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Jason Farnsworth, Evan Fox and Jennifer Jenni are three of Renown’s more than 500 employees who currently serve, or who have served, in our miliary. Their deep-rooted passion for helping our community extends to the Nevada National Guard (NANG), an organization that shares many values with Renown. We sat down with Jason, Evan and Jenni to ask their perspective on what propels them to serve people in our home state and learn more about how Renown's partnership with the Nevada National Guard has supported their personal and professional growth. Meet Jason Farnsworth, the Face Behind Renown’s Partnership with the National Guard Jason Farnsworth is the Director of Respiratory Care Services at Renown and the Chief Master Sergeant, Medical Superintendent of the Nevada National Guard. He has been with the Guard and Renown for 23 years. Jason joined the Guard over 20 years ago to help pay for his college education. After using up his paid vacation time from Renown for Guard events like deployments or training in his initial years as a Guard member, Jason approached Renown senior leadership with the idea of paid military leave. “In full support of employees who choose to serve, Renown stepped up to give a resounding, ‘yes,’ as they have time and time again for our military community,” Jason said. From that day forward, policies were implemented at Renown to further support individuals who serve our country with paid military leave. As a result, Jason submitted an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Secretary of Defense Freedom Award nomination and Renown Health won the highest-level department of defense employer recognition in the nation. Since then, Jason has received four associate degrees, one bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree with the government’s support and has been promoted several times to his current roles at Renown and the Guard. “As I progressed at Renown, I was able to progress in the National Guard. They've complimented one another on leadership skills and clinical competencies.” How Evan Fox Finds Synergy in His Roles at Renown and the National Guard After five years as a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) nurse at Renown Regional Medical Center and two years as a First Lieutenant Critical Care Nurse in the Guard, Evan Fox has implemented care plans for many community members and put his expertise to good use. The countless trauma hours he has completed at Renown have directly translated to the field as a Guard member. He states that “his roles are synergistic, and his innumerable hours of critical care are worth their weight in gold because of the transferability between the two positions.” Evan’s Roles Provide Service to Our Community, and Beyond Evan feels passionately that his experience with the Guard is unique because you live in the area that you serve, whereas with other military branches you are often stationed elsewhere. Recently, he’s cared for many people involved in firefighting missions in our surrounding areas. As a member of the medical group of the Nevada National Guard, Evan is prepared to provide critical care at any given moment in the event of deployment due to a natural or man-made disaster. He can provide critical care in our region and across the nation. How Jennifer’s Leadership Journey Continues to Grow Jennifer Jenni is the nurse manager of the cardiac ICU and intermediate care unit at Renown Regional Medical Center. She has been with Renown for 13 years and initially started at Renown South Meadows Medical Center in the general surgical unit. She felt compelled to take advantage of Renown’s development programs as she worked her way up to supervisor and now as a manager. She is also a registered nurse and captain in the Nevada National Guard as well as a member of an enhanced resource force team, equipped to provide aid anywhere in the nation in the event of a disaster. With Jennifer, People Always Come First Her dedication to serving people has always been a part of who she is, even before she became a leader. From an early age, Jennifer felt strongly that she wanted to be involved in the military in some way stating that “the Guard is very much a service to the people, whether it's our community or nationwide.” While her clinical leadership qualities and skills have translated well to her role as a captain, holding two leadership titles is no easy feat – especially when it comes to the continued training her roles require. However, because of the support Renown provides its military community, Jennifer was able to confidently attend officer training in Alabama last year. Jennifer was fully supported by her Renown team when she was away and took advantage of her paid military leave benefit. More Than Just a Partnership, but a Family Jason, Evan and Jennifer are among the many employees who choose to serve both here at Renown and in the Guard. You might see National Guard members who are also Renown employees in areas like the cardiac ICU, trauma ICU, emergency department or medics who work on hospital floors. “Not only is my family out at the National Guard, but they are also here at Renown. It’s amazing to see how many people spend their lives giving back,” Jason said.

