Our Story.

Renown Health: A Legacy of Care, Innovation & Community

As the Region's only not-for-profit Health System, Renown Health contributes 100% of its Profits to the Community We Serve.

Renown Health has been a pillar of health and well-being in northern Nevada for over 160 years. Founded in 1862 as Washoe Health System during a smallpox outbreak, we have grown from a small clinic into a nationally recognized, not-for-profit integrated health network dedicated to patient-centered care.

A History of Firsts in Northern Nevada

• 1862 – Established as Washoe Health System to respond to a smallpox outbreak.
• 1864 – Became the area's first hospital when Nevada achieved statehood.
• 1876 – Opened the first 40-bed hospital facility in the region.
• 1949 – First pediatrics unit in the region opens.
• 1963 – First pacemaker implant in the region.
• 1964 – Washoe Medical Center expands to 300 beds.
• 1977 – First open-heart surgery and first cardiac catheterization in the region.
• 1979 – University of Nevada, Reno establishes first residency program at Washoe Medical Center.
• 1984 – The medical center and the healthcare organization were transferred to Washoe Health Systems, a private non-profit organization.
• 1988 – Launched Hometown Health, our not-for-profit insurance division.
• 1989 – Region's first dialysis center opened at Washoe Medical Center.
• 1996 – Earned a Medicare contract, offering Senior Care Plus, a Medicare Advantage Plan.
• 1999 – First intravascular brachytherapy procedure in northern Nevada

Expanding Innovation & Specialized Care

• 2002 – Washoe Institute for Neurosciences and Washoe Comprehensive Stroke Center, the only facilities of their kind in the region, open at Washoe Medical Center.
• 2004 – First and only PET/CT for diagnosing and treating cancer patients and bi-plane angiography services in the region introduced.
• 2006 – Rebranded as Renown Health, reflecting our commitment to innovation and excellence.
• 2007 – Opened the Tahoe Tower at Renown Regional Medical Center, a 10-story patient care tower with cutting-edge technology
• 2008 – Became the first hospital in northern Nevada to perform robotic surgery using the da Vinci Surgical System.
• 2009 – Opened the region's first and only Children’s Emergency Room at Renown Regional Medical Center and is the region's only Children's Miracle Network Hospital
• 2012 – The Renown Regional Medical Center opened a new pediatric intensive care unit and pediatric floor in February.

Leading Health & Research in Nevada

• 2016 – Partnered with 23andMe and the Desert Research Institute to launch the Healthy Nevada Project, a groundbreaking population health study providing free genetic testing to northern Nevadans.
• 2018 – Expanded the Healthy Nevada Project to screen participants for CDC Tier 1 genetic conditions.
• 2020 – Established Western Clinical Alliance, a clinically integrated network improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.
• 2020 – Partnered with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, creating Nevada’s first fully integrated health system.
• 2021 – Renown Health affiliates with University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.
• 2023 – Renown Regional Medical Center opened a trauma intensive care unit floor in April. In June, a new pediatric intensive care unit and neonatal intensive care unit floor opened.
• 2024 – Renown Regional Medical Center receives verification as a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center.
• 2024 – Renown Transplant Institute opens and begins offering life-saving treatment through its Kidney Transplant Program. It also adds Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machines and a da Vinci 5 robot to its technology.
• 2025 – The Specialty Care Center at Renown South Meadows opens, bringing a 121,000 square-foot expansion to the campus.