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Unfortunately, many in our community go to bed hungry. Thanks to the support of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and other local partners, Renown’s food pantry is helping meet the food needs of homeless and low-income individuals in our community. Patients who qualify for the “Food is Medicine Prescription” can receive a bag of food for themselves and each member of their immediate family every week through a free assistance program. This project started last year when Renown began giving food support to hospital and emergency room patients who expressed the need. Food is also given out at the Healthcare Center, which provides affordable access to care for anyone in our community. Those who receive care at the Healthcare Center are also eligible for food assistance. Working Alongside the Community After receiving food deliveries from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Renown’s community health team collects an assortment of fresh produce, donated from local grocery stores and other community organizations. Then they put together one bag for each family filled with healthy foods, such as: Whole grain cereals Shelf stable milk Kid-friendly snacks (granola bars, popcorn, graham crackers Proteins (low-salt soups, stews, peanut butter) Seasonal produce Food is Medicine Prescriptions Continue Amidst the Pandemic Throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Renown’s community health workers have been working remotely. They continue to reach out to patients who need groceries from the Food is Medicine Prescription program. With this in mind, the food pantry staff is currently coordinating outpatient deliveries to those with a Food is Medicine Prescription. At present, Renown is working to get more refrigeration, shelving and staffing to expand the service to more Renown Medical Group patients in need of food.

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I am regularly amazed by medical advancements and innovation in the United States. However, even as we make significant progress in many areas of medicine, there is still much more work to be done in others. One such area is patient safety.   What is Patient Safety? When we talk about patient safety, we are discussing how hospitals and healthcare organizations protect patients from errors, injuries and infections. Anyone can make a mistake at work, but in healthcare these mistakes can result in serious outcomes. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine released a report that estimated 98,000 deaths per year result from medical examination or treatment. The most recent study in 2013 suggested these numbers could range from 210,000 to 440,000 deaths per year. Many of these deaths result from preventable medical errors. This is inexcusable and shows how much more work our industry still needs to do to improve patient safety. Making Patient Safety a Priority Patient Safety is our number one priority at Renown Health. We dedicate a lot of time to establishing, reviewing, and revising our processes to prevent errors. Despite the obvious importance of patient safety, this issue is largely left to individual hospitals and health systems to manage. There is a surprising lack of national attention around this truly important issue. However, a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it is igniting interest in hygiene and infection prevention. Patients want to learn more about the processes that are in place to prevent the spread of infections. In addition to the many protocols that guide our treatment of injuries and illness, Renown Health has implemented the following measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases: Requiring everyone entering Renown sites to wear a mask or face covering. Establishing new processes to help patients and visitors practice social distancing. Limiting the number of visitors in our facilities. Screening all employees and patients for symptoms. Enhancing our already-thorough cleaning and disinfection processes. I hope patient safety and infection prevention remain in the national spotlight long after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. The healthcare industry must come together to develop stronger systems and regulations to minimize preventable medical errors. We have a responsibility to our patients to do better.

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