From Renown Intern to Supervisor: Meet Heather Townsend
With a can-do attitude and optimistic spirit, Heather Townsend has dedicated over 15 years to Renown. Climbing her way up from intern to her current role as a Clinical Pharmacist Supervisor, Heather has earned multiple awards for her dedication and achievements in healthcare. Well before her journey started at Renown, Heather’s fascination with pharmaceuticals started at a young age when she was living in rural Nevada and realized healthcare was hard to come by.
Tobacco and vaping products can harm nearly every organ in the body. They contribute to cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease. The good news is your body begins to heal soon after you quit:
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the United States. We spoke with Renown Health experts and local domestic violence prevention organizations who gave us a deeper look into understanding the warning signs of abuse and the many proactive and reactive resources in our community that you can reach out to today.
March is Child Life Month, a time to recognize the critical work of Child Life Specialists who help kids and families during hospital stays. Being in the hospital can feel scary, but Child Life Specialists make the experience easier by offering support, play, and education to help children understand what’s happening.
When an appliance or fixture stops working at home, who do you contact? If your lights stop working, you call an electrician. Is your air conditioning unit out of order? Reach out to an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technician. What about if your sewer drains start backing up? Time to contact a plumber. And if your fire safety equipment needs servicing? Better call a fire safety technician.
Up to half of all men and one-third of all women will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, according to the Nevada Cancer Coalition. Chances are, you or someone you care about has been affected by cancer and has witnessed the ultimate fight for life. More than likely, your loved one’s cancer journey involved radiation therapy – and in fact, more than half of cancer diagnoses are treated in whole or in part with radiation. At first glance, this treatment plan can sound scary to any person. With a cancer care journey, it takes a village, and at Renown Health, we have top-notch leaders of the village roads that lead to radiation.
Tobacco and vaping products can harm nearly every organ in the body. They contribute to cancer, heart disease, stroke and lung disease. The good news is your body begins to heal soon after you quit:
On the Horizon. As the first academic and clinical research enterprise in Nevada, Renown Health and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine partner to provide access to the region’s most advanced clinical trials. Our Office of Clinical Research supports numerous research efforts in various specialties and actively seeks new collaborations. Dozens of open clinical trials, including these, are currently underway at Renown Health.
As the leaves turn golden and the air gets crisper, it's not just pumpkin spice lattes that should be on your mind – it's also time to think about your health. Flu season is here, and we at Renown Health encourage you to do your part in keeping your community safe. How can you protect everyone around you? Through something called herd immunity.
Flu season is right around the corner, and as we move into fall, more people start getting sick with things like the flu or the common cold. It’s important to know how to stay healthy—and how to tell the difference between the two.
In 2024, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health has welcomed two new Philips echocardiography ultrasound machines.
Flu shots don’t just protect those who get vaccinated; they guard everyone, including your family and the community. Renown Health experts help us understand why everyone should get a flu shot, including children, pregnant women and older adults.
Summertime welcomes a wide variety of outdoor activities to enjoy, including swimming, hiking, exercising and more. However, did you know that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are more prevalent during the summer months—especially among women—due to several factors, including temperature, dehydration, prolonged exposure to wet clothing and an increased risk of bacteria spreading to sensitive areas?
Breast surgery at Renown Health is saving lives. Historically, Northern Nevada has had very fragmented breast cancer care, without the level of multidisciplinary integration seen at major cancer centers. Renown Health has taken the lead in creating a truly comprehensive breast center with two dedicated breast surgeons, breast fellowship-trained radiologists, an oncology wellness and survivorship specialist physician, and integrated specialists such as physical therapists, geneticists, nutritionists and social workers.
A Parent’s Guide to the First OB-GYN Visit for Teens
Wondering when to schedule your teens’ first gynecology visit? We've got you covered! Learn what to expect and how early care supports comfort, education and long-term health.
August is National Make-a-Will month. We talked to Renown Health Foundation Planned Giving Officer, Abbey Stephenson, to learn more about wills, trusts and estate plans and why you should feel motivated this month to get started.
Did you know that 2/3 of Americans don't have a will or trust? If this is you, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Although there are laws in place to determine who inherits your assets if you die without a will or trust, having a will or trust ensures your assets go where you want them to go after you are gone. They can also help minimize disputes between family members and heirs about who gets what. In Nevada, the laws that govern who gets what if you die without a will or trust can be found in Chapter 134 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
There are other documents that people often prepare at the same time as their will or trust – like an advance health care directive and durable power of attorney for assets. These documents all together are called an estate plan.
Although they have other purposes too (like nominating a guardian for a child, planning for disability or avoiding probate, which is a court process), wills and trusts are documents that say who will receive your assets after you are gone. The most common type of trust is often called a revocable living trust or a family trust. People who have a trust usually still have a will, although it is a shorter form of will called a pour-over will. It’s a good idea to talk to an estate planning attorney about whether or not a trust makes sense for your family or circumstances.
Now that you’re ready to get started, here are some mistakes to avoid:
It started with a sore knee. Ava was 17, a senior at Bishop Manogue High School in Reno. She played soccer for all four years. Fast, focused, and competitive.
From the Brink of Loss to a New Beginning: The Sloan Family’s ECMO Journey
It was the Fourth of July 2024, but for the Sloan family, there were no fireworks or festivities. Instead, Megan Sloan stood by her husband Darrin’s bedside in the intensive care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center, watching machines take over while monitoring his fragile condition. Just a week earlier, Darrin, a devoted father, husband and retired sergeant with the Carson City Sherif’s Office, had been full of energy. Now, he was fighting for his life.
Facial or chemical peels are a skin treatment that can help your face appear smoother and healthier. Chemical peels remove old, damaged skin cells on the surface, allowing new skin to grow making your face look brighter and more even-toned.
As the days get shorter and cooler, it may feel like you can stash away your sunscreen until next summer. But UV rays don’t take a seasonal break — and your skin still needs protection year-round.
If your skin is craving a glow-up, it’s time to treat yourself to the Classic Facial + Omnilux — the perfect combo of self-care and science, brought to you by the experts at Renown Dermatology, Laser & Skin Care. Think of it as a reset button for your face, just in time for summer. Whether you're prepping for poolside selfies or simply want to feel your freshest, this fun, feel-good treatment is your go-to.
