Healers. Game Changers. Comprehensive.
A real team player can change the game. But cancer isn’t a game. It’s a battle, where having top performers on your team can mean everything. Professionals who give their all to apply every known treatment, both existing and emerging, to help you in your battle against cancer. Comprehensive participates in more than 170 Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical research studies each year. From novel treatments like genomics which fight cancers caused by genetics, to immunotherapy which uses the body’s own immune system to attack and beat cancer, Comprehensive will put together the team and the treatment plan that could make all the difference. Visit our website to learn more.
702.952.3350 | cccnevada.com
NEVADA’S HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE. UMC offers Nevada’s only Level I Trauma Center, designated pediatric trauma center, and burn care center. We continue to look to the horizon for new advancements. New treatments. New cures. All to make a difference where it matters most: right here at home.
umcsn.com
Health Care
75A
Headliners 2019
FROM T H E e d i tor
W
elcome to the 13th edition of Health Care Headliners. It’s our chance to introduce you to a few people who are making a big difference in local health care. The names came from nominations that we accepted on vegasinc.com and resulted in bringing to us some truly outstanding people who have helped hundreds, if not thousands, of our friends and neighbors. A special thanks goes to sponsors Comprehensive Cancer Centers. We appreciate the company’s support and the important role it continues to play in improving health care in Southern Nevada. Profiles were provided by Danielle Birkin.
Craig Peterson Special Publications Editor craig.peterson@gmgvegas.com
FROM THE SPONSOR
C
omprehensive Cancer Centers is proud to sponsor the VEGAS INC Health Care Headliners program each year. We are excited to see such a great group of medical professionals being honored for their achievements. We are also proud to show our support for our very own Headliner this year — Jon Bilstein, chief executive officer of Comprehensive. To all of the headliners, a most sincere thank-you for all you do. For more than 40 years, Comprehensive has been treating patients in Southern Nevada. The practice has grown with the community and is committed to providing the best care possible through medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, breast surgery, pulmonary services, cancer genetic counseling and clinical research to locals and the thousands of out-of-state patients who travel to us for treatment each year. Comprehensive continues to look for new ways to enhance the patient experience. We constantly strive to recruit the best providers, invest in technology and offer the latest treatments and services so there is no reason to leave the state for treatment. In January, the practice opened its 15th location on the campus of Summerlin Hospital Medical Center. Offering medical oncology and breast surgery services, this office adds to our existing radiation oncology services already on the campus, establishing a multispecialty approach to care for residents in the area.
In 2018, Comprehensive began offering cancer genetic counseling and genetic risk assessments; tools that are vital in early detection efforts as well as customizing treatment plans. Nurse practitioner Barbara Caldwell, MSN, APRN, leads these efforts and is one of only nine health care professionals in Nevada to receive training from an intensive cancer genetic risk assessment program at City of Hope. Additionally, Comprehensive continues to offer the latest advancements in cancer treatment and groundbreaking clinical research trials to Southern Nevada. The practice participates in more than 170 Phase I, Phase II and Phase III clinical research studies each year and has played a role in developing more than 70 FDA-approved cancer therapies. To all of the headliners, congratulations! We look forward to the continued, positive headlines we can make together as a medical community. And to our patients, we are constantly innovating on your behalf and are by your side, just as we have been through the decades. Sincerely,
Rupesh J. Parikh, MD Practice President and Medical Oncologist Comprehensive Cancer Centers
CONGRATULATIONS
DR. MICHAEL G. WOOD! The Sunrise Health System honors Dr. Michael G. Wood, MountainView Hospital, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon, for his dedication to his patients and our community, and for being recognized by Healthcare Headliners for the Physician award.
