Corporate Sponsor
Renown Health – Caring Where You Are
We believe your health is worth fighting for, every day, in every way. No matter how big or small, Renown Health is committed to doing everything humanly possible to care for our fellow Nevadans — all with a passion driven by equal parts determination and hope.
Serving others isn’t just a commitment; it’s a way of life. Putting the health of thousands of community members first takes incredible strength. Unexpected challenges and obstacles don’t change our course or what we believe in. Our compassionate caregivers, tenacious teams and passionate people make Renown an impactful force.
Renown is dedicated to making a genuine difference in the health and well-being of the people and communities we serve. That mission begins with our people. Together, we foster a culture that’s rooted in our values of caring, collaboration, integrity and excellence. With over 7,000 employees and a vast network of community providers, we have healthcare heroes equipped to serve in specialties including cancer care, neurology, pediatrics, heart care and women’s health, along with a Level II Trauma Center.
As the largest not-for-profit healthcare network in northern Nevada, Renown’s success is shared success. We sincerely thank all our supporters and partners who strive for better health to elevate our community. Renown is honored to stand with you, and we welcome others to rise up and join the fight.
Yours in good health,
Renown’s 7,000 providers, nurses, and healthcare employees.
Administrator
Lisa Shober
Manager of IT | Renown Health
A fourth-generation native Nevadan, Lisa Schober knows her community in and out. Over the course of her career, she’s accumulated 15 years of project management experience in a variety of industries including legal, gaming and education. She eventually landed at Renown Health where she serves as manager of IT in the Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO).
In her current role, Lisa is responsible for leading project managers, coordinators and interns as they implement various strategic healthcare projects for Renown. She administers the team that keeps the hospital group running efficiently. When asked, Lisa indicated that, although her career path wasn’t always focused on healthcare, the industry is where she feels she can make the most impact.
Effectiveness and organization become critical when healthcare is involved and those are two areas in which Lisa excels. Frank Ashley, enterprise project manager at Renown Health and someone who works directly for Lisa had this to say of his leader, “Her vision for our EPMO has been critical for our success as a healthcare organization. I am extremely fortunate to have a leader who respects me.”
In addition to her work at Renown, Lisa is a passionate teacher and mentor and educates students working toward obtaining a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. She has taught project management to over 1,000 students at the University of Nevada, Reno, her alma mater.
Care Provider
Paola Espinoza-Patino
Associate Nurse Manager | Renown Health
An anonymous proverb says, “Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” This quote holds true for Paola Espinoza-Patino, an associate nurse manager in Renown’s oncology department. She first became interested in healthcare after visiting her grandmother in Mexico. A nurse herself, Paola’s grandmother cared for her community providing everything from vaccinations to gynecological visits. After losing both her grandmother and mother to cancer, Paola became dedicated to her nursing career and focused on treating others with cancer.
Serving as a nurse with Renown for 11 years, the last 10 have been focused on oncology and Paola has held a variety of leadership roles at the hospital, including supervisor of clinical nursing. Today she works as an associate nurse manager and leads by example with compassionate care for her patients and team. Bilingual, Paola is also the first line of communication for many patients with language barriers as she explains their disease and treatment plans.
Paola believes that nurses are the eyes and ears of the hospital, and she takes that role very seriously as she helps her oncology patients during the trials of cancer care. A go-between for physicians and the care team, Paola has proven time again that she’s willing do what it takes to help her patients. Encouraging them in their journeys, Paola once developed a grant to install a bell and inspiration poem on her nursing floor. As patients complete treatment, they ring that bell to head into the next phase of their lives.
Educator
Brian Lauf, DMSc
Founding Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies Program and Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine | University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Dr. Brian Lauf grew up in Reno and dedicated his career to healthcare, from serving as an EKG technician at the Reno VA Hospital to working as a medic in the United States Air Force. It was in his service with the military that he was introduced to the physician assistant (PA) profession. When he returned home, he began pursuing an education as a PA, eventually earning a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) from the University of Lynchburg. His doctorate studies focused on PA education.
That focus helped him to start the Physician Assistant Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med). He is the founding program director as well as an associate professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at UNR Med.
Dr. Lauf is an expert in health information systems and project management and has an interest in technology and improving healthcare interactions between providers and patients. His interests led him to complete training and obtain certification as a Health Information Technology Professional – Clinician/Practitioner Consultant. He brings all his training and practice to bear as he leads the initiative to develop a new academic program for PA studies as UNR Med. He is working to advise students and ensure ongoing accreditation of the program while simultaneously working to educate Nevada’s future healthcare professionals.
