Las Vegas HEALS News

Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican recently announced new officers and member appointments to its Board of Directors. Maggie Arias-Petrel will serve as the new Board Chair with Mark Wiley as Vice Chair. Three new members also join the group – Dr. Irena Vitkovitsky, Saville Kellner, and Shaundell Newsome.

The Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican Hospital Board represents community and business leaders, medical staff and hospital leaders who offer a community perspective and support for achieving the system’s mission and vision. The Board provides local oversight of quality of care delivered in the hospitals, oversees medical staff functions, and provides advice and counsel that reflects the communities served by Dignity Health facilities.

Newly seated Board Chair Maggie Arias-Petrel is President and CEO of Global Professional Consulting Inc. A marketing strategist and business developer, Ms. Arias-Petrel has three decades of experience in medical practice management, marketing, and consulting. In addition to her service on the Dignity Health Board, she is very active in other local, national, and international interests, including serving as the Nevada representative on the White House Committee on Aging, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Summits, and other organizations.

Board Vice Chair Mark Wiley is a realtor and Owner of Mark Wiley Realty. Dr. Vitkovitsky is System Medical Director for Vituity, a physician-owned leader in acute care innovation. Dr. Vitkovitsky also serves as Emergency Services Medical Director for St. Rose Dominican hospitals. Shaundell Newsome is Founder of Sumnu Marketing, a local marketing and community outreach company.

The full 2021-22 Board Membership is listed below:

Board Chair – Maggie Arias-Petrel, CEO – Global Professional Medical Consulting Inc.
Board Vice Chair – Mark Wiley, Realtor/Owner – Mark Wiley Realty

Members
Cynthia Cammack, Nursing Services Specialist -Hospice By The Bay – Dominican Sisters of San Rafael
Patricia Dulka, Holy Rosary Chapter Prioress – Adrian Dominican Sisters
Patrick Hays, Retired
Saville Kellner, Founder – Lake Industries
Sean McBurney, Sr. Vice President & General Manager – Caesars
Shaundell Newsome, Founder and Visionary – SUMNU MARKETING
Dr. Irena Vitkovitsky, System Medical Director – Vituity
Dr. Kate Zhong, Physician/CEO – CNS Innovations

ExOfficio Board Members

Linda Hunt, Southwest Division President – CommonSpirit Health
Dr. John Oh, Chief of Staff – San Martin Campus
Dr. Timothy Sauter, Chief of Staff -Siena and Rose de Lima Campuses

About Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican:
As the community’s only not-for-profit, faith-based health system, Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican has been guided by the vision and core values of the Adrian Dominican Sisters since 1947. As the Henderson and Las Vegas communities grow, the St. Rose Dominican health system and its nearly 4,000 employees will continue the Sisters’ mission of serving people in need. St. Rose Dominican is a member of the multi-state Dignity Health network of nearly 10,000 physicians, 60,000 employees, 41 acute care hospitals, and 400-plus care centers, including hospitals, urgent and occupational care, imaging centers, and primary care clinics. For more information, visit our website at http://www.strosehospitals.org. Dignity Health was recently recognized as part of Forbes’ annual list of America’s Best-In-State Employers 2020, as one of the top ten best employers in Nevada.

Funding Part of UnitedHealthcare’s $11.4 million in Empowering Health Grants Expanding Access to Care and Addressing Social determinants of Health for Underserved Communities

Health Plan of Nevada (HPN), a UnitedHealthcare company and part of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), is awarding $1 million in Empowering Health grants to six community-based organizations in Nevada to expand access to care and address the social determinants of health for uninsured individuals and underserved communities.

In total, UnitedHealthcare, HPN’s parent company, is donating $11.4 million through Empowering Health grants across 18 states and the District of Columbia. The grants will assist individuals and families experiencing challenges from food insecurity, social isolation and behavioral health issues, and support local health promotion and health literacy efforts.

