ST. LOUIS, MO, December 6, 2016 – Renown Health, a comprehensive health network based in Reno, Nev., has expanded its healthcare capabilities through the addition of the Pritikin ICR^TM (Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation) program. Renown Health, the region’s leader in heart and vascular care, will offer the ICR program, through Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health, on the Renown South Meadows Medical Center campus. Renown’s Healthy Heart Program is the first Pritikin ICR on the West Coast.

Pritikin ICR^TM is based on the Pritikin Program which has been taught to more than 100,000 individuals for over 40 years at the Pritikin Longevity Center. More than 100 peer-reviewed, published studies, performed by UCLA medical researchers, have established the program’s remarkable results.

“Heart health and education are our top priorities at Pritikin ICR,” said Bob Franceschelli, CEO of St. Louis-based Pritikin ICR. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to expand the Pritikin program throughout the nation and work with Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health to teach patients important skills from the three pillars the program is based on: healthy eating, healthy mindset and effective exercise. With these skills we help patients learn how to foster an overall healthy lifestyle that leads to a healthy heart.”

Renown Institute for Heart & Vascular Health takes a proactive approach to ensure patients in northern Nevada and the eastern Sierras have the best care available for the prevention and treatment of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the state of Nevada. Pritikin ICR^TM allows for a more comprehensive and robust treatment plan and is a critical part of patient care following a cardiac event. Referral-based patients who enter the program will address necessary lifestyle changes that contribute to many chronic conditions (including heart disease).

Patients can attend 72 Pritikin ICR^TM sessions, providing them with more resources and education to carry out a healthy lifestyle than they receive in ordinary Cardiac Rehab (CR), which is typically 36 sessions primarily focused on exercise.

“With the support and expertise of Pritikin ICR, Renown will continue to excel as the region’s heart care leader – becoming the premier ICR program west of the Rockies and one of the nation’s most successful ICR programs,” said Quinn Pauly, M.D., Renown Healthy Heart Program director. “Through this partnership, we are taking an innovative approach toward the prevention and treatment of heart disease and are thrilled to offer this program to our community.”

According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S., on average 1 in every 4 deaths each year is associated with heart disease, including coronary heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and congenital heart disease. In order to combat cardiovascular issues, medical procedures and medications prescribed by physicians must be coupled with a heart-healthy lifestyle. The Pritikin ICR program teaches patients how to sustain a heart-healthy eating plan, regular exercise, and the kind of mindset that fosters healthy behaviors.

More information is available at www.pritikinicr.com

About Pritikin Programs

The Pritikin Program emphasizes exercise, a healthy mind-set, and an eating plan focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, lean meat, nonfat dairy, and protein-rich plant foods like legumes, or beans. Today, the Pritikin Program is taught at the Pritikin Longevity Center, a health and wellness resort in Miami, Florida, and in hospital provided outpatient programs licensed in a number of states throughout the country. All Pritikin Programs are covered by Medicare for qualifying individuals. The medical conditions that qualify for Medicare reimbursement include heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, angioplasty, stable angina (chest pain), heart or heart-lung transplants, and heart valve repair or replacements. For more information, please visit www.pritikinicr.com.

About Renown Health

Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving a 17-county region comprised of northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California. Renown is one of the region’s largest private employers with a workforce of more than 6,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, skilled nursing, the area’s most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region’s largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health. Renown has a long tradition of being the first in the region to successfully perform leading-edge medical procedures. For more information, visit www.renown.org

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