HEALS News

The theme for April’s Vegas HEALS Healthcare magazine is Arthritis Awareness Month. We invite anyone interested in having content featured to send materials to Adriana. Those interested in placing advertisements can also email Adriana to send in materials, or ask any questions you may have.

Advertising Specs

1/4 Page -3.5″ w x 4.5″
1/2 Page -7.5″ w x 5.5″
Full Page 8.5” x 11”

Advertising Options

Quarter page $100
Half-page – $150
Full page – $275
Advertorial – $550
Front Cover – $675
Back Cover – $375

Articles/human interest pieces – 500 – 600 words (please include pictures)

*All submissions must be received by the 10th of every month. If you need our assistance designing your ad, our designer can help (for an additional fee)

The Southern Nevada Health District brought together public health leaders, community partners and stakeholders during its 2026 State of Public Health event, held in recognition of National Public Health Week, to highlight progress, share emerging data and spotlight collaborative efforts to improve health outcomes across Clark County.

Throughout the event, Health District staff and community partners shared insights from ongoing work addressing some of the region’s most pressing public health challenges — including substance use, access to care, and outreach to vulnerable populations — underscoring the impact of coordinated, community-based approaches.

District Health Officer Dr. Cassius Lockett opened the event by highlighting the role of public health in strengthening communities through prevention, partnerships and data-driven strategies.

“This past year reflects what’s possible when public health, community partners and data-driven strategies come together to meet people where they are,” said Dr. Lockett. “Through expanded partnerships, we distributed more than 200,000 doses of naloxone and reached the State’s saturation goal for the first time in Clark County, while also increasing access to testing and care across the region. Investments in public health infrastructure, including new state funding, are strengthening our ability to respond to emerging public health threats and support long-term community health. These efforts are making a meaningful difference in people’s lives today and building a stronger foundation for the future.”

A key focus of the event was the evolving overdose epidemic in Clark County. Health District subject matter experts and partners shared data showing that while overdose deaths rose sharply in recent years, preliminary data from 2025 suggest a decline locally, reflecting broader national trends while underscoring the need for sustained, targeted interventions.

Speakers highlighted ongoing initiatives that are making a difference in the community, including expanded naloxone distribution, increased availability of test strips, enhanced outreach and data tools including the regional substance use dashboard. These efforts are helping connect individuals to care, prevent fatal overdoses and strengthen coordination among response partners.

The event also showcased the Health District’s Street Medicine program, which is bringing medical care directly to individuals experiencing homelessness. Using a low-barrier, relationship-based approach, the team delivers primary care services in encampments and other outdoor locations — meeting people where they are and connecting them to ongoing care and services.

Early outreach efforts have already connected dozens of individuals to care, demonstrating the program’s potential to improve health outcomes for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Health District staff and community partners shared perspectives on building trust, removing barriers to care and coordinating services across systems.

“Street medicine is about more than providing care in nontraditional settings. It’s about building relationships and creating pathways to long-term health and stability,” said Dr. Lockett.

Attendees also had the opportunity to engage with public health programs and community organizations during an open forum and resource exhibit session.

The State of Public Health event serves as an opportunity to share progress, elevate community collaboration and highlight the work underway to protect and improve the health of Southern Nevada residents.

For more information, visit https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/news-info/state-of-the-health-district/

The Southern Nevada Health District serves as the local public health authority for Clark County, Boulder City, Henderson, Las Vegas, Mesquite and North Las Vegas. The agency safeguards the public health of the community’s residents and visitors through innovative programs, regulations, and initiatives focused on protecting and promoting their health and well-being. More information about the Health District, its programs, services, and the regulatory oversight it provides is available at www.SNHD.info. Follow the Health District on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

MountainView Hospital amplifies survivor’s voice to promote early detection amid growing risk for younger patients

In recognition of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, MountainView Hospital is sharing the powerful story of a 47-year-old Amargosa Valley man who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer. John Gadbois says by the time he knew something was wrong, the cancer had spread to his liver. He says he’s lucky to be alive and credits Dr. Garrett Friedman, a colorectal surgeon with Las Vegas Surgical Specialists at MountainView Hospital.