Grant recipients in Nevada include:

• The Just One Project – $300,000 to expand the Community Family Market, giving low-wealth families in Las Vegas access to healthy food and providing wraparound services through case management, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program application assistance, transportation resources, health care referrals and financial education.
• Food Bank of Northern Nevada – $205,000 to expand the Prescription Pantry Program to Carson City and Elko, Lyon and Mineral counties, providing food insecure individuals with chronic conditions access to healthier foods tailored to their specific needs through partnerships with hospitals and clinics.
• Immunize Nevada – $175,000 to help increase childhood immunization rates and reduce significant disparities by hiring a vaccine equity manager, conducting a study to identify immunization gaps, and providing immunization education and no-cost immunization clinics in communities with identified gaps.
• United Citizens Foundation – $150,000 to support access to holistic and patient-centered behavioral and mental health care for Clark County School District students and families who are uninsured, undocumented or otherwise do not meet funding source guidelines.
• Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada – $150,000 to support access to integrated health care, including behavioral health and social services, for the uninsured population in Las Vegas.
• Living Grace Homes – $20,000 for health education programming for homeless, pregnant and parenting young women.

“Social and economic factors have a profound impact on achieving and maintaining good health,” said Kelly Simonson, president, Health Plan of Nevada’s Medicaid plan. “Through Empowering Health grants, we’re working with local organizations to provide Nevadans with greater access to essential resources in high-risk and high-need communities so they can live healthier lives.”

Good health encompasses more than simply visiting a doctor’s office. According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80% of what influences a person’s health relates to nonmedical issues, such as food, housing, transportation and the financial means to pay for basic daily needs. And for so many, the global pandemic has caused additional social and economic challenges that continue to affect healthy behaviors and exacerbate health disparities.

Since launching its Empowering Health commitment in 2018, UnitedHealthcare has now invested more than $40 million in Empowering Health grants reaching more than 6 million people through partnerships with community-based organizations in 29 states.

UnitedHealth Group, including UnitedHealthcare and Optum, and its affiliated companies, is committed to reducing health disparities and building healthier communities by supporting programs to improve access to care and address key determinants of health. Other recent investments include a $2.6 million, three-year partnership with Touro University Nevada to improve maternal health in southern Nevada.

Additionally, UnitedHealth Group has invested more than $500 million in affordable housing communities since 2011, partnered with food banks and meal-delivery services, and in 2019 joined with the American Medical Association to standardize how social determinants of health data is collected and used to create more holistic care plans.

About UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In the United States, UnitedHealthcare offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,500 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. The company also provides health benefits and delivers care to people through owned and operated health care facilities in South America. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @UHC on Twitter.

Centennial Hills Hospital is the first acute care hospital in Las Vegas that offers the iovera° treatment as part of its pre-operative pain management treatment for primary and revision total knee replacement surgery. The iovera° treatment is a clinically proven, non-opioid [narcotic], pain management solution that uses the body’s natural response to cold to relieve pain.

“Iovera° blocks the pain signals from the incision site of the knee replacement for 90 days, which allows for a decreased use of narcotics during and after surgery,” explained Anderson Hu, DO, anesthesiologist. “A reduced use of narcotics allows for a faster psychological recovery following anesthesia, a shorter hospital stay, and helps patients to be more mentally focused after surgery to initiate the physical therapy process.”

“Patients who utilize the iovera° treatment are more comfortable during their recovery,” said Parminder Kang, MD, orthopedic surgeon. “They also achieve a great range of motion sooner than patients who do not use the treatment.”

Additionally, because the treatment is administered two weeks prior to surgery, patients experience a decrease in chronic knee pain, contributing to a more positive mindset before their procedure, added Dr. Hu.

The iovera° treatment is administered by the anesthesia department during an outpatient procedure at Centennial Hills Hospital and takes approximately 45 minutes. It does not require an IV, any post-treatment monitoring or restrictions on daily activities. Patients are able to drive themselves to and from the procedure. A physician referral is required.

“This non-narcotic treatment offers multiple benefits to our patients, especially helping them return to activities they enjoy more quickly, and addressing any concerns and side effects of pain medications,” said Sajit Pullarkat, CEO of Centennial Hills Hospital. “In addition to decreasing pain prior to surgery, the 90-day window helps them perform the necessary physical therapy exercises to strengthen the leg and move the knee forward and backward.”

