Las Vegas HEALS News

New Imaging Study is the First to Use GE180 in this Patient Population to Better Understand the Role of Inflammation in Disease Pathology

The Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health has obtained the only Investigational New Drug (IND) to be issued by the Federal Drug Administration to test the GE180 ligand tracer, an experimental diagnostic imaging tool used to detect neuroinflammation, in the brains of those with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Ligand tracers are used in radiology to help better depict protein interactions in living cells. Aaron Ritter, M.D., director of clinical trials at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, holds the IND for GE180 and serves as the principal investigator of a new positron emission tomography (PET) imaging study observing neuroinflammation in the brain.

The study’s goals are to better understand the link between inflammation and neurodegeneration, as well as determine if the tracer works in a new application: a patient population consisting of participants with normal cognitive function as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Currently, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is the first and only trial site testing GE180 in this patient population.

While inflammation is proven to play a role in both kidney and heart disease, the extent of its impact in brain disease is yet to be determined. Researchers are increasingly reporting that neuroinflammation — or over-activation of immune cells in the brain — may play an important role in pathology for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but more research is warranted.

“We do know there is some connection between inflammation and neurodegenerative disease, but we have yet to confirm what that is, and until now, it’s been hard to quantify in a living brain. The GE180 tracer is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the science of brain disease in ways that have not previously been studied,” said Dr. Ritter. “If we can confirm that inflammation plays a role in dementia, this could lead to new treatments that specifically target cognitive decline.”

The imaging study is an observational sub-study of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s Center of Biomedical Research of Excellence (COBRE) grant, which aims to understand the similarities between Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The two-year trial will use the GE180 tracer in conjunction with PET scans to detect neuroinflammation in the brains of 70 participants. The COBRE grant is funded by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA)P20GM109025from the National Institutes of Health.

For additional information about the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, visit ClevelandClinic.org/Nevada.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 52,000 employees are more than 3,600 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic’s health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 11 regional hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations – including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers – and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2017, there were 7.6 million outpatient visits, 229,000 hospital admissions and 207,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

About Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health provides expert diagnosis and treatment for individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases; multiple sclerosis; frontotemporal dementia and related disorders; and multiple system atrophy. The center offers a continuum of care with no-cost opportunities for the community to participate in education and research, including disease prevention studies and clinical trials of promising new medications. An integrated entity, Keep Memory Alive, raises funds exclusively in support of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit http://www.clevelandclinic.org/brainhealth and http://www.keepmemoryalive.org.

NDN Recovered 530 Organs from 130 Organ Donors, 799 Tissue Donors and 1,238 Cornea Donors in 2018

Nevada Donor Network (NDN) is proud to announce its sixth record-breaking year out of the last seven in the number of lives saved and healed through organ, eye and tissue donation. In addition to their role as a federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO), NDN also coordinates healing tissue and cornea donation statewide.

Nevada Donor Network sets important records in 2018.

Throughout 2018, Nevada Donor Network coordinated the recovery of 530 lifesaving organs from 130 organ donor heroes, 799 tissue donor heroes and 1,238 cornea donor heroes. These precious gifts allowed NDN to provide 442 grateful organ transplant recipients with a second chance at life, facilitate increased mobility and function for thousands of tissue recipients, and restore sight to 1,980 cornea recipients. As a key metric in determining OPO success worldwide, the average rate of organ donors per million of population served (DPMP) around the U.S. is approximately 33 DPMP. In 2018, NDN reached an unparalleled 59 DPMP based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and U.S. Census data. Per this same data, NDN also leads the nation in the number of organs transplanted per million of population served (TPMP) in 2018, achieving 201 TPMP – more than double the U.S. average of 99 TPMP.

The organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Ferreira shares, “It is with great pride that the Nevada Donor Network team continues to save and heal more lives than ever before at such a remarkable per capita rate. With the support of our hospital partners and community champions, we have the privilege of honoring the wishes of a record number of heroic donors and their courageous families; each one whose legacy will live on forever. In addition to celebrating our success of maximizing the gift of donation, we remain mindful of the fact that our work is not done. Until all 619 Nevadans on the waiting list and the more than 114,000 others nationwide receive their lifesaving transplants, we will continue to passionately serve our mission with record-breaking success. More than 2 million people who call this beautiful state ‘home’ are counting on us. We will proudly continue serving those who give and saving those who desperately wait across the globe in honor of our donors and their families. We are #nevadastrong for Nevadans.”

