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Everyday, Renown salutes its more than 150 active military and veterans on staff. Becca Gilbert, a Renown trauma nurse, is an example of the many outstanding service members at Renown who are serving both their country and their community. Becca Gilbert, BSN, RN, wears many uniforms. When she’s not wearing scrubs in her role as a trauma nurse in the intensive care unit of Renown Regional Medical Center, she’s wearing fatigues as a first lieutenant in the Nevada Air National Guard. “Service is huge,” says Becca Gilbert, RN, of her role in the Air Guard. “It’s something that is ingrained in me and a big part of who I am as a person. I find a lot of pride in being a part of something that is bigger than what is going on in my world.” Renown Health was named one of 15 recipients across the nation — and the only health system in the U.S. — for the Department of Defense’s highest employer award, the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, for exceptional support of its military employees. The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves and Renown held a ceremony June 29 to recognize the award and to honor representatives of Renown who currently serve in the Guard and Reserves. With her Air Guard background, Gilbert is preassigned veteran patients at the Renown ICU. She says she’s able to relate to the veterans and their families and create a quick bond with them. “I’ve been assigned patients who are guard members with traumatic injuries — it’s good but hard,” Gilbert explains. “But I really love working with patients who are veterans.” Gilbert’s first career was as a veterinarian technician. Then enlisted in the Nevada Air National Guard in August 2008 — following in her father’s footsteps — and trained to serve as an EMT. While she was a medic, she went to nursing school for her second bachelor’s degree and was able to commission as an officer after graduation. Serving Our Community Gilbert says her work in the guard offers benefits that help with her job responsibilities at Renown, where she’s worked for four years. “At Renown, we are really a team and rely on each other to make sure there are good outcomes,” she says. “In the guard, officers are often put in charge, which teaches you a lot of things — organization, decision making and thinking of others. I think all of those things go hand-in-hand with my role as a nurse, especially in the ICU. People in the guard count on you as an officer and leader, and that is really important in the ICU when patients are counting on you for a positive outcome.” Gilbert’s responsibilities in the guard vary, including training for disaster relief missions and ensuring service members are fit and healthy enough to perform their jobs. “Training is a large part of the military — trauma training, physical fitness training and staying current on certifications,” she says. Locally she also leads the Self Aid Buddy Care program, a United States Air Force program that encompasses basic life support and limb-saving techniques to help wounded or injured personnel survive in medical emergencies until medical help is available. With the guard, Gilbert has also been involved in a bleeding-control program for volunteers in the community. She teaches community groups how to stop bleeding if they are a bystander to a car accident or other type of event, and is working with Renown trauma surgeon Marty Bain, M.D. to implement the program at Renown as well. Making a Difference Abroad In January, Gilbert was presented with an opportunity through the Nevada Guard State Partnership Program to travel outside the United States to the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific and work at the Women and Children Crisis Centre, which assists families who are dealing with domestic violence. Gilbert praised the women who work at the center for their efforts towards change, as she says domestic violence is common in Tonga. “The women who work at the Women and Children Crisis Centre are pioneers,” she says. “They are trying to make changes by documenting what is going on and providing statistics to the lords and kings of Tonga. Some of it still isn’t accepted, but they continue to help the women and children of Tonga. They are helping so many people.” Renown Health salutes Gilbert for her tireless service to her country and her community here at home.