Along with the new pain management treatment, Centennial Hills Hospital recently enhanced its orthopedic service line by adding robotic-guided technology for spine surgery, allowing surgeons to create a customized surgery plan using customized CT-based three-dimensional models of patients’ spines prior to surgery. A new 36-bed orthopedic surgical patient care unit with its own therapy gym opened in December 2020.  Centennial Hills Hospital was also recently recertified for The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval® for Core Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement and earned the US News & World Report recognition as a High Performing facility for hip replacements.

About Centennial Hills Hospital

Centennial Hills Hospital is a member of The Valley Health System, comprised of hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, outpatient services and physician practices, cares for patients throughout Southern Nevada and surrounding communities. Located in northwest Las Vegas, the 336-bed hospital offers a wide range of healthcare services including emergency care, surgical services, cardiovascular and advanced neurological care, women’s health, maternity and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, and specialty programs in stroke, chest pain, orthopedics, advanced wound care and hyperbaric medicine, and outpatient physical therapy.

Updated information about The Valley Health System can be found on:
Instagram:  www.instagram.com/thevalleyhealthsystem
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-valley-health-system
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ValleyHealthLV
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheValleyHealthSystem

Facebook:
Centennial Hills Hospital Medical Center / ER at Valley Vista
Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center
Henderson Hospital / ER at Green Valley Ranch
Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center / ER at Blue Diamond
Summerlin Hospital Medical Center
Valley Hospital Las Vegas

About iovera°

The iovera° system is used to destroy tissue during surgical procedures by applying freezing cold. It can also be used to produce lesions in peripheral nervous tissue by the application of cold to the selected site for the blocking of pain. It is also indicated for the relief of pain and symptoms associated with osteoarthritis of the knee for up to 90 days. The iovera° system is not indicated for treatment of central nervous system tissue. It is important to note that iovera° does not treat the underlying cause of pain.  Timely remediation is necessary to address and treat the cause of pain. iovera° has been studied in clinical trials of patients prior to total knee arthroplasty and to treat the pain and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

Upcoming Summit Addresses Impact of Racism and Discrimination, Housing, Education, Income On Substance Misuse and Overdose

The 2021 Southern Nevada Substance Misuse and Overdose Prevention Summit – A Blueprint for Action: Addressing the Social Determinants of Health – is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration for the virtual summit is open to participants at https://whova.com/portal/registration/snsma_202108.

The summit organizers invite participants to envision a community where “not one life is lost to substance misuse or overdose.” Session topics will address achieving this goal by addressing the social determinants of health in the community: racism and discrimination, housing, education, income, and neighborhood conditions. Speakers will discuss collaborating in traditional and non-traditional ways to analyze health equity data and adopt a “health in all policies” approach to create the healthiest community.

Registration for the summit is $10 per person. Scholarships to attend the event are also available. Scholarship application forms can be completed at https://forms.gle/wywy13HsAQpJZrCz5. For more information about this year’s summit, visit: https://whova.com/web/snsma_202108

This year’s summit will also feature a virtual resource fair to connect participants to community organizations. Organizations interested in participating in the resource fair can contact Rhonda Fairchild at rhonda.fairchild@centerforbehavioralhealth.com to sign up and receive more information.

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.

First In-Person Event for Nonprofit Since Pandemic Began Includes Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada $10,000 Donation

The nonprofit Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada recently held its Everyday Extraordinary Breakfast to celebrate and honor three Candlelighters kids and families for their courage, resilience and strength, and to recognize four community supporters for their commitment to ensuring Candlelighters beneficiaries receive the help they need. Honorees included the Carvahlo, Duran and Nordstrom families, and The Robert Coomer Group-Celebrity Home Loans, Jeff Helvin, Stage House, and Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada.

“We were thrilled to be able to once again hold our Everyday Extraordinary Breakfast – particularly in person and together since the pandemic – and recognize some amazing families and supporters,” said Kimberly Kindig, CEO of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. “This morning was about celebrating every Candlelighters family facing childhood cancer by acknowledging how hard the journey really is, especially this past year, and thanking our tremendous supporters for helping us deliver a variety of emotional support, quality of life, and financial assistance programs.” While everyone was affected by the pandemic, she noted 2020 was particularly tough for Candlelighters families with 21 children passing away.