Event Benefits Organizations Connect Families with Expert Organizations

The Clark County Medical Society Alliance is having their 18th Annual Fashion Show & Luncheon to support another great healthcare related cause, Autism Spectrum Disorder, on March 19, 2019 from 10:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

The event works to bridge the local Autism Community with the local Medical Community in transitioning families with Autism to adulthood. Donations are supporting three organizations; Sunshine Nevada, UNLV Project FOCUS, New Vista offering socialization, recreation, upper-education and housing.

About the Fashion Show

The Fashion Show presenter is Vasari at Tivoli Village who will be showcasing their spring collections at luncheon held at the Four Seasons Las Vegas.

Four Seasons Las Vegas
3960 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Phone: (702) 632-5000
Map Link: Directions

Tickets & Sponsorships

Individual Tickets are $225.00
Table of 10 is $2,250

Click here for tickets.

Sponsorships opportunities available at the Platinum, Gold & Silver Levels. Contact Clark County Medical Society Alliance at for more details:

Clark County Medical Society Alliance
2590 E. Russell Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89120

E-mail: ccmsa.info@gmail.com

Warn Joins Executive Leadership Team to Ensure Organizational Quality and Compliance

Nevada Donor Network Promotes Jacqueline Warn.

Nevada Donor Network (NDN) is pleased to announce the promotion of Jacquelyn (“Jackie”) Warn to Vice President of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. Warn originally joined the NDN team in 2017 as the organization’s Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs. In her role as Director, she has expertly guided the organization through crucial policy updates, trainings, and exercises to strengthen compliance with all applicable regulatory agencies, ultimately ensuring we may continue to provide lifesaving and healing gifts to those who desperately wait. In her new role as VP of Quality and Regulatory Affairs, Warn will join the executive leadership team to ensure the organizational pillar of quality and compliance is represented at all levels.

Nevada Donor Network President and CEO Joe Ferreira says, “It is a true honor to welcome Ms. Warn to the executive leadership team. As one of the highest performing Organ Procurement Organizations in the world, it is only fitting we recruit and promote the most highly talented individuals the world has to offer. The NDN team holds high regard for her expert understanding of advanced quality and compliance measures, as well as her enthusiasm for sharing this knowledge. We congratulate Jackie on this accomplishment and thank her for her dedication to the mission on behalf of those we humbly serve.”

With more than two decades of experience, Warn is undoubtedly a recognized leader within the donation and transplantation community. Prior to joining NDN, she served as the Corporate Director of Quality and Compliance for DCI Donor Services and the Senior Director of Quality and Regulatory Affairs for Donor Network of Arizona for more than 10 years. In addition to holding a Masters of Business Administration degree, she is a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence by the American Society for Quality. She also maintains certification by the American Society of Clinical Pathology. Warn’s professional memberships include the American Association for Tissue Banks (AATB) Quality Council, where she currently serves as Chair (2016-2020) and previously served as Vice Chair (2014-2016); The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), in which she served as Quality Improvement Co-Chair in 2005 and Chair in 2006; The Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA), and the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Membership Professional Standards Committee.

Former Chief of Staff to Gov. Brian Sandoval Talks to Nevada Indy

Mike Willden

Mike Willden is considered one of the most knowledgeable civil servants in Nevada — when he spent his final day on the clock last Friday as former Gov. Brian Sandoval’s chief of staff, he ended a 45-year career with the state.

Willden hasn’t decided on his next steps, but at 63, he said he’s not yet ready to retire. He sat down with The Nevada Independent on Tuesday to field questions on the origins of Nevada’s healthcare and welfare systems and where he thinks it should go under Gov. Steve Sisolak’s leadership.

Read the full story in the Nevada Independent.

Stewart Responsible for Nursing Operations Leadership, Direction and Administration

Carole Fisher, president and CEO of Nathan Adelson Hospice, today announced April Stewart, RN and CHPN, has been promoted to the position of Chief Nursing Officer for the nonprofit hospice.

April Stewart, Chief Nursing Officer for Nathan Adelson Hospice.

In her role, Stewart will be responsible for providing leadership, direction and administration of nursing operations to ensure compliance with the organization’s strategic plans and objectives, in order to maintain high-quality, cost-effective hospice and palliative services.

Prior to this promotion, Stewart was hired as the Director of Palliative Care for Nathan Adelson Hospice. In that role, she led the palliative care team and served as project manager for the implementation of new palliative care software and worked with the Nathan Adelson Hospice team and product engineers as they built it. She played a major role in the expansion of the home-based palliative care program.