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Renown Health patient, Alden Nash, hiking Death Valley National Park just three months after a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement. Alden Nash isn’t your average 80-year-old. For much of his life, he could be found outdoors enjoying nature and hiking some of the west coast’s highest elevations. A husband and father of two, Alden turned his passion into a career as a Yellowstone park ranger in 1965. Alden believes his passion for the outdoors is responsible for his many years of health – until the unavoidable happened. The Hardest Climb The number one doctor recommendation for a healthy heart – lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Any cardiologist would be thrilled to have Alden as a patient due to his robust physical activity regimen. “Don’t have a TV set or a lounge chair in your house and you’re all set,” said Alden when asked how he has remained so fit throughout his senior years. Unfortunately, many other factors come into play when it comes to heart health, one of which is the reason we are telling Alden’s story today. Familial history - it’s a hot topic in the world of medicine. Understanding your genetic risk factors can help care providers develop updated care plans based on your results. Alden’s family has a long history of high cholesterol, which he avoided for much of his life by staying active. This combined with his age resulted in his first heart attack in December 2021. Doctors later determined that Alden was suffering from a type of heart valve disease known as aortic valve stenosis. Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of your aortic valve opening that impedes normal blood flow. Over time, the leaflets of your aortic valve become stiff, reducing their ability to fully open and close. When the leaflets don’t fully open, your heart must work harder to push blood through the aortic valve of your body. Eventually, your heart gets weaker, increasing the risk of heart failure. People who are most at risk for aortic stenosis include those who have had certain heart conditions present at birth, have chronic kidney disease or have heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. However, generally, aortic stenosis is a degenerative process of aging with no modifiable risk factors. The incidence of aortic stenosis increases rapidly with age and is very common above the age of 80 – with 1/10 having the condition and 1/50 with a problem severe enough to warrant surgery. When symptoms are present, the disease can be rapidly disabling or even deadly, often progressing over several months unless treated.

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Most babies weigh just one pound and are roughly the size of an eggplant when they reach 24 weeks of development inside the womb. It is a crucial stage when internal organs begin functioning, and the babies' respiratory and central nervous systems are still developing.     So, in November 2021 when Kallie Johnson experienced a premature rupture of amniotic fluid around this point in her pregnancy, her care team in Winnemucca decided to transport her via Care Flight to Renown Regional Medical Center. The team at Renown Children’s Hospital immediately began discussing the risks of delivering at 24 weeks with the Johnson family.  Moving Forward with Hope Knowing the stakes, Kallie remembers never feeling rushed to decide about delivering her baby preterm. “I felt educated and supported by my care team at Renown throughout our entire stay, starting with the education they provided about what it meant to deliver my baby early,” Kallie said. “The team really helped me make the best decision for myself and my family.”    Together, Renown employees and the Johnson family moved forward with a healthy set of nerves and a powerful feeling of hope.  Weighing in at one pound 11 ounces, Sloan entered the world on Nov. 19, 2021, via emergency Cesarean section. Her birth was classified as a micro preemie because she was born before week 26 of pregnancy and so small that she fit inside the palm of her father Sterling’s hand. A full-term pregnancy is classified as reaching 39 weeks.   A Fighting Chance  Called a fighter by many Renown Children’s Hospital care team members, Sloan spent over five months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She was placed on a ventilator, fed through a feeding tube and monitored 24/7, overcoming daily challenges with the Renown team and her family.  As a result of being born prematurely, Sloan developed a grade one brain bleed and a congenital heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus, a persistent opening between two major blood vessels, causing too much blood to flow to the lungs and heart.   To meet the oxygen needs of her tiny lungs, Sloan was intubated and developed a severe oral aversion and high-arched palate as a result. The effects would lead to difficult developmental and physical challenges that she still conquers today. Yet, with the help of her care team – including physical, occupational and speech therapists, dieticians and doctors – Sloan continues to make progress every day.

Read More About A Fighting Chance at 24 Weeks Sloans Story