The Carvahlo family received life-changing news when 16-year-old Mallory was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She has exemplified determination to regain her health and now wants to pursue a career in nursing to help children after experiencing first-hand the difference nurses make. Mallory is also an intern at Cure 4 The Kids and volunteers at Camp Independent Firefly, Candlelighters’ summer camp for children with cancer and their siblings.

The Duran family was recognized for perseverance and positivity throughout their cancer journey which began when 10-month-old Luna was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Now almost five years old, Luna and her family are still an inspiration as they continue to fight the disease.

The Angel Family honoree is the Nordstrom family. Darrian “DD” entered the foster care system when he was 15 months old and quickly won the hearts of his forever family and everyone around him. At age two, he was diagnosed with a rare childhood tumor and courageously battled it for four years. He lost his battle in 2018. The Nordstrom family continues to show strength, courage and love as they honor his memory.

The Robert Coomer Group-Celebrity Home Loans was presented with the Rising Star Award. After participating in the Candlelighters Superhero 5K two years ago, the company’s support has continued to grow, allowing Candlelighters to meet the rising need for mortgage and rental assistance for 24 families experiencing hardship. Additionally, the team hosts toy and gift card drives throughout the year.

Jeff Helvin received the Hero In Action Award for his continued commitment to helping children facing childhood cancer. His work is a tribute to Candlelighters angel, MaKenzie Lynn Hanover, who passed away from brain cancer in 2011 after a nearly year-long battle. Among Helvin’s contributions is forming Team Kenzie for the Superhero 5K to honor MaKenzie’s memory. It is the largest team assembled since the race began 32 years ago with 238 members and has raised more than $50,000 during the last 10 years.

The Community Kindness Award was presented to Stage House for its help activating Candlelighters’ signature events for the past 13 years. It has provided stages, photo backdrops, finish lines and more, with staff often the first to arrive and last to leave. A couple of years ago, Stage House also began helping at Camp Independent Firefly, which means driving to Big Bear, Calif., to set up camp and driving back again for break down when the camp concludes.

Lastly, the Sustaining Impact Award honored Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada for all-around support and positively impacting Candlelighters in every facet of the nonprofit organization and beneficiary families. The company’s participation encompasses leaders serving in key roles on the Candlelighters board, participating as major sponsors at signature events, staff adopting families during the holidays, and more. CCCN continues to exemplify the spirit of community and giving, and made an $10,000 donation during the event.

“Candlelighters has always meant the world to our staff and physicians, and even more so recently as the granddaughter of one of our own benefitted from this great organization’s assistance before succumbing to her cancer,” said Jon Bilstein, CEO of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, upon accepting the award. “We’re proud and humbled to continue supporting Candlelighters, and are pleased to make a $10,000 donation today.”

The Everyday Extraordinary Breakfast was the Candlelighters first in-person event in more than a year. It was co-hosted by Mark Shunock, in-arena host for the Vegas Golden Knights and Bob Arum’s Top Rank Boxing and creator and host of Mondays Dark, and 12-year-old Abigail Coeto-Juarez, a Candlelighters ambassador and childhood cancer survivor. The event was made possible by Southwest Gas, Blue Apple Electric, Cragin & Pike and Palm Mortuary.

About Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada
Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada is the first and oldest nonprofit organization in Nevada serving children, from birth to 21 years old, and families coping with childhood cancer. Its mission is to provide emotional support, quality of life programs, and financial assistance for children and their families affected by childhood cancer. Since its establishment more than 40 years ago, Candlelighters has helped thousands of families, and now serves nearly 400 families each month and more than 1,000 children (diagnosed child and sibling combined) per year. For information, visit www.candlelightersnv.org.

Four Valley Health System hospitals have achieved certification as a Gluten-Free Food Service program, joining a handful of other hospitals in the United States to achieve this status. The Food & Nutrition teams of Centennial Hills, Desert Springs, Summerlin and Valley hospitals met the rigorous standards and expectations for safety required to achieve this honor. The team is proud to serve delicious meals for any diet preference on a daily basis and this designation portrays their commitment to provide quality food for patients.

The Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) audits and validates restaurants and food businesses that serve gluten-free food.  The GFFS validation program is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), a non-profit organization that has been serving the needs of the gluten-free community for over 45 years.  GIG is on a mission to make life easier for everyone living gluten-free.