She also stepped in as the Interim Admissions Clinical Manager where she was responsible for clinical oversight of the admission team members. She partnered with the business development team to foster relationships with healthcare providers and the community, in order to support patients in need of hospice services.

Stewart began her medical career as a triage nurse and took on various leadership positions, including hospice patient care administrator and later hospice executive director. Of her 14 years of healthcare experience, 12 have been in hospice care. Prior to her healthcare career, she was a non-commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. Most recently, Stewart was Executive Director and Senior Director of Clinical Operations for Remita Health, where she provided oversight for seven locations and clinical operations for the multi-site hospice agency.

Stewart earned her Associate’s Degree in the Science of Nursing from Maric College in San Diego, CA. She holds memberships in several organizations, including HPNA, the Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association. She holds a certification in hospice and palliative nursing and is an active community volunteer.

About Nathan Adelson Hospice

Nathan Adelson Hospice has been providing hospice care and palliative medicine for over 40 years. The oldest, largest and only non-profit hospice in Southern Nevada cares for an average of 400 hospice and palliative care patients daily. In 1978, Nathan Adelson Hospice began providing home care hospice service in Southern Nevada with the mission to offer patients and their loved ones comprehensive end-of-life care and influence better care for all in the community. In 1983, Nathan Adelson Hospice opened an in-patient hospice in Las Vegas, and today the hospice is recognized as a national model for superior hospice care. The mission of the hospice is to be the Hospice of Choice, the Employer of Preference and a Training Center of Excellence for comprehensive end-of-life care. Its vision is simple: no one should end the journey of life alone, afraid or in pain.

The hospice also is home to The Center for Compassionate Care, a non-profit counseling agency providing individual, group and family counseling services to address grief, loss and issues related to surviving life-threatening illnesses. For more information, visit www.nah.org.

University joins the ranks of just 120 institutions nationwide classified by Carnegie as “very high research activity” – or R1 – the gold standard for university research metrics

UNLV advances research efforts.

NLV’s drive to rise among the nation’s top public research universities took a major step forward this week when it was elevated to R1 “very high research activity” status by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

R1 is the gold standard for university research classifications, and out of 4,000 institutions nationwide, UNLV now is one of just 120 with the distinction. UNLV had been classified as “high research activity,” or R2, in Carnegie’s last update in 2015.

The news comes as UNLV continues to press forward on its Top Tier Initiative, a campuswide strategic plan to join the ranks of the nation’s top public universities in research, education, and community impact by 2025. This plan includes earning the top classification by Carnegie.

“This achievement is validation of the commitment and efforts of many individuals, and a step along our journey for UNLV to be the very best it can be,” said UNLV President Marta Meana. “Reaching the highest Carnegie classification is years in the making and will have a wide-ranging impact from recruitment of top faculty and students, to broadening our research efforts, to attracting new businesses that will boost economic growth in our state. This is a proud day for UNLV and the community, and we will continue our meaningful work in Southern Nevada and beyond.”

According to Carnegie’s classification website, data from the National Center for Education Statistics and National Science Foundation (NSF) surveys is pulled to determine the classifications. The organization calculates research activity in a variety of categories, including but not limited to doctoral degrees granted, NSF-reported research expenditures, and the number of post-doctoral and non-faculty researchers.

NSF-reported research expenditures are on the rise at UNLV, from $42 million in fiscal year 2015 to $66 million in 2017. The university has also grown its doctoral programs across the disciplines and is awarding more doctoral degrees overall, moving from 124 research doctoral degrees in 2013-14 to 162 degrees in 2017-18.

“We could not have reached this major milestone of our Top Tier strategic plan without all the hard work, dedication and ongoing collaboration among our college deans, chairs, faculty, and staff,” said UNLV Provost and Executive Vice President Diane Chase. “It is a testament to the spirit of our UNLV faculty, staff and students whose creativity and innovation drive so much of our research.”

UNLV becomes the first institution in Nevada to earn Carnegie’s highest distinction, and joins eight other universities as new arrivals for 2018: Dartmouth College, Oklahoma State University, Drexel University, Mississippi State University, Binghamton University, the University of Colorado, Denver, the University of Auburn, and the University of Alabama.

The Carnegie Classification has been the leading framework for classifying the research activities of colleges and universities in the U.S. for more than 40 years. The first classification was published in 1973, nearly 20 years before UNLV awarded its first Ph.D. in English in 1991.

UNLV’s first Carnegie designation was earned in 1987, when it was classified as a “Comprehensive I” institution, recognizing its offering of graduate education through master’s degrees. Seven years later, UNLV was reclassified as a “Comprehensive Master’s-granting University,” with more than 40 master’s degrees, and earned a ”Doctoral/Research University-Intensive” designation in 2000.