HeartandLungNV.com
Health Care
76A
Headliners 2019
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Dr. Terry Lewis
Burn Surgeon and Former Medical Director UMC Lions Burn Care Center
H
elping burn physicians and patients as a medical student crystallized a career path for Dr. Terry Lewis. Four decades later, he stands as a beacon of hope for people in need of care for injuries that can be quite severe. “Burn patients often require long-term hospitalization, and I had the chance to develop strong bonds with these individuals as they healed,” he said, discussing his time in medical school. “This experience building relationships with patients led me to focus on burn care throughout my career.” Under Lewis’ leadership, the UMC Lions Burn Care Center transformed from a small unit to a world-class, 16-bed burn center. It features the latest medical technology, a fully equipped rehabilitation gym, advanced surgical procedures and a team that currently includes 80 employees. “Dr. Lewis essentially built our burn center into what it is today,” UMC Burn Program Manager Mary Martinat said. Lewis received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Nebraska and completed his residency at UMC. He stayed at UMC and also served as an instructor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. Lewis was part of the team that helped establish trauma services at UMC and started his own private practice. In the
mid-1980s, he became UMC’s first trauma chairman as the trauma department developed. In 1988, he became the medical director of the UMC Lions Burn Care Center, the only burn center in Nevada and one of only a handful of hospitals in the country to be verified as a burn center by the American Burn Association and the committee on trauma of the American College of Surgeons. “I served in this position until 2011, and today I continue my work as a burn, trauma and general surgeon, caring for patients across the hospital,” Lewis said. “At this point in my career, I have the opportunity to focus more of my efforts on direct patient care. Each day, I round on my patients and work alongside them to promote the best possible medical outcomes.” Last year, Lewis and his team marked the 50th anniversary of the UMC Lions Burn Care Center with a large-scale reunion of former patients. “When I’m working long hours and feel tired, I think about the reunion and I remember why I do this — it’s about helping people,” said Lewis, who plans to retire in 2019. “I’m incredibly grateful for the Lions Club of Clark County and the organization’s continued support of our facility, and am also a supporter of UMC’s efforts to help pediatric burn patients attend camp activities where they have a chance to just be kids.”
v o l u ntee r s
DR Do-Gooders Desert Radiology
I
n 2016, the executive leaders of diagnostic medical-imaging company Desert Radiology launched a concerted effort to help others in Southern Nevada. Out of this vision, DR DoGooders was created. This philanthropic service group was designed to offer employees meaningful outreach opportunities and unite the staff. The list of agencies that have been helped by the team is long — the American Cancer Society, Opportunity Village, Susan G. Komen Nevada, the City Impact Center, Veterans Village and more. Two of DR Do-Gooders’ largest events are its Back-to-School Backpack Drive and Dry Bottoms Diaper Drive. In 2017, DR Do-Gooders donated nearly 200 backpacks to valley students, and in 2018, the team donated 250 backpacks and had more than 80 volunteers involved in the process. During the latest dia-
per drive, DR Do-Gooders collected more than 32,000 diapers for nearly 450 Southern Nevada families in need. “We have two missions for DR Do-Gooders: Making a significant and lasting impact on our community and instilling a sense of pride among our employees that motivates them to want to give back,” said Richard Bodager, executive vice president of Desert Radiology. “The response from our staff since starting DR Do-Gooders has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said. “The service group is really making an impact in the community and the employees take pride in what we are doing.” He added, “We are a Vegas Born team, so our focus has and always will be lifting up this Las Vegas community and enabling those underserved members to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”
Health Care
77A
Headliners 2019
Director, School of Physician Assistant Studies Touro University Nevada
D
r. Phil Tobin found his calling in health care as a youth in St. Paul, Minn. “When I was 9, one of my friends jumped off a fence and landed on a board with a nail sticking out of it that went through his shoe,” Tobin said. “I pulled out the board and helped him get home, and after that I was always known as ‘the medical guy.’” Tobin, a retired Air Force officer, joined Touro University Nevada as director of the School of Physician Assistant Studies in April 2016. Under his leadership, the 2018 graduating PA Class at Touro University Nevada received a 100-percent first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam, a first for Touro’s PA program. “I try to operate on three premises: to educate caring PAs to be empathetic to their patients; to prepare my PA students to pass their national boards; and to develop my faculty so they are the best teachers they can be,” Tobin said. The PA program prides itself on its outreach, including a mobile health unit that goes to Catholic Charities and Veterans Village, as well as a clinic at Shade Tree, where Tobin was recently elected to the board of trustees. Tobin joined the Air Force straight out of high school, working as a surgical technologist and then a urology technologist before being accepted into the Air Force Physician Assistant program. He earned a bachelor’s of arts and master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and a doctorate of health sciences from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. He taught at a PA school in Arkansas for six years and was program director for Mercer University’s PA program for four years.