The hospitals will display the validated Gluten Free Safe Spot logo throughout the hospital to represent the independent verification of quality, integrity, and purity of businesses serving gluten-free food. Validation as a Gluten Free Safe Spot establishes trust with gluten-free patrons in the ability of a facility to provide safe gluten-free food.

Established in 2009, GFFS has held its food service establishments to the highest standards. Consumers recognize locations validated as Gluten Free Safe Spots serve gluten-free food that meets the nonprofit GFFS’s rigorous standards and expectations for safety. GFFS validates participating establishments, from restaurants to college dining, senior living, hospitals and more, by visiting locations in-person to ensure they follow best practices for gluten-free food safety and ensure high-quality staff training.

“I’m proud of our teams’ hard work to achieve gluten-free validation,” said Karla Perez, Regional Vice President of The Valley Health System. “The GFFS validation confirms our commitment to support our employees, physicians, patients and visitors who are living gluten-free.”

About The Valley Health System
The Valley Health System (VHS), comprised of hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, outpatient services and physician practices, cares for patients throughout Southern Nevada and surrounding communities. Accredited by The Joint Commission, VHS hospitals provide a comprehensive array of medical services including cardiovascular, neurosciences, maternity and women’s health, emergency and surgical care, along with specialty programs in stroke, chest pain, pediatrics, orthopedics, diabetes, wound care, surgical weight loss/bariatrics, geropsychiatric services and acute inpatient rehabilitation units. For more information, visit www.valleyhealthsystemlv.com

About the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG)
The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association funded by private donations, sponsorship opportunities and food safety programs. It relies on tax-deductible contributions to support its many innovative industry, service, social and awareness programs. GIG has been a highly respected leader in the gluten-free community since it was founded in 1974. In addition to more than 90 local support groups across the United States, GIG has increased its presence internationally to 47 countries. GIG empowers the gluten-free community through consumer support, advocacy and education. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), a program of GIG, is a leader in the verification of quality, integrity and purity of gluten-free products. The Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS) program is a proven model of established best practices for food service facilities offering gluten-free options. GIG is committed to ongoing food safety research to assure customers and consumers the highest level of excellence in its gluten-free programs and services. For information, visit www.gluten.org.

Kid’s Dental Program Running From July 26 – July 30 at Ronald McDonald House

In addition to school supplies and clothes, students also need a confident smile as they head back to the classroom this fall. Good oral health is essential to kids’ overall health and well-being. Their ability to concentrate in the classroom can be negatively affected by oral health issues such as tooth pain.

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile , in partnership with Nevada Health Centers and Speedway Children’s Charities, will help create those confident smiles during the 7th annual Smarts & Smiles Back to School Dental Care Fair, happening July 26th – 30th. Appointments are required – call (800) 787-2568 to schedule an appointment.

The Care Mobile, a mobile dental clinic, will be providing dental cleanings, oral health education, and more to local children each day between 8am – 5pm. Children receiving dental treatment will alsoreceive a free backpack full of school supplies. Additionally, on select days and times, vision screenings will be available for children and adults, as well as health and wellness take-home goody-bags.

Dental services are provided to insured and uninsured patients ages 21 and under, regardless of ability to pay. Nevada Health Centers accepts most dental insurance plans, Medicaid, and Nevada Checkup. Services on the Care Mobile are made possible through generous community grants from donors including the Engelstad Family and Del E. Webb Foundations. Children needing additional dental treatment beyond what is provided during the event will be scheduled for a follow-up appointment.

“During last year’s event, we heard from many parents who had lost jobs, and their dental insurance, due to COVID-19,” says Alyson McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Las Vegas. “For many families, the Smarts & Smiles event is the only way to get their children’s teeth cleaned before returning to school. We’re here to make sure all kids have healthy smiles in the classroom.”

This year’s event will return to the Las Vegas Ronald McDonald House, located at 2323 Potosi St. Families will be allowed to wait inside the lobby during their children’s appointments. Temperature checks and face masks are required for everyone entering the mobile unit.