Dr. Friedman says it’s quite common for people to be relatively asymptomatic when they’re diagnosed because colon cancer sometimes is referred to as the silent disease in the sense that by the time colon cancer is bothering you, it’s very late in the game.

That’s why it’s so important to get screened starting at age 45 even if you have no symptoms. The symptoms often are abdominal pain, rectal bleeding; especially the painless rectal bleeding that’s unexplained. Other symptoms include bloating and vomiting, especially when it lasts for a long period of time.

Transcribed video:
:00 JOHN: The team here at MountainView pretty much saved my life. I had just had my 47th birthday and I just literally, I woke up one morning and felt horrible. I had pretty violent hiccups, pretty severe indigestion, wasn’t really able to keep food down, very weak. About four months later, I simply, I just collapsed the work one day. It was obvious something was very wrong with me.

00:29 JOHN: And at the hospital, they did a CT scan, and they found a 8-centimeter tumor in the sigmoid of my colon. And unfortunately, it had spread to my liver. DR FRIEDMAN I remember very clearly telling John about his stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis, and he was clearly shocked. And I think in that moment, you think a million different thoughts. JOHN: The very first thing I thought was like in the video game when it flashes, game over, on the screen, that’s what flashed into my head.

1:05 DR. FRIEDMAN: When John was admitted to the hospital, he wasn’t doing very well. He had a cancer in his colon that had invaded his bladder. It was causing an intestinal blockage and also spread to his liver. But also we provide that message of hope and that message comes in the form of this is a treatable thing even when it’s stage four and we have a process and we’re going to walk you through this process and this plan step by step and that helps to relieve some of those concerns, and that way they can walk the path with you. It’s life-changing for everyone around you. It’s not just the patient who gets diagnosed with colon cancer, it’s the patient’s entire family, it’s their support system, it’s everyone that loves and cares about that person. We want you to be fully recovered, back to your life as much as possible.

01:45 JOHN: I’m grateful for every day when I’m not in pain. The first thing I do in the morning, I thank God for giving me one more day on planet Earth. I’m very grateful that I can still be a dad and a husband. I’m very grateful for the care that I received here at Mountain View Hospital. I don’t think I would be here today if it weren’t for my care team.

About MountainView Hospital:
MountainView Hospital is a state-of-the-art, full-service medical facility located in the heart of northwest Las Vegas. With a dedicated and talented staff of employees and outstanding physicians, MountainView Hospital is recognized for high patient satisfaction and for providing quality and compassionate care to our community since 1996. MountainView features nationally recognized programs including a top cardiovascular and thoracic center and integrated cardiology clinic, and the renowned Las Vegas Institute for Robotic Surgery. MountainView is the only hospital in Nevada to offer bone marrow transplants. The Sunrise Health Medical Education Consortium, based at MountainView, trains the next generation of physicians and surgeons for our community.

MountainView is a member of the respected Sunrise Health System consisting of Sunrise Hospital, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Southern Hills Hospital and several surgery, diagnostic imaging, urgent care centers and three freestanding hospital based emergency rooms, offering a complete range of specialized and technologically advanced services.
MountainView Hospital
3100 N. Tenaya Way, Las Vegas, NV 89128

The theme for April’s Vegas HEALS Healthcare magazine is Organ Donor Month. We invite anyone interested in having content featured to send materials to Adriana. Those interested in placing advertisements can also email Adriana to send in materials, or ask any questions you may have.

Advertising Specs

1/4 Page -3.5″ w x 4.5″
1/2 Page -7.5″ w x 5.5″
Full Page 8.5” x 11”

Advertising Options

Quarter page $100
Half-page – $150
Full page – $275
Advertorial – $550
Front Cover – $675
Back Cover – $375

Articles/human interest pieces – 500 – 600 words (please include pictures)

*All submissions must be received by the 10th of every month. If you need our assistance designing your ad, our designer can help (for an additional fee)

Courtney Schauder, Health Engagement Consultant for UnitedHealthcare

March is National Nutrition Month. Good nutrition is about more than maintaining a healthy weight; it promotes healthy aging and helps combat diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Despite the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, only 7.4% of adults reported eating two or more fruits or three or more vegetables a day.

