,” says Tom Graf, MD, interim CEO, Renown Health. “Beyond that, pharmacists have the ability to suggest methods for accurately and effectively taking prescribed medications, discuss medication safety, identify and manage side effects and assist patients and families in managing chronic health conditions.” As a licensed pharmacist, Dr. Ward holds The Doctor of Pharmacy degree (abbreviated Pharm.D. or PharmD) from the University of Colorado. The Pharm.D. is a professional degree similar to a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS). As a doctorate, it represents the increasing responsibility pharmacists have in healthcare systems and the high trust Americans have in pharmacists. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree takes three to four years of undergraduate pre-professional (prerequisite) coursework, followed by four academic years in a professional program. Most students need four years to complete their prerequisite courses. Thus, it usually takes eight years of college study to earn a Pharm.D. and become a pharmacist. Pharmacists working in hospitals and health systems often complete additional post-graduate training after a Pharm.D. degree. Dr. Ward completed a PGY1 Residency at Stanford prior to joining the Pharmacy Department at Renown. “Dr. Ward is such an asset to Renown and our community. Her incredible perseverance to reach for and achieve higher aspirations has resulted in this important recognition by our peers across the state. She consistently contributes her pharmacy expertise to patients, physicians, clinicians and healthcare students and volunteers her time to advance the profession at both the state and national level through pharmacy professional organization participation. It is wonderful to have her efforts recognized by NVSHP,” says Adam Porath, Pharm.D., BCACP, BCPS, FASHP, Vice President, Pharmacy. On Sept. 24, NVSHP and the Nevada Pharmacy Alliance held their annual joint meeting at Renown Regional Medical Center. During this meeting, Dr. Ward was awarded the NVSHP President’s Award. The President’s Award is awarded annually at NVSHP President's discretion to a member making significant and sustained contributions to NVSHP. Dr. Ward was specifically recognized for representing the State of Nevada at the American Society Health System Pharmacists House of Delegates for several consecutive years, as well as her continuous contributions to the annual NVSHP Student Symposium. Established in October 2006, NVSHP has diligently worked on continuing the strong foundation developed to better meet the needs of health-system pharmacists in Nevada. The organization was established on a strong mission statement that enables Nevada's pharmacists to be heard, from all regions of the state and in one collective voice to advocate for patient care. Are you interested in working with this award-winning team? The Renown Health Pharmacy is hiring for multiple roles, including pharmacy technician and clinical pharmacist. For more information, visit careers.renown.org. 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 6,500 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 is currently enrolling participants in a community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®.

Read More About Renown's Dr. Kate Ward Honored with Nevada Society of Health System Pharmacists (NVSHP) President's Award

Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) are proud to announce a newly integrated and expanded research space called the Clinical Research Center (CRC). This space offers a dynamic physical location on the University of Nevada, Reno campus that supports the UNR Med and Renown Health research enterprise. "The partnership between Renown Health and UNR Med truly knows no bounds, and this Clinical Research Center is an incredible example of that endless possibility,” said Thomas Graf, MD, interim CEO of Renown Health. “This new space will only continue to expand our community’s access to clinical research as part of patient care while providing the necessary resources to engage our students and support a healthy Nevada.” This space’s capabilities include experienced staff with knowledge and skills in operationalizing FDA and non-FDA regulated clinical and translational research studies in a centralized 5,470-square foot research clinic housed in the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) at the University. This CRC space provides resources including: A centralized location next to the laboratory space that allows for strategic interdisciplinary collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists. Eleven private outpatient rooms for research clinic visits. Two blood draw stations. Physician consultation areas. Conference room for trial monitoring and consulting. Secure Investigational Product storage and preparation. Sample processing and storage, including countertop refrigerated centrifuges, 4°, -20° and -80° C refrigerators and freezers. Operations around clinical research are becoming more complex so growing clinical research in our community will require expertise and dedicated space where clinical research can be conducted in a learning environment first,” said Danielle Eaton, Director of Clinical Research with UNR Med and Renown Health. “This Clinical Research Center provides such space and experienced staff where these research studies can be successfully completed. The CRC provides a training environment for students, residents, faculty and clinical research professional work-force that will be needed to bring cutting edge diagnostics, therapeutics and preventatives to our community.” Meet the Team: Danielle Eaton, UNR Med Director of Clinical Research Kristen Gurnea, Renown Health Manager of Clinical Research Amber Emerson, UNR Med Project Manager Valerie Smith, UNR Med Center Administrative Manager Annie Beach-Hills, Gina Castro, Michelle Mejia and Amil Trujillo-King, UNR Med Study Coordinators Dr. John Westhoff, UNR Med Chair of Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine physician Dr. Sean Kandel, UNR Med Associate Program Director for Resident Research, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Dr. Amneet Rai, UNR Med Clinical research pharmacist Dr. Kellie Watkins, UNR Med Clinical Epidemiologist/Data Manager/Statistician As part of the affiliation between UNR Med and Renown Health, the Clinical Research Office is part of an integrated Office of Clinical Research, which allows both entities to collaborate on shared research program objectives. This effort allows colleagues to partner on clinical research, and to leverage bench-to-bedside research and delivery of leading-edge healthcare to northern Nevadans. 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. Renown is currently enrolling participants in the world’s largest community-based genetic population health study, the Healthy Nevada Project®. About UNR Med   The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med), Nevada’s first public medical school, is a community-based, research-intensive medical school with a statewide vision for a healthy Nevada. Since 1969, UNR Med has trained more than 3,900 students, residents and fellows. UNR Med continues to improve the health and well-being of all Nevadans and their communities through excellence in student education, postgraduate training and clinical care, research with local, national and global impact and a culture of diversity and inclusion. For more information, visit med.unr.edu.

Read More About Newly Expanded Clinical Research Center at UNR Med Fosters Collaboration and Research with Renown Health

Renown Health announced today that it is now using ARxIUM’s Robotic IV Automation (RIVA) system in its pharmacy to streamline the production process of IV admixtures. RIVA is a fully automated compounding system designed to precisely and accurately prepare IV syringes and bags in hospital pharmacies. This state-of-the-art system is considered the gold standard when it comes to safety, effectiveness and precision in pharmacy technology. To operate the robot, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians load drugs into the machine, in addition to drug vials, syringes and IV bags. Everything that goes into RIVA receives a barcode as it’s loaded to help the robot identify each item. The operator then instructs the robot to create the drug and RIVA goes to work, allowing employees to go about other duties as the robot maximizes efficiency. RIVA validates each component during the admixture process including size, barcode and weight of each ingredient to ensure accuracy. For an added level of safety, RIVA uses high-intensity pulsed ultraviolet light for disinfection of all vial and bag parts prior to compounding the drugs. “The contamination of IV products usually comes from humans – from our skin, breath, hair or other particles in the air,” said Renown Regional Medical Center’s pharmacy manager, Derek Gillespie. “Plus, the repetitive process of a human mixing 100 items of the same thing and the possibility for distraction can lead to errors. By automating the complex admixture process using the RIVA system, we’re able to significantly reduce the risk of contamination and human error.”  RIVA has the continuous capability to learn how to produce new admixtures through detailed programming done by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The system stores the information so it can recreate the drug whenever it’s instructed to do so.  With the help of pharmacy staff, RIVA produces a batch of approximately 50 items at a time, and can make up to 500 admixtures a day. By using RIVA, the pharmacy’s goal is to have items available on hand to help meet patients’ needs quickly. Additionally, in the case of a drug shortage, RIVA would enable the pharmacy to make its own IV solutions or admix items unavailable for purchase.  Only 27 pharmacies in the country currently use the RIVA system. Up until recently, Renown’s pharmacy team did all of its admixtures manually. “It’s exciting to have this new technology in our pharmacy and to know that at Renown Health, we are leveraging the latest technology out there to make our patients as safe as possible,” said Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, president and CEO of Renown. “Our staff takes pride in using technology like the RIVA system as it allows them to hone their craft on the best technology in the field. We look forward to maximizing our IV production capabilities and fulfilling our patient’s needs more efficiently than ever thanks to RIVA and the incredible team that operates the robot.” For b-roll of RIVA in action and an interview from Derek Gillespie, click here.     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 ARxIUM Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Buffalo Grove, Illinois, ARxIUM is an industry-leading developer of pharmacy automation, workflow and consulting solutions that improve safety, productivity and workflow. The company provides solutions to shared service centers and health system, hospital, long-term care, retail and government pharmacies. ARxIUM is the developer of the only fully automated IV compounding system in the market today, and offers automated packaging, dispensing, vial filling and high volume systems. In addition, the company provides inventory management, scheduling and workflow software, technical consulting, and system implementation assistance, among other services. ARxIUM is also the creator of the Pharmacy 4.0 approach, which seamlessly converges clinical pharmacy, central production and automation advancements into fully automated, interactive data processes. The approach allows pharmacies to better monitor and react in real-time to address patient care and medication delivery demands. For more information, visit www.arxium.com.