Jon Bilstein M A N A G E R / A D M I N I S T R AT O R
E D U C AT I O N
Dr. Phil Tobin
President and CEO Cure 4 The Kids Foundation
I
t’s no small feat to take a start-up business from the kitchen table to a $41-million operation, but that’s exactly what Annette Logan-Parker did with the Cure 4 The Kids Foundation. “I created Cure 4 The Kids Foundation to address the unmet medical needs of children with complex medical conditions such as childhood cancer in Nevada and the surrounding region,” Logan-Parker said. The organization is Nevada’s only childhood cancer outpatient treatment center. With philanthropy a core part of the business, it is able to accept all patients without regard to ability to pay for services. “Since its inception, Cure 4 The Kids has treated over 50,000 patients and has never turned a child away for lack of payment,” she said. Not only is the organization a lifeline for families in need, but has shown itself to be a model business. The foundation was ranked at No. 23 among the country’s top 50 nonprofit organizations, according to the 2019 Best Nonprofits To Work For, a nationwide survey conducted by the Best Companies Group. Under Logan-Parker’s leadership, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation has been accredited by the Joint Commission since 2014. This assures patients they are getting needed treatment that meets the highest level of care and safety.
O
riginally from Chicago and a Southern Nevada resident for more than 40 years, Jon Bilstein is ensuring that patients at Comprehensive Cancer Centers are getting top care. “During my tenure, we’ve hired nine new physicians and seven nurse practitioners, invested heavily in the latest oncology technology — including more than $5 million in 2018 — and we recently opened our 15th location, in Summerlin,” Bilstein said. “In April 2018, we launched a new cancer genetic counseling line of service, and in March, we opened the first trial in the world for patients with metastatic castrationresistant prostate cancer.” In recent years, Comprehensive has also grown its existing community partnerships and established new ones. This includes the antismoking “I Quit For” campaign with UNLV and skin-safety partnerships with a number of local entities, including Wet’n’Wild Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Aviators and UNLV football. “In 2019 and beyond, we’re going to keep that momentum going strong, with enhanced treatments and a growing roster of physicians,” said Bilstein, who serves on the advisory council for the Las Vegas Medical District, is on the board of Las Vegas HEALS and is a member of CEOs Against Cancer and the Nevada chapter of the American Cancer Society. Bilstein made his initial foray into the medical arena as an apprentice at Sierra Health Services. He spent two years with HealthSouth and five years with Desert Radiology prior to joining Comprehensive Cancer Centers as chief operating officer in 2007, a post he held until 2014. He rejoined Comprehensive in January 2017 as executive director, leading a practice that encompasses more than 540 employees, 46 physicians, 15 advanced practice providers and 170 clinical research trials annually.
UMC Trauma Center emergenc y ser v ices
inno v ation
Annette Logan-Parker
Executive Director Comprehensive Cancer Centers
Stop the Bleed Program
O
ffered to provide community members with the skills needed to save lives during an emergency, UMC’s Stop the Bleed course has been taught to almost 9,500 people. Part of a national campaign, “Stop the Bleed curriculum was developed in an attempt to educate non-health care providers on how to control bleeding after a traumatic injury,” said Cassandra Trummel, UMC trauma outreach and injury prevention program coordinator. Interest in the program skyrocketed following the Oct. 1 mass shooting. Clark County School District faculty and staff have received the training, as have employees at nightclubs, churches, government organizations, casinos, Boy Scout groups and others. Trummel’s goal is to have all 357 CCSD schools trained by December. “Our team understands the importance of preparing people to care for themselves and others during an emergency,” Trummel said. “We want all of Nevada to feel empowered to help in case of an emergency.” The program received $25,000 from the NV Energy Foundation to expand to more schools, educating 3,200 students and outfitting 50 high schools with trauma response kits. UMC’s efforts are not limited to Southern Nevada. “On April 11, 2019, our team travelled to Carson City to teach Stop the Bleed and share the importance of this program with Nevada legislators,” said Trummel.