Prioritizing nutrient-rich foods, such as a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy proteins like nuts and fish, and whole-grain fiber, while limiting processed foods and added sugars is essential for overall wellness.

A nutritious diet does not have to look the same for everyone. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans purposely provides recommendations based on food groups and subgroups – not specific foods and beverages – to allow for customization and make food their own by selecting healthy foods, beverages, and snacks that work for individuals’ personal preferences.

Here are some tips for individuals to help promote strong nutritional health:

Encourage healthy eating from a young age. According to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 10 children and adults eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables, and only 4 in 10 meet fruit recommendations. A great way to ensure children receive a nutritionally balanced, healthy, and appealing meal is to pack a healthy school lunch. Swap out added sugars, such as those found in grain-based desserts, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and flavored milks, with fresh-cut fruits and veggies, whole grains, seafood, beans, low-fat dairy products, or lean meats and poultry.

Limit or avoid foods high in added sugar, carbohydrates, and saturated fat. Most foods can fit into a healthy eating pattern when consumed in moderation. However, according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines, some foods and beverages that are higher in added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium should be limited, including:

• Alcoholic beverages: If adults of legal drinking age choose to drink alcohol, they should limit their intake to two drinks per day for men or one drink or less per day for women. Some people should avoid drinking alcohol altogether, including women who are pregnant and those with certain health conditions.
• Sodium: Adults should consume less than 2,300 milligrams per day – even less for children under 14. High sodium content is often found in highly processed foods and should be avoided.
• Added sugars: Added sugars can be hard to spot. To help identify sources of added sugars, look for ingredients that include the word “sugar” or “syrup” or end in “-ose.”
• Saturated fat: Healthy fats from meats, poultry, and eggs are essential in a balanced diet; however, saturated fat intake should not exceed 10% of total daily calories.

Understand the most important guidelines. Food and diet can be customized to reflect personal preferences, budgetary restrictions and cultural traditions. The USDA recommends that Americans meet their nutritional needs through consuming nutrient-dense foods and beverages and staying within daily calorie limits.

Ultimately, choosing nutrient-rich foods should be the focus when deciding what to eat. Most of the calories (approximately 85 percent) a person consumes in a day come from nutrient-rich foods; only a small amount (approximately 15 percent) is left over for saturated fats, sugar, or alcoholic beverages.

Where to begin. While making any major lifestyle change can feel overwhelming, incorporating more nutritious foods does not have to be challenging. Recognizing that the foods and beverages we consume have a profound effect on our health is a great place to start. The scientific connection between food and health is well documented, and there is substantial evidence that healthy dietary patterns can help people achieve and maintain good health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases at all stages of life.

Encouraging healthy eating habits from a young age and staying consistent by prioritizing a nutrient-rich lifestyle are key to living a longer, healthier life. Using online resources, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, can help you decide what to eat and drink to support a healthy eating routine.

UnitedHealthcare partnered with the Health Action Council to identify what’s driving health care costs in the United States today and what we discovered is surprising.

The bottom line… Americans are getting sick more often — and earlier in life. This new report, which included over 225,000 health plan members, finds that Gen Z and Millennials are experiencing chronic health issues like high cholesterol or diabetes much earlier in life and facing a rise in major health events like heart problems or cancer diagnoses.

Some important findings include:

• Average monthly claims for major health events such as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer have increased nearly 40% since 2020.
• Younger generations — particularly Millennials and Gen Z — show the fastest spending growth, driven by earlier‑onset chronic conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol.