Since 2000, UNLV has greatly expanded its graduate degree programs campuswide, which includes a School of Dental Medicine and the Boyd School of Law, both firsts for Nevada, and a School of Public Health. UNLV awarded 171 professional practice degrees – in law and dental medicine – last year, with those numbers expected to rise with the 2017 launch of the UNLV School of Medicine.
About UNLV

UNLV is a doctoral-degree-granting institution of more than 30,000 students and 3,500 faculty and staff that is recognized as “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. UNLV offers a broad range of respected academic programs and is on a path to join the top tier of national public research universities. The university is committed to recruiting and retaining top students and faculty, educating the region’s diversifying population and workforce, driving economic activity through increased research and community partnerships, and creating an academic health center for Southern Nevada.

Source: UNLV

Local Institution Has Been Helping Valley Residents Since 1958

Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center turns 60 this year. The facility on Maryland Parkway near Desert Inn Road has been seeing patients since 1958. From then until now, the hospital has celebrated a number of achievements, including opening the valley’s first children’s hospital.

“I didn’t think I’d be here for it,” said David Jost, facilities project engineer as he looks at memorabilia on a table.

“This is the oldest blueprint I could find from 1971.”

Items, including newspaper clippings, showcase the 60 year history of the hospital.

“That’s how far it’s grown from that, like a bunch of wings going out, single story to this multi-tower campus that we have now,” Jost said.

Lots of changes in six decades.

Jost as seen many of them during his 35 years working as an engineer.

“I was just looking to break into the electrical trade and they provided me an opportunity here after I did an interview and hired me on the spot and that’s what happened.”

Jost and other staff attended a diamond jubilee celebration at the hospital on Wednesday. An event highlighting the hospital’s accomplishments.

“Our founders brought the first CT scanner to town, brought the first cardiac program to town. Prior to that, folks had to leave and go to California for healthcare,” said CEO Todd Sklamberg, Sunrise Hospital.

Opening the children’s hospital also became another first in the valley.

“Now it’s the most comprehensive facility here, not just in southern Nevada but the entire state,” Sklamberg said.

While the event focuses on the medical campus’s past, there’s also a look to the future which includes building a new five-story tower.

“We’re also adding another 72 beds here at the hospital to meet the needs of the community both today and for the next 10 years,” Sklamberg said.

Jost proudly reflects on his time.

“I’ve been able to be involved in a lot of different projects, a lot of things, a lot of growth and it’s a big deal,” Jost said.

And he looks forward to being a part of the future accomplishments.

The hospital opened with less than 100 medical staff and 62 beds. Now, it boasts a medical staff of 1,400 and 690 beds on a 16-acre campus.

Efforts to Help Keep More Nevadans Developing Skills In-State

Excellent healthcare for all Nevadans a top priority for Governor Brian Sandoval

Governor Brian Sandoval announced the funding of four graduate medical education residency and fellowship programs intended to grow Nevada’s physician workforce. The Governor accepted the recommendations of his Graduate Medical Education (GME) Task Force for distribution of $3,324,520 approved in the executive budget during the 2017 legislative session.

“Ensuring Nevadans have access to high-quality healthcare has been one of my top priorities in office,” Governor Brian Sandoval said. “Growing Nevada’s physician workforce is essential to meeting this goal and funding from this grant will help increase the number of physicians completing their graduate medical education in Nevada.”

According to the State Board of Medical Examiners, there are 175 licensed physicians per 100,000 residents in Nevada, compared to 261.8 per 100,000 nationwide. Within four years, today’s funding is expected to create 5 new residency and fellowship positions across Nevada in high-demand specialties, helping ensure more of Nevada’s medical students will remain in the State to practice medicine.

“Graduate Medical Education is an important part of Nevada’s strategy to grow its physician workforce and increase access to high-quality healthcare. We’re excited that these partnerships will provide new residency programs and state-of-the-art instruction for Nevada’s next generation of doctors,” said Brian Mitchell, Director of the Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology.

Currently, Nevada produces more undergraduate medical students than it has available residencies and fellowships. Additionally, Nevada currently lacks fellowships in some specialties that are of interest to students. As a result, many highly educated students are forced to leave the state for further training at a time when they are beginning real-world application of their advanced education. The GME Grant funding awarded today will assist the State in attracting, educating, and retaining more doctors for Nevada.