Community Partner
Shannon Ernst
Director and Public Guardian | Churchill County Social Services
Churchill County is east of Reno and home to about 26,000 residents. The biggest town, and county seat, is Fallon and anyone that’s made the trip from Reno to Las Vegas has likely driven through it on the way. This small, close-knit community has been Shannon Ernst and her family’s home going back four generations. The area she calls home is important to her and the people in it are her neighbors. Shannon has served the local community for over 20 years. Most recently, she has service as the director and public guardian of Churchill County Social Services.
Shannon was appointed director in 2005 and public guardian in 2009. In her time serving the county, she has increased access to services through outreach and communication. One project that she helped implement is the Community Health Worker Program which reaches out to those in need of health services, provides referrals and then follows back up with them. This program has helped both homebound citizens, as well as those experiencing homelessness or confined in detention facilities.
When COVID struck rural Nevada, Shannon led the response for Churchill and created a rural public health department to help the community respond to the needs for testing, vaccination and treatment. Because of the success of the department and the county’s response to the pandemic, state leadership approved the Central Nevada Health District in July of this year. The district is the first rural multi-jurisdictional health district in Nevada.
Humanitarian
Reka Danko, MD
Chief Medical Officer | Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center
A former ski instructor and singer, Dr. Reka Danko is an accomplished and award-winning physician. Today she serves as chief medical officer for Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno. Highly accomplished, Dr. Danko is focused on community care and integrated health in Reno.
Prior to joining Saint Mary’s, Dr. Danko was chief medical officer for Northern Nevada HOPES. There she helped develop an outpatient addiction treatment program for substance use disorders. She became board-certified in addiction medicine in 2018. In the public health realm, Dr. Danko was appointed as the physician to the District Board of Health at the Washoe County Health District. In addition, Dr. Danko is a clinical associate professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) and accredited by the Joint Commission to offer wellness services as a senior physician advisor to multiple hospitals across the nation.
Dr. Danko has presented via speaking engagement countless hours on the topic of substance abuse and addiction and serves as a medical peer reviewer for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. Clearly active in the northern Nevada community, Dr. Danko is focused on reaching out to those in need and helping pull them from the mire of addiction while educating her peers, colleagues and community on the topic. Dr. Danko earned her medical degree at UNR Med and completed her residency in internal medicine there.
Volunteer
Allison Cotton, MD
Co-Founder and Operations Director Physician Support Line and Medical Staff Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist | Carson Tahoe Medical Group
Hailing from Dallas, TX, Dr. Allison Cotton obtained her medical degree and completed her residency in psychiatry and fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. After completing her education, she relocated to Reno where she served as director of medical student education in clinical psychiatry for the University of Nevada, Reno. She also eventually took on the role of associate psychiatry residency program director at the university which gave her deeper insight into the struggles of students.
As the pandemic began to pick up steam in Nevada, Dr. Cotton noticed a growing need in the mental healthcare of Nevada’s frontline workers fighting COVID. She connected with four other psychiatrists who saw the same need to help with physician wellness. Together, the five doctors collaborated to form the Physician Support Line, a free, confidential service that allows physicians from anywhere to call in and discuss life stressors with a volunteer psychiatrist.
A volunteer herself, Dr. Cotton also helped recruit over 800 volunteer psychiatrists during the height of the pandemic, so someone was always available to field phone calls for physicians in need. She also developed a website, created accessibility and continues to coordinate volunteers for the service. Giving thousands of volunteer hours, Dr. Cotton is a leader and advocate for mental health in Nevada.
In her clinical practice, Dr. Cotton is the medical staff child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist with Carson Tahoe Medical Group where she works with both outpatient and consult psychiatry. She plans to continue growing the department and add more child and adolescent programs to serve Carson.
Innovator
Jamie Gower, CHSP
Director of Facilities and Security, Safety and Emergency Preparedness Officer and Security Manager | Carson Valley Health
Retiring from the ski industry, Jamie Gower decided it was time for a new challenge. In 2016, she began her career in healthcare and today she serves as director of facilities and security, safety and emergency preparedness officer as well as security manager at Carson Valley Health in Gardnerville.