Full white paper report can be found here: 2026-hac-white-paper.pdf

We are excited to bring back in 2026 the Las Vegas HEALS Task Forces on March 18th. Click on Task Force links below to learn more and/or register to attend:

Legislative Task Force Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2026
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Learn More/Sign Up

Workforce Task Force Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2026
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Learn More/Sign Up

Physician Engagement Task Force Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2026
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Learn More/Sign Up

All meetings on the 18th will be held at the Las Vegas HEALS offices. Address and map link:

Las Vegas HEALS
8400 W. Sunset Rd., Suite 222
Las Vegas, NV 89113
Map/Directions

SilverSummit Healthplan, a leading managed care plan that provides quality health insurance to Nevadans through the state, announced early results from “Project Accelerate,” an innovative program to treat women with breast cancer.

Project Accelerate streamlines the breast cancer care process by expediting diagnostic imaging, biopsy, and specialist referrals. The program facilitates ultrasounds or diagnostic mammograms within three days of detection, ensures rapid reporting of results, and coordinates timely appointments with surgeons and oncologists, often within days.

“Numerous studies show that a woman’s breast cancer survival rate decreases if she has delays in care,” said Dr. Steven Evans, Chief Medical Officer of SilverSummit Healthplan. “We are honored to partner on this program, which is essential in helping women members get the treatments they need as quickly as possible.”

Prior to the implementation of Project Accelerate, women diagnosed with breast cancer in Nevada could wait up to two months to begin treatment. On average, women across the state still face treatment delays of approximately 68 days, regardless of insurance type.

Since its launch, Project Accelerate has served 661 patients. To date, the program has supported 661 abnormal screening mammograms, facilitated 218 biopsies, 17 High Risk members and identified 35 patients with positive cancer diagnoses through biopsy.

As a result of the program’s coordinated approach, the time from a positive biopsy to treatment has been reduced from 66 days to just 17 days. For patients with highly suspicious lesions, the time to biopsy has been reduced from more than 100 days to just nine days. Additionally, the timeframe from an abnormal mammogram to biopsy has been shortened to 12 days, down from more than 100 days previously.

Based on existing clinical history, SilverSummit Healthplan estimates that Project Accelerate has already saved a handful of lives by significantly reducing delays in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

Project Accelerate was developed in partnership in southern Nevada with Steinberg Diagnostics, Simon Med, local Southern Nevada breast surgeons, and Quest Diagnostics, using Xpedite, MD as the medical and software platform. It also has additional resources, such as Nurse Practitioners and Cancer Care Navigators. Project Accelerate expediates treatment for women once breast cancer has been detected.

“This is a remarkable partnership, and we are extremely proud to support women as they begin their treatment journey,” said Eric Schmacker, plan president and CEO of SilverSummit Healthplan. “Our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable coverage for Nevada residents, and by leveraging local, regional, and community-based resources, we are improving outcomes for the communities we serve.”

About SilverSummit Healthplan
SilverSummit Healthplan (SilverSummit) is a managed care plan that provides health insurance to the people of Nevada. Established in 2017, SilverSummit exists to improve the health of its members through focused, compassionate and coordinated care. SilverSummit is a Centene Corporation company. For more information, visit www.silversummithealthplan.com or visit silversummithealthplan.com/caringforNV.

I want to speak directly about Gears for Good and where we are headed.

This event was built with a clear purpose. Gears for Good supports the HEALS Foundation and the programs that are strengthening the future of healthcare in Southern Nevada. That includes the High School Medical Society, the Medical Career Expo connecting students with real career pathways, and our Resident Retention Program focused on keeping talented physicians in Nevada. These initiatives are workforce infrastructure, not symbolic efforts.

In recent weeks, I have spoken with sponsors and community partners. The interest is strong. Many want to support the Foundation’s work, but several have asked for more time to engage at the level the mission deserves.

After considering that feedback, we have decided to postpone the March 1st Track Day Event. HEALS Happy Hour is proceeding as planned, but with a reduced ticket price of $75. You can sign up for Happy Hour on February 28th, by clicking here or on the button below.

This decision allows us to expand sponsorship, deepen participation, and ensure the event generates meaningful support for the HEALS Foundation and its programs. If we are going to do this, it needs to reflect the full strength of our community.

We will share new details soon. Thank you for standing with us as we build this the right way.

Diego Trujillo
CEO