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Learn more about a Renown Health nurse who formed a nonprofit to help other families through loss. After the unexpected loss of her young husband, a Renown Health nurse turned her grief into helping other families navigate the loss of a family member. Jen Walker, RN, MSN, director of clinical excellence, lost her high school sweetheart and husband of eight years when he passed away in October 2015, while their two boys, age 7 and 9, lost their father. Walker, a nurse at Renown since 2003, was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support she received from the Reno community. It inspired her to want to help others in the same situation. “After Travis passed, the community did some amazing things for me,” Walker says. “I got really motivated to do the same thing and to give back, so that’s when I came up with starting The Journey Within.” The Journey Within organization provides support and resources for young families who have lost a close family member. Before officially starting her organization, Walker used some of the money she received after her husband passed and personally donated to three families. And with the help of four board members, Jen officially started The Journey Within in February 2017, and they have helped six families so far. One of the board members is her sister, Anny Goff. “She thought of creating this foundation in the darkest time of her family’s life,” Goff says. “She knew there would be other families that would need help and support and immediately wanted to help others. It showed incredible strength and courage to keep moving forward.” Nursing Careers at Renown Health Nurses at Renown Health demonstrate a commitment to patients and their families through the integration of care, clinical expertise, education, evidence-based practice and the pursuit of quality patient outcomes. Learn more about our mission, vision and values and the benefits of a career in nursing at Renown Health today. Explore Nursing at Renown Walker’s organization supports families through financial donations, which she funds through two yearly fundraisers. The Travy Tourney is a golf tournament held in memory of Travis, and the “Let’s Toast to Travis Fundraiser” event raffles prizes and merchandise. Along with financial support, The Journey Within helps families connect with other community resources, such as counseling and grief therapy services. Walker hopes to expand her nonprofit’s fundraising and support for families beyond the Reno-Tahoe community. Because of her outstanding work at Renown and in the community, Walker recently received a 20 Under 40 award from the Reno-Tahoe Young Professionals Network. She has also received a Women of Achievement award, a Leader of the Quarter award and has been nominated four times for Northern Nevada Nurses of Achievement. “She is strong and resilient and cares a lot about people,” says Jen Richards, chief nursing officer, acute care services. “She never settles for the status quo and is always pushing our team to do better.” In navigating her own loss and starting a nonprofit to give back, Walker has learned a lot about the community. “I’ve gained a tremendous amount of respect for the community as a whole, but especially for the young community,” she says. “Seeing the young people in the community who have been willing to give back and live really selflessly has been amazing to me.” As someone who lost her husband, helping young families who have gone through the loss of a close loved one can hit close to home for Walker, but that doesn’t stop her — it fuels her. “That’s one of the hardest parts about doing this — it takes you back a little bit,” she says. “But it’s just a very good reminder of ‘why.’ Because when I get to talk with these families, I realize that now I am that person who is there to listen. I just want them to know that they’re talking to someone who’s been through something similar.”

Read More About The Journey Within: Helping Others Through Grief

Registered Nurse Tori Tembey (left) shared how her co-worker and fellow RN Jennifer Payne helped a patient with his pet's end-of-life arrangements. "It was such a selfless act that Jennifer took the time to do this for the patient.” Tembey says. Pets become members of our own family, and when they are ill or at the end of their lives, it can be devastating for their owners. During a hospital stay, a Renown patient was faced with the difficult decision to euthanize their terminally ill pet. A Renown registered nurse stepped in to help in some pretty remarkable ways. Back in high school, Jennifer Payne wanted to be a veterinarian. She worked in a veterinary hospital and planned to attend veterinary school, but struggled with some of the situations she faced. “I have a lot of compassion for animals,” Payne explains. “And some of the things I saw while working at the vet — like people bringing in their cat saying, ‘I’m moving, you need to put this cat down’ — wasn’t OK with me, and wasn’t what I wanted to do.” She changed course and went into nursing, but recently drew upon her early experiences working with pets and their owners to help a Renown patient in an extraordinary way. Payne now works in the trauma intensive care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center, where she recently observed a county animal control officer visiting a patient. The patient was visibly upset — they learned their dog was terminally ill and in poor health, and a veterinarian was recommending euthanasia. The patient had lost another dog just before Christmas. The patient hoped to have his ill dog similarly cremated, but animal control does not perform cremation. “I overheard all of this and thought, ‘this is the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard,’” Payne says. She offered to pick up the dog, have him cremated and bring the ashes to the patient. She also took up a collection with her Renown colleagues to pay for the cremation. The next day — her day off — Payne and her young daughter picked up the ashes and brought them to the patient at the hospital. “He couldn’t even talk because he was crying so much,” Payne says. “He said ‘I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. You’re a wonderful person.’ There was a friend in the room who asked what my daughter’s name was, and I said ‘Estelle.’ The friend said, ‘Estelle, your mother is an angel.’” Payne, who has a golden retriever of her own, says she knows what it’s like to have “fur babies,” and she could see how important this dog was to the patient. “It was great to be able to do this for him,” she says. Renown salutes nurses like Jennifer Payne, who are making a genuine difference everyday in the lives of patients and in the community.

