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Population growth in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area isn’t going to contract anytime soon.
Washoe County’s population in 2023 was nearly 500,000 residents, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. In 2010, the county had just over 421,000 residents, representing nearly 20 percent growth in just over a decade. That rapid expansion of people has the region’s medical providers scrambling to meet the needs of current and incoming residents. New medical facilities have cropped up across Greater Reno-Sparks, but are they enough?
NNBW ran that question and others by executives from the major healthcare networks serving the area. Here are their responses.
Derrick Glum, chief executive officer, Saint Mary’s Health Network
Derrick Glum
Healthcare organizations across the region have been adding various types of facilities, from new hospitals to freestanding emergency rooms and specialty care clinics. Is the region “right-sized” to meet Northern Nevada’s constantly growing population, or will meeting the healthcare demands of our residents always be a work-in-progress?
Meeting the healthcare demands of a growing community is a continuous process. While Northern Nevada has made significant strides in expanding healthcare facilities around the region, it will always require ongoing evaluation and adaptation.
At Saint Mary's Health Network, we are committed to proactively responding to our patients' evolving needs. This commitment is reflected in our recent expansions in key areas such as brain and spine care, wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, radiation oncology, and the recruitment of new cardiothoracic surgeons to the area. We also recognize the ever-increasing importance of expanding access to primary care and specialty services and remain committed to meeting that demand.
We believe that a dynamic approach, focused on anticipating and addressing community needs, is essential to ensuring access to quality healthcare for all residents. Simply adding additional facilities or buildings doesn’t necessarily mean improved access or better services are being offered.
What areas of improved access to healthcare are the main focus for your organization? Why?
Saint Mary's Health Network works to not only secure the latest medical advancements and technologies for our community, but to establish efficient access to these industry-leading interventions and services. We strive to provide high-value care that meets the everyday needs of our patients.
This commitment is validated by our recognition from the Lown Institute as being ranked No.1 in Nevada for Value of Care, which reflects a hospital’s avoidance of unnecessary care and ability to achieve good outcomes without overspending. We focus on improving access to services across our network, from primary care to specialized services, ensuring patients can easily navigate the healthcare system and receive timely, appropriate care.
The shortages of trained healthcare workers and specialists has long been documented. What efforts has your organization enacted to ensure proper staffing levels at existing and new facilities?
Saint Mary's Health Network utilizes national resources, and as a proud member of Prime Healthcare, collaborates with network personnel to enhance our recruitment efforts. Using these resources and support, we are able to recruit and retain talent from all over the country.
We believe the most compelling aspect of our network is our culture. We foster a supportive, welcoming and collaborative environment that values our employees and encourages professional growth. This positive culture, combined with competitive compensation and benefits, has proven to be our strongest recruitment tool.
We also are fortunate to be located in a region that attracts talented healthcare professionals due to the area, outdoor activities available, and growing business and cultural scene. We continually strive to create an environment where healthcare professionals thrive and are empowered to deliver exceptional patient care.
Brian Erling, president and chief executive officer, Renown Health
Brian Erling Northern Nevada is one of the most desirable places to live, and its growth isn’t slowing down. At Renown, we’ve experienced a significant increase in consumer demand for our physicians and programs, and we are working continuously to bring additional clinicians to the area and increase access to exceptional and affordable care. In a growing community like ours, this work never stops. As Northern Nevada continues to grow, so do the needs of our community, and we understand that. That’s why we have a new strategic plan — so we look ahead — and plan not just for the next few years, but for decades to come.
Healthcare is evolving rapidly, and Renown is committed to staying ahead. We’re investing in new facilities, training, hiring and retaining top-tier care teams, and investing in leading-edge technology to ensure our community receives the best care possible. Just as important, we recognize that the way people seek healthcare is changing, and we’re working to adapt to meet those needs.
What areas of improved access to healthcare are the main focus for your organization? Why?