Health Care
78A
Headliners 2019
President United Citizens Foundation
G
rowing up in India, Ash Mirchandani learned about public service at a young age. “Mother Teresa’s ashram, Prem Dan, was walking distance from my house and I was influenced by the work she did for the less fortunate,” said Mirchandani, who lived in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and came to the U.S. nearly two de cades ago with only $180. With a career and education based in finance and busi ness, Mirchandani shifted gears to found United Citizens Foundation in June 2010. The organization provides mental health, behavioral health and substance-abuse services in a state that typically ranks low in mental-health care. Since its inception, the foundation has grown to 10 clinics and provides help and counseling to some of Clark County School Dis trict’s most at-risk students. “My academic qualifications in finance, business and public policy combined with my careers in corporate, government and nonprofit gave me a unique perspective to realize the importance of public service and understand the unmet challenges of our times,” he said. Mirchandani is a Chartered Financial Analyst gold medalist and also holds a master’s degree in finance as well as business administration/business finance. He has worked as field auditor with the state of Nevada; as assistant to the director for the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation; as CFO for Workforce CONNECTIONS; and as deputy director of the Nevada Department of Business and Industry. Mirchandani has founded several successful startups since 2015 and continues to serve on several prominent boards and commissions in Nevada.
Dr. Jessica Caldwell research / science
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Ash Mirchandani
PHYSICIAN
NURSING
T
anya Brizzi once thought that her field of expertise would involve goals of a more sporting nature. “I never aspired to be a nurse — when I was younger soccer was my passion — but I’m very grateful to be a nurse and to be able to help others,” said Brizzi, who joined WestCare Nevada as a licensed practical nurse in October 2014, also serving as HIV coordinator. “Our WestCare family strives to uplift the human spirit by being the safety net for those struggling with addiction and mental-health issues. ” Brizzi assists with regular nursing duties, HIV testing/reporting, maintaining nursing forms, client care, administration and client education/advocacy. “Most recently, I have made necessary changes to approximately 35 medical forms to facilitate more individualized client care, which will increase the success rate of our clients and the efficiency of services provided, alleviating our first responders, hospital ERs and community behavioral health partners at large,” Brizzi said. The Southern Nevada native — who supports Children’s Heart Center and any organization that helps children, addicts, mental-health patients or benefits schools — worked as a pharmacy tech for approximately 11 years prior to obtaining her practical nursing license through College of Southern Nevada. She previously worked at Sunrise Hospital, the Las Vegas Recovery Center, the Nevada Treatment Center, the North Las Vegas Detention Center and A Better Today Recovery Services.