Read More About Caring for the Whole Family: Renown Nurse Helps Patient with Ailing Pet

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 – 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. “I wanted to honor the memory of my mother, who was a registered nurse in a small-town hospital in Iowa.,” said Stephanie. “I 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.” 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. Stephanie’s 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. “As nurses, we are entrusted with our patients’ lives,” said Melodie Osborn, Chief Nurse Executive at Renown Health. “We have the privilege of caring for people in their most vulnerable time and helping those who cannot help themselves. Stephanie’s 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.” 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. “I have a soft spot in my heart for organizations who strive against all odds to help those with the greatest needs,” said Stephanie.

Read More About Getting to Know Stephanie Kruse

Medical emergencies like strokes and heart attacks still happen, even in a pandemic. That’s why Renown Health is always ready to provide emergency care to patients in need, and being admitted at Renown does not put patients at risk of getting COVID-19. When to Get Emergency Care Resources like Renown Virtual Visits have allowed us to stay home while making routine visits with our primary care physician. But, if you are feeling any of the following symptoms, please call 911 or have someone you know take you to the emergency room. Symptoms that may require emergency care: Heart attack Stroke symptoms Difficulty breathing Chest pain Seizure Sudden loss of consciousness Severe abdominal pain Serious allergic reaction Fighting the Good Fight for Our Patients Renown Health provides a clean and safe environment 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day. Alongside regular sanitation practices, Renown is dedicated to protecting patients from infectious disease while providing emergency care. Staff, Care Providers and Visitors Wear Masks Every staff member, care provider and visitor is wearing a mask. Additionally, providers are following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on wearing protective equipment, such as masks and gloves. Respiratory Illness Screenings for Everyone Care providers and staff members are participating in respiratory illness screenings. Therefore, any care provider or staff member with a fever, cough, difficulty breathing or severe respiratory illness is not on a Renown campus. Visitor Restrictions are in Place Visitor restrictions are in place to prevent the spread of infectious disease by practicing physical distance. Because of these restrictions, Renown is only allowing one visitor per patient for with extenuating circumstances. Staying healthy and safe means caring for yourself in emergency situations, too. Please do not hesitate to call 911 when you or a loved one are in need of emergency medical care. Virtually Visit a Renown Urgent Care Login to MyChart to “get in line” for a virtual urgent care visit between 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Login to MyChart

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There are many lenses through which to view health. As you would expect, medical providers typically focus on the health of individual patients. For example, doctors consider a person’s symptoms, their current lifestyle, their past medical history, and their family’s history to diagnose medical conditions and recommend treatments. The Public Health Perspective Public health professionals look beyond the health of an individual and instead focus on the health of an entire community or population of people. They strive to achieve “the greatest good for the greatest number.” As the CEO of a health system, I feel fortunate to have education and training in both medicine and public health. As Renown Health’s leader, it is my responsibility to care for the people and communities we serve. That involves bringing world-class staff and innovative medical care to northern Nevada. We also focus on prevention by looking for ways to improve health outside of our facilities. That means partnering with local organizations to address the social, economic, and environmental factors that shape our health. Or working with local government to create policies that help to prevent disease and injury. In order to make a genuine and long-lasting impact on health, we must foster a community that helps our neighbors live well. Public health is especially important during times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that we’re experiencing now. During these times, health systems must be able to swiftly shift focus from prioritizing the needs of individual patients to considering what is best for our local population. For example, we may need to temporarily limit hospital visitors or educate the public about how to socially distance in order to stop the spread of disease. Being prepared to make this shift and having strong relationships with our local health department and community organizations help us better serve the public. In both good times and bad, I am thankful that my public health background provides me with the perspective to look beyond our health system and embrace the health our community.