High-quality care close to home is a core principle at Renown. We believe everyone deserves access to exceptional healthcare without the burden of long-distance travel. To support this, we are focused on expanding and enhancing services across northern Nevada. In the past six months alone, Renown has:
• Opened a new crisis care center
• Announced a new simulation center
• Built a 121,000 square-foot specialty care hospital
• Secured critical funding in support of childhood cancer clinical trials
• Welcomed nationally recognized colo-rectal and bariatric surgeons
• Been recognized among the top 100 cancer programs in the U.S.
• Introduced online scheduling for primary care and pediatric appointments
• Added a life-saving transplant program
• Launched a respiratory therapy training program
• Begun accepting Medicaid at all urgent care locations
Access to healthcare for our rural communities is also extremely important. As the only Level II Trauma Center between Salt Lake City and Sacramento, Renown serves a vast and geographically unique region. This makes supporting rural communities a top priority. We are dedicated to strengthening healthcare access for these areas by expanding services, increasing outreach and enhancing telehealth capabilities – because no matter where someone lives, they deserve access to the highest level of care.
The shortages of trained healthcare workers and specialists has long been documented. What efforts has your organization enacted to ensure proper staffing levels at existing and new facilities?
Renown is a “people first” organization – our employees are at the heart of everything we do. We know that when our team members feel valued, supported and proud of their work, they provide the best possible care to our community. That’s why we focus on fostering a positive workplace culture, which has led to strong retention across our teams. We are also continuously growing. Our dedication to workplace excellence has earned us recognition as a “Best Place for Working Parents” and a leader in “Workplace Wellness.” We offer valuable benefits such as education reimbursement and 401(k) matching to ensure our employees can build fulfilling, long-term careers with us.
As an academic health system, we are committed to solving the healthcare workforce shortages. As a few examples, we recently started a pediatric residency program, are in the application phase to start an OBGYN residency, partnered with the Orvis School of Nursing to increase nurse training rates, and recently started northern Nevada's only echo technician training program. These programs provide career opportunities for our community while ensuring care access well into the future.
Jordan Herget, chief executive officer of Sierra Medical Center/Northern Nevada Health System
Jordan HergetHealthcare organizations across the region have been adding various types of facilities, from new hospitals to freestanding emergency rooms and specialty care clinics. Is the region “right-sized” to meet Northern Nevada’s constantly growing population, or will meeting the healthcare demands of our residents always be a work-in-progress?
There has been significant population growth in our community, and local economic data shows continued growth over the next several years. To proactively meet the demand, healthcare access and high-quality health care need to be top priorities. Northern Nevada Health System has added more than five new facilities to its network of care since 2018, including a second hospital, Sierra Medical Center in Reno. Our strategic growth initiatives intentionally align with population growth and ensure the community can choose from a variety of health care options.
What areas of improved access to healthcare are the focus for your organization? Why?
At Northern Nevada Health System, we continue to educate patients about our network of care, which offers everything from primary care and annual wellness visits to urgent care clinics and our freestanding emergency departments that offer care to those with urgent and emergent health conditions. Our team promotes the continuum of care by ensuring patients revisit their primary care provider after an emergency room visit, surgery or similar health care encounter so their provider can assist with managing chronic health conditions and post-hospital care. When patients utilize the full spectrum of care, and partner with their provider to manage their health, health outcomes dramatically improve.
The shortages of trained healthcare workers and specialists has long been documented. What efforts has your organization enacted to ensure proper staffing levels at existing and new facilities?
As a local healthcare system, we have all seen challenges with recruiting healthcare workers and the impacts are not only focused on nursing and recruitment of physicians. Northern Nevada Health System has continued to grow its footprint in the market, and we have developed strategic recruitment efforts to staff each new facility while maintaining our current facilities. We often collaborate with colleges throughout Nevada to recruit qualified candidates and proactively connect students to our network of care for job opportunities during their degree program. Additionally, we are focused on retention of current staff and integrating professional development opportunities that support staff growth.