D
r. Jessica Caldwell’s work on how the brain is different between men and women is setting the stage for future study. But brains weren’t always her game. It was watching her mechanic parents diagnose automotive glitches in Neguanee, Mich., that helped Caldwell hone her problem-solving skills. “Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on a stool in the garage watching my mother and father work, telling me bits of what they were thinking and telling me to stay out of the grease,” Caldwell said. She joined the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in February 2016 as a neuropsychologist, assuming her current post as director of clinical training in August 2018. “My current research focuses on how Alzheimer’s disease affects men and women differently, and how we might be able to help women in particular, as women are more likely to have the disease and serve as caregivers,” she said. Caldwell was awarded $100,000 from the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to create a new fellowship for research into sex-based differences related to Alzheimer’s disease. It’s her hope that it will provide a training opportunity for the next generation of researchers. Caldwell has academic appointments at the UNLV School of Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Michael Wood
Tanya Brizzi
Licensed Practical Nurse, HIV Coordinator WestCare Nevada
Director of Clinical Training, Neuropsychology Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health
Medical Director, Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon MountainView Hospital
H
eart patients have more hope thanks to the efforts of professionals like Dr. Michael Wood of MountainView Hospital. A Southern Nevada resident since 2004, Wood was responsible for establishing a group of hospital-employed cardiothoracic surgeons at MountainView. The group strives to focus on quality care and patient satisfaction. That focus is paying off. MountainView Hospital has been recognized by Consumer Reports magazine for successes in heart surgery — the only Nevada hospital on the list — alongside 62 other hospitals nationwide. In addition, MountainView Hospital has twice been recognized by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons as a 3-star program, the highest recognition available, for its patient care and outcomes in isolated coronary artery bypass grafting procedures. MountainView Hospital has also had many patient-care firsts for Nevada. Most recently, Wood and a surgical team completed a mitral aortic valve replacement, the first such procedure in Nevada. “Dr. Wood is singularly focused on his patients and quality outcomes for his patients that result in long-term positive results,” said Jeremy Bradshaw, MountainView Hospital chief executive officer. Wood earned his bachelor’s of science in biochemistry from Lafayette College and received his medical degree from New York Medical College. After completing his general surgery residency at the University of Southern California, he completed a fellowship in cardiac and thoracic surgery at New York University.
M E D I C A L O F F I C E S PA C E AVAILABLE FOR LEASE
Centennial Hills Medical Plaza I
Summerlin Medical Office III Henderson Medical Plaza
Goldring Medical Plaza
Shadow Lane Medical Office Spring Valley Medical Plaza I-II
Summerlin Medical Office I & II
Desert Springs Medical Plaza II
Welcomes new tenant P3 H e a l t h P a r t n e r s ! Desert Springs Medical Plaza II
Congratulates existing tenants renewal and expansions Medical and Dental Surgery Center and Khavkin Clinic/Las Vegas Sinus
Fo r lea si ng i nfo rmatio n:
ROBERT MILLER r miller @en s em ble.net JAMIE KRAHNE
jkrahne@ensemble.net
702 /216 -2363 ensemble.net
Jon Bilstein
Chief Executive Officer Comprehensive Cancer Centers
Your Vision and Leadership Is Making a Difference in Our Community. COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTERS congratulates all of this year’s nominees, including our CEO, Jon Bilstein, as he is recognized as the 2019 Vegas Inc. Manager/Administrator Health Care Headliner. Jon, your compassion, dedication and leadership is helping us deliver the highest standard of care, the newest technologies and the latest clinical research. Your vision for cancer treatment is not only helping patients today, it is laying the foundation for the continued growth of world-class cancer care in Southern Nevada.
cccnevada.com • 702.952.3350
reimagine H E A LT H C A R E D E L I V E R Y
It takes a great deal of strength, resolve and motivation to translate personal adversity into something that positively affects the lives of many. Twelve years ago, Annette Logan-Parker reimagined healthcare delivery. She set out on a mission to create an environment where all children can be provided with high quality, patient-centered, empathic medical care regardless of their ability to pay. Today, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is Nevada’s only non-profit childhood cancer treatment center and facility for pediatric catastrophic diseases. Accredited by the Joint Commission, Cure 4 The Kids Foundation is a new kind of healthcare facility; one that blends the best of what corporate healthcare, education and research has to offer with generosity, thoughtfulness, and spirit of charity. Cure 4 The Kids Foundation and Roseman University congratulate Annette for being named a 2019 Healthcare Headliner.
11 Sunset Way | Henderson, NV 89014 | 702-990-4433 One Breakthrough Way | Las Vegas, NV 89135 (702) 732-1493 | Cure4thekids.org
@cure4thekids
10530 Discovery Drive | Las Vegas, NV 89135 | 702-802-2841 10920 S. River Front Parkway | South Jordan, UT 84095 | 801-302-2600
roseman.edu | @rosemanuhs