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We get it – the entire world has been overwhelmed with COVID-19 vaccine information, questions and celebrations around vaccines developed to combat COVID-19 induring the past several months. It’s hard to know where to start in digesting all this news and information. But one thing is clear: healthcare experts agree that the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and recommended to help end this pandemic. If you are passionate about stepping up in your community to encourage the vaccination efforts, we’re offering a few ideas on how you can be an ambassador. Find the Facts Content on the vaccine is abundant, but and there’s a few resources that we can all rely on to help digest the information: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updates its website content around the vaccine regularly, and also offerings information in Spanish. Health departments across the U.S. are leading the way in distribution logistics planning, and partnering with other providers, like such as hospitals and pharmacies, to distribute give people doses. Their websites are great resources to understand options where you live. Locally, check out washoecounty.gov/health/programs-and-services/environmental-health/covid-19-guidance for vaccine updates in Washoe County. Many providers like Renown Health and other providers are sharing content around their recommendations for the vaccine. Get answers about the vaccine types from one of our pharmacists, read common concerns addressed by experts and view videos from many doctors and other specialists on our YouTube Channel.

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Getting the COVID-19 booster is the best way to protect yourself from severe illness or death due to COVID-19, and both the CDC and the FDA have approved booster shots for people ages 18 and older. So, with the holidays right around the corner and infection rates on the rise both in Nevada and nationally, the best thing you can do to prevent the continued spread of this deadly virus is to get boosted today. The Basics: Who: It is recommended that everyone 18 years or older get a COVID-19 booster shot. When: At least 6 months after completing your primary COVID-19 vaccination series. What: Any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States. The CDC allows for mix and match dosing for booster shots. How: To make an appointment for your COVID-19 vaccine booster, please visit vaccines.gov today. Appointment Reminders: Don’t forget to bring your CDC vaccination record card to your appointment. Refresh yourself on the potential side effects and remember that these are normal signs your body is building up protection. Commonly Asked Questions: Q: Does anything change if I received the Johnson & Johnson as my first COVID-19 vaccine? A: If you received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, you are elidable for a booster two months after completing your primary vaccine. Q: Is the formula the same for the boosters as it was for the primary vaccine? A: COVID-19 booster shots are the same formulation as the current COVID-19 vaccines. However, in the case of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, it is half the dose of the vaccine people get for their primary series. Q: Am I still considered “fully vaccinated” if I don’t receive a COVID-19 booster shot. A: Yes, everyone is still considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-shot series, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as the J&J/Janssen vaccine. All information courtesy of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. All information courtesy of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Read More About COVID-19 Booster Shots, What You Need to Know

