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Renown Health Welcomes New Chief Nursing Officer

October 29, 2020
debra adornetto garcia cheif nursing officer headshot

Debra Adornetto-Garcia, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, AOCN, joins as chief nursing officer, acute services to serve future generations and improve the health and well-being of Nevadans.

Renown Health is excited to announce Debra Adornetto-Garcia, DNP, RN, is joining Renown Health as its chief nursing officer (CNO) for acute hospital services. In her role as CNO, acute services, Dr. Adornetto-Garcia will lead acute care hospital nursing and collaborate with leadership in designing patient care and services that ensure excellent care for patients and families.

“We are pleased to welcome such an experienced and talented leader like Dr. Debra Adornetto-Garcia to our organization and to northern Nevada,” said Tony Slonim, MD, DrPH, president and CEO, Renown Health. “As chief nursing officer for acute services, Debra will continue to foster a culture of caring and excellence, while ensuring the highest level of nursing practice and experience for our registered nurses and hospital patients.

Says Dawn D. Ahner, DSc, FACHE, chief operating officer, acute services, “Debra is a dynamic, collaborative, innovative senior executive with academic, community, ambulatory and acute hospital experience. Dr. Adornetto-Garcia has been an influential change agent in leading teams to create innovative delivery models and elevate nursing practice through shared accountability.”

Debra comes to Renown from CHRISTUS Health in Corpus Christi, Texas where she has served as their CNO. She has also held senior nursing roles with Banner Health & Banner MD Anderson in Ariz., The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. She began her career as an oncology nurse with experience in radiation, chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve the nursing community and patients of Renown Health in Nevada,” said Dr. Adornetto-Garcia. “How exciting to be able to deliver the high-quality, compassionate patient care Renown is known for, and to help serve and lead in the hospital nursing profession.”

Debra has a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, a Master of Adult Health Nursing (Clinical Nurse Specialist/Oncology specialty) and a BSN from Northern Illinois University.

Former chief nursing officer for acute hospital services, Dr. Jennifer Richards, retired from Renown after 21 years of nursing service.

Renown Health hospitals include Renown Regional Medical Center, Renown South Meadows Medical Center, Renown Children’s Hospital and Renown Rehabilitation Hospital. In U.S. News and World Report Best Hospital rankings, Renown South Meadows Medical Center was listed #1 in the State of Nevada (tied with Carson Tahoe Medical Center). Renown Regional Medical Center was named #2 Best Hospital in Nevada.

Renown has also earned the highest award from American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the Beacon Award for Excellence for its Intensive Care Units (ICUs) based on performance and patient outcomes that exceed national benchmarks. Renown has the only intensive care units awarded this distinction in Nevada.



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.

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Renown's 2027-2029 Community Health Implementation Strategy & Funding Opportunities

Today, Renown Health released its 2027-2029 Community Health Implementation Strategy, outlining how the health system will work alongside community partners to address the most pressing health needs identified through the 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Additionally, applications are now open for Renown's 2027 grant cycle. As northern Nevada's largest independent, locally owned not-for-profit academic health system, Renown Health reinvests 100% of its profits back into programs, services and partnerships that improve community health. "The Community Health Needs Assessment helped us understand where our community faces the greatest challenges and opportunities," said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO, Renown Health. "Our implementation strategy represents our commitment to action. Through collaboration, investment and measurable goals, we will continue working alongside community partners to improve health outcomes across northern Nevada. As a not-for-profit academic health system, this work is imperative to our commitment to improving our community's health and ensuring our resources are directed toward areas of greatest need.” The three-year strategy focuses on four priority areas identified through the CHNA: mental health, access to health services, economic stability, and health risk behaviors and early detection. To support implementation of these priorities, Renown is opening applications for community funding opportunities designed to advance local solutions to identified health needs. The 2027-2029 Community Health implementation strategy is available here.
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Renown Health Names Paige McCall CEO of Golisano Children's Hospital and Women's Services

“As Nevada's only not-for-profit academic health system, we are living up to our commitment of expanding access in order to meet the healthcare needs of our rapidly growing community,” said Brian Erling, MD, MBA, President and CEO of Renown Health. “Our plan to expand access to pediatric care through the Golisano Children's Hospital focuses on bringing new and advanced pediatric care options. Additionally, it prioritizes training and recruiting the best talent to our community through our academic integration with the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.”
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