Read More About New Automated Robot System in Renown Health

Adam D. Porath, Pharm.D., BCACP, BCPS-AQ Cardiology is promoted to serve future generations and improve the health and well-being of Nevadans. Renown Health is excited to announce Dr. Adam Porath has been promoted to vice president, pharmacy to lead clinical pharmacy and pharmacy operations and ensure excellent care for patients and families.  “We are pleased to promote an experienced and talented leader like Dr. Adam Porath,” said Dawn D Ahner, DSc, FACHE, Chief Operating Officer, Acute Services. “Adam will continue to foster a culture of caring and excellence, while ensuring the highest level of pharmacy practice and experience for both care providers and patients.”  Dr. Porath has served in roles within pharmacy at Renown since 2006. Since June 2020, he has served as Interim Director of Pharmacy where he has led strategic planning for pharmacy operations, precepted students and residents, identified business growth opportunities, developed novel clinical pharmacy services and oversaw quality assurance of pharmacy operations. He began his career as a pharmacy practice resident at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.  “I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve the medical community and patients of Renown Health,” said Dr. Porath. “What a source of pride it is to be able to deliver the high-quality, compassionate patient care Renown is known for, and to help serve and lead in the pharmacy profession.” Dr. Porath received his doctor of pharmacy degree from Idaho State University. He is a board certified pharmacotherapy specialist with added qualifications in cardiology and board certified ambulatory care pharmacist. Dr. Porath has a BS in Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno.  Dr. Porath serves as adjunct clinical faculty for several colleges of pharmacy including the University of New England, Oregon State University, University of New Mexico, Idaho State University and University of Wyoming. He has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including CHEST, Clinical Infectious Diseases, and the Canadian Medical Association Journal.  Here in Nevada, Dr. Porath successfully lobbied the Nevada Legislature on behalf of the Nevada Society of Health System Pharmacists (NVSHP) to pass Collaborative Drug Therapy Management (CDTM) legislation in 2011, permitting Nevada pharmacists to adjust drug therapy per physician-signed protocol in any practice setting, as long as the pharmacist is under a physician’s direct supervision. Currently, 48 states permit some degree of CDTM. In 2017, Adam helped to pass further expansion of the pharmacy practice act. He is currently serving as a director at large of the NVSHP board. Dr. Porath has served as a state of Nevada delegate to the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) House of Delegates since 2012. In 2018, Dr. Porath was appointed to the Nevada Attorney General’s statewide partnership on the opioid crisis. In 2019, he was appointed to the ASHP Council on Public Policy.  In U.S. News and World Report Best Hospital rankings, Renown South Meadows Medical Center was listed #1 in the State of Nevada. Renown Regional Medical Center was named #2 Best Hospital in Nevada. A hospital's score is based on multiple data categories, including patient outcomes, safety and volumes. Hospitals earning a high performing rating were significantly better than the national average.  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, 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 Renown Health Welcomes New Vice President, Pharmacy