Getting a shot can be scary for kids and anxiety-inducing for parents and caregivers. With flu shot season well underway and children's COVID-19 vaccine clinics in full swing, we wanted to share ways to reduce the stress for you and your child. Plan Ahead and Be Honest A few days before the scheduled appointment, casually mention to your child that you’re both going to the doctor’s office (or vaccine clinic, or pharmacy) soon for their vaccine. Explain to them that this will help protect them and will only take a second. Being honest is important, telling your child that it will hurt for a moment. If possible, try and schedule the vaccine at a kid-specific vaccine clinic, your pediatrician's office or a school-based site. Remember that words are powerful. Take notice if you are using a word that might make them more upset, such as prick, jab, needle or shot. You can interchange words such as vaccine, immunization or injection. Bring Toys Don’t be afraid to let your child bring one of their favorite toys or stuffed animals to the appointment. This can make them feel more comfortable and provide distraction. Ask for Pain Reliever/Numbing Agent If you know from past experience (or suspect) that your child has a needle phobia, talk to the vaccination location ahead of time and ask if they can use a pain reliever or numbing agent before administering the vaccine. Distract. Distract. Distract. Sing a song, tell them a joke, make a funny face. If you can pull your child’s attention away from the needle and make them laugh, they won’t focus all their energy on worrying about the shot. Lead By Example If you haven't gotten your flu shot, COVID shot or COVID-19 booster yet, ask the facility ahead of time if you can also get a shot before your child. Show them that the shot is no big deal and that they will have no problem getting it themselves. Celebrate Don’t be afraid to celebrate this victory with your child once it is over – bring them to the park, go out for an ice cream cone, let them pick what’s for dinner. This reward will show that you’re proud of them for being brave and may also make the next time your child is due for a shot easier.

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In recent years, workplace violence against healthcare workers has been on the rise. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about 75 percent of nearly 25,000 reported annual workplace assaults occur in healthcare and social service settings. Those who don’t work in healthcare may be surprised to learn that violent altercations are so common in our field. Hospital settings can create fear and stress for patients and their families. Pain, mind-altering medications and drugs, and difficult prognoses can amplify these feelings. While inappropriate responses may be understandable, violence cannot be tolerated. As the leader of a health system, protecting our employees is an issue that I take seriously. Reporting Workplace Violence Unfortunately, sometimes employees don’t report dangerous incidents fearing they might be blamed, or not realizing it’s a reportable offense. At Renown Health, we take these events seriously. We have clear, mandatory policies and protocols for reporting and investigating violent incidents. Each incident is investigated to ensure follow through and accountability. We also teach de-escalation skills to our hospital security teams, clinicians, and other frontline employees. As an added layer of protection, Renown Health has a first-rate security team that closely monitors activity on our campuses, addressing potential issues before they escalate. Our organization values our partnerships with community organizations including local law enforcement agencies like the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Reno Police Department. Renown Health maintains a close relationship with these partners, and we alert them when our care teams experience an increase in violent incidents. I also recognize that workplace violence is a national problem that demands collaborative solutions. That’s why I am also proud to serve as a member of the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals Against Violence Advisory Committee. Nurses, doctors, paramedics, and frontline health workers care for us every day. It’s our responsibility to support them by ensuring they feel safe at work.

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Vaccines that provide protection against the COVID-19 virus are bringing us closer to the end of this deadly pandemic. Two different COVID-19 vaccines are currently available in the U.S. today: one from Pfizer and the other from Moderna. Kate Ward, PharmD, BCPS, Director of Clinical Pharmacy at Renown Health and Adam Porath, PharmD, Vice President of Pharmacy at Renown, share what you need to know about these vaccines. When two COVID-19 vaccines were approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2020, it was cause for celebration. Why? Because according to the CDC, the vaccines are 94 percent or more effective in providing protection against the COVID-19 virus! Many people are seeking information about the new Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. Below, our pharmacy leaders provide answers to some commonly asked questions. How do the COVID-19 Vaccines Work? The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both mRNA vaccines that help your immune system develop antibodies against the COVID-19 virus. The vaccines use messenger RNA, or mRNA, to show our bodies’ protein-making cells how to make the spike proteins of the COVID-19 virus. Our immune system reacts to these spike proteins by creating antibodies that can recognize and destroy them. So when a person is exposed to the virus in the future, they will be less likely to get sick. What are the Differences between the Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines? The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are very similar, with just a few small differences worth noting. The main difference between the two vaccines is when you should receive your follow-up dose. Patients who receive a first dose of Pfizer should receive their second dose about three weeks later. Those who receive a first dose of Moderna should receive their follow-up vaccination roughly four weeks after their first dose. People 18 years and older can receive the Moderna vaccine while people 16 years and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. Dosage for the Moderna vaccine is 0.5 ml (100 mcg). Dosage for the Pfizer vaccine is 0.3 ml (30 mcg).