Jamie loves to challenge herself and set a goal to obtain as many credentials as possible. With only seven years in healthcare, she already holds the Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP) designation as well as instructor certifications in FEMA/DHS Hospital Emergency Response Training (HERT), Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) and OSHA Authorized Outreach Training. Passionate about the safety of the job, Jamie also noticed the need to support the clinical staff in the form of security and was integral in creating a security department at Carson Valley Health. During the pandemic, Jamie became indispensable as she helped the hospital comply with county, state and federal guidelines.
Never one to sit idly by when something needs doing, Jamie keeps an eye out for the needs of her team at the healthcare organization. When she sees a need, she steps up to help with solutions. She’s been behind several innovations at Carson Valley Health and was instrumental in creating the secure environment the hospital has today. Safety is important for any healthcare system and Jamie gathers inspiration and information from around the nation to keep Carson Valley Health, its patients and providers, safe.
Nonprofit
Markus Hirt, CFRN, RN
Chief Nursing Officer | REMSA Health
Having obtained his nursing degree in Germany, Markus Hirt has more than 25 years of experience as a registered nurse (RN) on multiple continents. Today, he serves as chief nursing officer (CNO) for REMSA Health, a position he’s held since 2017. REMSA stands for Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority and was established in 1986 as a nonprofit, self-sustaining emergency transport entity.
As CNO, Markus is responsible for guiding and managing the nursing practice for all of REMSA’s nearly 40 RNs, from critical care nurses and nurse navigators. His oversight requires that he is consistently plugged into the quality, protocol and scope of practice reviews as well as aware of ongoing education and training needed by the providers.
Previously, Markus also served as chief flight nurse for Care Flight, the Nevada and California air ambulance service managed by REMSA. In his role as chief flight nurse, he oversaw the critical care operations of the program which covers approximately 50,000 square miles of California and Nevada. Markus holds both Nevada and California nursing licenses and is a Certified Medical Transport Executive.
Whether on the ground or in the air, Markus has demonstrated strength and calm as a leader who works to help REMSA care for patients during emergency situations. In his quarter century of healthcare experience, Markus has served as an intensive care staff nurse, flight nurse, medical supervisor and clinical manager.
Physician
Thomas Truong, DO
Interventional Cardiologist, Medical Director of the Chest Pain Center and Medical Director of the Cath Lab | Northern Nevada Medical Group
Sponsored by a Reno church when he was just six years old, Dr. Thomas Truong arrived in the United States with his family in 1980 as a Vietnamese refugee. He went on to obtain his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry at the University of Nevada, Reno, eventually earning his medical degree at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.
Specializing in Osteopathic Medicine, Dr. Truong now serves in multiple roles at Northern Nevada Medical Center (NNMC) where he was hired in 2012. He is an interventional cardiologist as well as medical director of the Chest Pain Center and medical director of the Cath Lab. Since becoming a physician, Dr. Truong has served at a number of professional organizations and societies all over the country and enjoys traveling for both work and fun.
However, his commitment is to his home of northern Nevada where he shares his talents. “After my medical training, I was very fortunate to be hired by NNMC to help start their cardiovascular program, and [for] the chance to serve the Reno-Sparks community, a community that has been dear to my heart for what they have done for my family and me over the years,” he said. “I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to practice medicine, but more important, the ability to help the community and as a U.S. citizen.”
Lifetime Achievement
Evan Easley, MD
Chief Medical Officer | Carson Valley Health
Having practiced medicine in the Carson Valley for nearly 30 years, and with nearly 45 years in healthcare, Dr. Evan Easley has committed a lifetime of care to northern Nevada. Today he serves as chief medical officer at Carson Valley Health (CVH) and specializes in senior care at the facility. A seasoned provider, Dr. Easley has worked with the Nevada Medical Board, National Board of Medical Examiners and the Drug Enforcement Administration, among others.
In 1995, Dr. Easley moved to Nevada. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine from Loma Linda University in California and completed an internal medicine internship at Kettering Medical Center in Ohio. When COVID impacted CVH, Dr. Easley was at the front lines to help guide the medical center through the pandemic. He is a founding board member of CVH’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO) which is geared toward reducing the cost of healthcare for patients. He has also led the efforts to reduce readmission rates at CVH. He continues to do all of this while maintaining his practice at CVH Senior Care where he is beloved by his patients for his compassionate care.
Dr. Easley mentions golf and travel as his hobbies, but it’s clear that his true passion is medicine. Whether mentoring other physicians and care providers or working as a primary care provider, he remains excited by the field of medicine and continues to contribute to the industry.