The funding is broken up between the four programs:

• Valley Health – $961,955
• Critical Care Medicine – $80,00
• Critical Care Surgery Fellowship – $1,560,179
• Geriatrics Fellowship – $722,346

About the GME Task Force: On March 11, 2014, Governor Sandoval issued EO 2014-07 establishing a GME Task Force to develop recommendations for state funding of GME in the 2015 legislative session. The Governor accepted the recommendations and included $10 million for GME in his executive budget in the 2015 session, which was approved by the Legislature. In 2015, the Governor issued EO 2015-30, reestablishing the GME Task Force and charging it with providing recommendations on how to best distribute the $10 million allocated by the Legislature towards improving GME in Nevada. The Task Force developed a Request for Proposals and solicited applications from accreditor-approved GME programs or sponsoring institutions, evaluated the proposals and made recommendations to the Governor for funding. In 2016, the State awarded $10 million in grant funding to ten recipients. In 2017, the Legislature again funded the Governor’s recommendation of $10 million to grow the physician

workforce. The first $5 million was awarded in June to eight applicants. The remaining $1,675,480 will be awarded next spring following a competitive application process. The Task Force is staffed by the

Governor’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology. More information can be found at http://osit.nv.gov.

University Increases Services and Maximizes Patient Recruitment Efforts

Since opening in 2009, the Roseman University College of Dental Medicine’s Orthodontic Clinic at the Henderson Campus has helped thousands of patients of all ages reimagine their smiles by providing affordable, high-quality orthodontic treatment.

Roseman Dental sets up for future growth

Last month, the University completed construction of a new dental clinic, located adjacent to the Orthodontic Clinic, to offer general and advanced dentistry. In 2019, the clinic will serve as the home of a new Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program. In the meantime, the clinic is already providing dental care to patients, and the added services allow patients to access all of their dental needs in one convenient location.

With the expanded services, and additional residency dental programs planned for both the Henderson and South Jordan campuses in the coming years, the Roseman University Marketing Office has implemented a plan to reintroduce all of the College of Dental Medicine clinics under the name Roseman Dental. This allows the University to maximize patient recruitment efforts with consistent messaging and brand identity, bolster referral opportunities between clinics, and to create scalability for future growth.

Next week, a new Roseman Dental Website will be unveiled at rosemandental.com. The Website will serve both the Henderson and South Jordan campuses with campus-specific pages appearing in the Nevada and Utah markets via geotagging. The single Website allows the Marketing Office to manage fewer sites, eliminating redundancy, while also creating an opportunity to implement a more aggressive and targeted digital marketing campaign to recruit patients.

Additionally, fresh photos and videos featuring residents, faculty and patients from both campuses are being used to create new promotional videos, television commercials, print advertisements, brochures and other marketing materials to be rolled out in the New Year.

The College of Dental Medicine social media channels have also been revamped. The Roseman Dental clinics in Henderson can now be found at @RosemanDentalNV and the South Jordan clinics can be found at @RosemanDentalUT on Facebook and Instagram. On Twitter, the clinics at both campuses will be managed through a single account at @RosemanDental.

The Orthodontic Clinic was established as the first clinical practice of the College of Dental Medicine and offers care through the Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics/MBA (AEODO/MBA) residency program. The program enrolls 10 residents per year and up to four interns. The residents are all dental school graduates and licensed dentists, and are paired with expert board certified or board eligible orthodontic faculty to provide the best care for clinic patients.  The clinic offers an array of orthodontic treatments that include two-phase treatment, traditional metal braces, clear braces, Invisalign®, retainers, and more.

The new Roseman Dental general dentistry clinic in Henderson, along with the dental student, AEGD and urgent care clinics in South Jordan offer a range of services, including dental examinations and x-rays, extractions, tooth sealants, root canals, dental fillings, teeth cleaning, periodontal procedures, dentures, crowns, bridges and implants. Treatment is provided at the Henderson clinic by faculty and resident dentists who are licensed Nevada dentists. Treatment at the South Jordan campus is provided by student dentists enrolled in the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) program, under the supervision of faculty members who are licensed Utah dentists, or AEGD residents who are also licensed Utah dentists.

Roseman Dental clinics are an affordable option for dental needs, offering treatment at rates that are typically lower than at a traditional dental or orthodontic office. Dental insurance is not required for treatment and payment is accepted in cash, credit or debit cards. The clinics accept Medicaid for procedures that are covered under that plan. Insurance is accepted. For questions regarding insurances or to schedule an appointment, please call 702-968-5222 (Henderson, Nevada) or 801-878-1200 (South Jordan, Utah).

Source: Roseman University of Health Sciences