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Renown Health is one of the country’s first health systems to lift visitor restrictions for patients with COVID-19 and encourage the family to be at the patient’s bedside. Read Darlene and Dave’s story to understand why we’re updating our visitor policy. Dave and Darlene Randolph found joy in exploring antique shops and garage sales to find damaged or discarded vintage pieces. Dave would spend many hours scraping, cleaning, sanding, and refinishing items, transforming them into functional, beautiful pieces of furniture. Every piece in their home rekindles a memory and has a story to tell. On Thanksgiving, when Dave was too ill to gather around their antique dining room table, Darlene called the ambulance. Ailing with COVID-19 for two weeks, Dave had not been improving. When the EMTs reached her home and asked Darlene what underlying conditions he had, she said, “all of them.” David was seriously ill. Hospitalized for COVID-19, their communications options were limited. The only way Darlene could communicate with Dave was on a video call or by telephone. Dave spent 17 days hospitalized at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. Darlene spent 17 days waiting by the phone for more information on his condition. Darlene said he had “up days and down days,” but thought he might be home, sitting at their antique dinner table for Christmas. Sadly, Dr. David Randolph lost his battle with COVID-19 on December 13, 2020, and died as he slept in a hospital bed. When Darlene wrote his obituary for the newspaper, she gave thanks to the “tremendous nurses and doctors at Renown Regional Medical Center, for providing his care during a time when the family could not be with him.” Taking Action to Inspire Change Darlene wished she could have been there. Over their 45-year marriage, she had always been there. Darlene said, “I had always been at his bedside, as his advocate, to help communicate and straighten things out.” As a registered dietician, she worked in hospitals, knew the protocol, and knew that Renown had a restricted visitor policy to stop the virus’s spread- to other patients, staff, and their family members. Still, she wished she could have spent more time with him. On Christmas Eve, she sat down and wrote to Renown leadership. “As the wife of a COVID patient who recently passed away in your hospital, I want to express my thanks to you and your staff for the care he received in the last days of his life. I am aware that the nurses and staff are working under dangerous conditions and risking their health and lives by caring for multiple COVID patients. The staff is gracious, concerned, and doing everything they can.” She continued, “I know procedures are changing every hour to try to stay ahead of this dangerous virus, and I am sharing my experiences, hoping they will be helpful when establishing policies that impact families.” Darlene explained that despite receiving assurances that Dave’s nurse or a doctor would call daily, sometimes they would forget. She explains in her letter, “how important it is, in these times when the family cannot visit, and has only infrequent communication and is anxiously waiting at home for information about their loved one, how much it means to get a call from someone caring for him at the hospital. If there is a way you can help assure nurses have time to make calls or assist patients in making calls because it is an important part of patient care.” A Person-Centered Visitor Policy After receiving her letter, Renown leadership called Mrs. David Randolph to thank her, offer his sympathies and ask if Renown could help in any way. Darlene asked if he might reconsider allowing families to visit hospital patients during treatment for COVID-19. As the COVID-19 situation has evolved, the policy has as well. Renown hospitals and medical practices now encourage limited visitors for all patients, including those diagnosed with COVID-19. Renown also has extra safety measures to protect the health of patients, visitors and healthcare employees. Darlene is very pleased that her letter inspired this shift in visitor policies for patients with COVID-19. She says, “I have always tried to think of ways I could help other families. Especially those senior couples where one has been hospitalized and the other is home. My wish is to help others.” Renown Health Visitor Policy Renown Health patients may identify two healthy adult “patient supporters” to accompany them on their hospital stay. For more details, visit our Patient Supporter Guidelines page.

Read More About Reno Widow Inspires New Visitor Policy for Renown