The Ronald McDonald House would like to thank Speedway Children’s Charities of Las Vegas for being the presenting sponsor of the 2021 Smarts & Smiles Back to School Dental Care Fair.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities: Believing that every child deserves a comfortable and supportive place to grow, Ronald McDonald House Charities  (RMHC ) of Greater Las Vegas creates and supports programs that directly improve the health, education, and well-being of children in our community. We fulfill our mission by providing a “home away from home” at the Ronald McDonald House  for families who travel to Las Vegas to receive critical medical treatment for their children and manage programs that serve the immediate needs of children and families in our community. For more information on RMHC of Greater Las Vegas, visit www.rmhlv.org.

About Nevada Health Centers: Nevada Health Centers (NVHC) is a non‐profit, Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to providing access to quality health care throughout Nevada since 1977. NVHC operates more than 17 health centers throughout Nevada, which include three mobile programs, the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile , NVHC Mammovan and the Nevada Children’s Health Project. General information about Nevada Health Centers is available on the company website at: http://www.nvhealthcenters.org.
# #

Nevada ranks 37^th among the 50 states for adequate prenatal care, according to America’s Health Rankings 2020 Women and Children’s Report. Technology and persistence may be the best medicine to alter that statistic and prevent stillbirths in our state.

Healthy Birth Day, a non-profit dedicated to educating expectant parents about the importance of tracking fetal movement, has launched the “Count the Kicks” campaign in Nevada, with the help of funding from Health Plan of Nevada. Count the Kicks, an evidence-based stillbirth prevention public health campaign, was created by Healthy Birth Day to build awareness and provide a simple daily method for tracking fetal movement in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Funded through a grant and sponsorship totaling $28,000 from Health Plan of Nevada, the national Count the Kicks initiative provides educational materials to expectant parents, health care providers, birthing hospitals, social services agencies, childbirth educators and others in Nevada, to help empower them to have the kick counting conversation. Expectant parents also have access to the Count the Kicks app, which is available for free in iOS and Google Play app stores, providing expectant parents a simple, non-invasive way to monitor their baby’s well-being every day. The app is available in 12 languages, including English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole, and its features include the ability to rate the strength of a baby’s movements, kick-counting history, daily reminders and the ability to count for single babies and twins.

“We are thankful that UnitedHealthcare has funded this important campaign in Nevada because the more awareness there is for counting kicks, the better chance we have of reducing stillbirths,” said Julia Tayler, Nevada Ambassador, Healthy Birth Day. “Every baby is different, which is why it’s important for expectant parents to get to know what’s normal for their baby. If there is a change in this during the third trimester, this could be a sign of potential problems and an indication that the expectant mom should call her healthcare provider.”

Las Vegas mom, Mariana Falvey, used the Count the Kicks method to track her baby’s activity while in her final trimester and it may have saved her child’s life. “I agreed to go and get a fetal heart monitor check after really looking at the app and seeing the time increase for tracking his movements. It had changed from constant 10-15 minute intervals to almost an hour between movements as the week progressed. Within the hour, I was scheduled and prepped for an emergency Cesarean. If I had waited all weekend until my regular appointment, I truly don’t know if the outcome would have been the same or worse. I cannot express how incredible this app is and continues to be.”

ABOUT HEALTH PLAN OF NEVADA
Health Plan of Nevada is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. In Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada offers health benefit programs for individuals, employers, and Medicaid beneficiaries. Health Plan of Nevada is part of UnitedHealthcare, one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified health care company. For more information, visit Health Plan of Nevada at www.HealthPlanofNevada.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT COUNT THE KICKS
Healthy Birth Day, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that created the Count the Kicks public health campaign. The organization has a growing network of supportive doctors, nurses, hospitals and clinics that give Count the Kicks materials to their patients in 14 states, including Nevada. Count the Kicks has been featured on Good Morning America, Inside Edition and in O Magazine. Count the Kicks has more than 80 baby save stories from moms around the country (including Nevada) who have written in to share how they used Count the Kicks to save their baby’s life. The free Count the Kicks app has been downloaded more than 160,000 times in all 50 states and more than 140 countries. Learn more about their mission to save 7,500 babies every year and make kick counting a common practice in the third trimester of pregnancy at CountTheKicks.org.