A visit to the dentist can be a scary pros-

pect for many kids, and when you haven’t had

a check-up since you can’t remember when

there’s even more reason to be anxious.

Thankfully this little girl’s dental appointment

on Give Kids a Smile Day left her smiling with

relief—no cavities this time! Thanks to your

generous support and the donated time of 18

local dentists and their staff, more than 100

kids got important dental check-ups, cleanings

and restorative care. And they all went home

with smiles on their faces.

Your support of Community Health Alliance

dental health programs means we never have

to turn away a child who needs dental care.

The early years are crucial to the develop-

ment of healthy teeth and good oral hygiene.

Kids experiencing tooth pain are less likely to

be successful in school and more likely to have

other health concerns. In Washoe County

alone, one child in four lives in poverty and

4,000 children are homeless. That means

there’s not a lot left to pay for dental care

when a family is struggling to make ends

meet.

Dental Director Dr. Brandi Dupont was thrilled

to see local dentists volunteer their time to

help local kids, and overwhelmed with grati-

tude to donors like you who made the day

possible. “If we can give kids a great experi-

ence at the dentist that makes them feel good

about taking care of their teeth, then we’re

setting them up for a lifetime of good oral

health. But we couldn’t do it without commu-

nity support.”

Now that’s something to smile about! Visit us

online to learn more www.chanevada.org.

Your Generosity Gives Kids a Reason to Smile

CHACHA~~CONNECTCONNECT

Once Upon a Time...

20 Years of Serving

the Community

This year marks 20 years since the

HAWC clinic first opened its doors

on Harvard Way.

We’ve been providing quality,

affordable, compassionate health-

care to the citizens of Washoe

County, regardless of their ability

to pay, since 1995.

Your support makes our programs

possible. Visit us online to learn

more www.chanevada.org.

Inside this issue:

March 2015

One young patient beams from the dentist’s chair after

getting her teeth cleaned at Give Kids a Smile Day.

Running away might seem like a good

idea to some teens but

the harsh realities of

living on the streets are

no fairy tale. When

you’re homeless and sick

there’s no magic wand

to make things bet-

ter...and chances are

you’ll get sicker.

The CHA Outreach

Medical Clinic is here

to help with everything

from flu shots to be-

havioral health for

individuals and families

experiencing homeless-

ness and hard

times. Thank you for

helping change their

stories. HAWC founding board member,

Dr John Scott.

Smiles at the Dentist 1

Homeless Outreach 1

School-Based Health 2

Nevada’s Big Give 2

Nutrition News 3

Treating Depression 3

Our CHA Team 4

Thank You 4

Education Meets Health at the School-Based Health Center

Get Ready to Give Where You Live

the care they need right

where they are—at school!

The SBHC offers everything

you’d expect from CHA:

from physical exams, vision

checks, sports physicals and

It stands to reason that

students do better in

school when they show

up feeling well and ready

to learn. Too often busy

schedules, work commitments

and difficulty accessing ser-

vices make it tough for families

to get the healthcare they

need.

That’s why Community Health

Alliance has launched the

School-Based Health Center

(SBHC) on the campus of

Wooster High School. It’s a

brand new location that offers

convenient quality primary

care for students and their

families.

Thanks to the Nell J. Redfield

Foundation, the E. L. Cord

Foundation and contributions

from supporters like you, stu-

dents from kindergarten

through 12th grade can get

Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 12! Plan to join us for one special

day as Nevadans come together for 24 hours of online giving to support our community.

We know you support our mission every day of the year, but we are asking you to dig a

little deeper in your pocket on March 12 and make a donation to Community Health

Alliance through Nevada’s Big Give. Not only will you be helping some of our commu-

nity’s most vulnerable citizens, but we also stand to win monetary prizes as we raise

funds!

This year we are inviting your contributions to a special patient assistance fund that pro-

vides digital eye exams to individuals who are at risk of losing their sight through Dia-

betic Retinopathy. A simple test can help detect and treat diabetic retinopathy but, at

$25, it remains out of reach for our very low income patients. Visit us online for a link to

Nevada’s Big Give or at www.chanevada.org. Thank you!

CHA ~ CONNECT Page 2

Meet Valerie Leitko, Certified Physician Assistant

my family. Some day I hope to learn to ski. I'm excited to be able to be a part of the SBHC and bringing this new service to the families of

Washoe County and CHA.”

Visit us online to find out

more about the SBHC.

We caught up with Valerie Leitko between patient ap-pointments at the SBHC and asked her to tell us a little

more about herself.

“I have lived in Reno for 25 years, except for the four years I lived in Las Vegas to

attend PA school. I love Reno and the small town feel. I'm happy to be living, working and raising my family here. My favorite hobby is run-ning. I also enjoy outdoor movies, spring/summer festi-vals that happen around town, and doing things with

immunizations to nutrition coun-

seling, behavioral health and

management of acute or

chronic illnesses such as ear

infections and asthma.

Regardless of their ability to

pay, students and their families

who attend Booth, Corbett,

Loder or Veterans Elementary

Schools, Vaughn Middle School

or Wooster High School are

eligible for services at the new

facility.

Your support is at work helping

our community’s children get

well, stay well and learn well.

Thank you.

The School-Based Health Center is an easily accessible state-of-the-art

medical center housed inside a mobile van at Wooster HS

Certified Physician Assistant, Valerie

Leitko, sees patients at the SBHC.

Taking Care of Depression When your rugby career ended 30 years ago but you’re still experiencing pain

from broken bones and old concussions, it’s not surprising that feelings of anger and depression

start to dominate your thoughts. Recently a patient at our Wells Avenue health center was feeling

just that way. He was unable to work or provide for his family and life seemed bleak. His pro-

vider recognized the depression in a routine visit and connected him immediately with CHA’s on-

site behavioral health specialist, Patrick Rogers, LCSW. This kind of “warm handoff” removes

barriers for patients to accessing mental health care and helps eliminate the stigma associated

with dealing with depression. After weekly sessions with Patrick the patient better understands

the nature and triggers of his “explosive anger” and is able to function much more effectively. He

is looking forward to a new knee and returning to work very soon. Mental health is essential to

overall health. The CHA team is well-equipped to screen and treat mental health as part of a

holistic, team approach to patient care. Your support makes it possible. Thank you.

What’s On Your Plate?

March is National

Nutrition Month but we

care about what’s on your

plate every day of the year.

That’s why the Women, In-

fants & Children (WIC) and

Nutrition Programs are so

important at CHA, and are

made possible through your

support. Look at what some

of our clients and patients

have to say:

“This program helped me so

much with the support of breastfeeding when my family discouraged

me. Helping with all the food, being a single parent sometimes it’s hard. I

am thankful for all the ladies here!!”

8-year old Paulina was referred to the Registered Dietitian for nutrition coun-

seling to help with obesity, elevated lipids and liver enzymes. She and her

mother were educated on portion sizes, healthier food and beverage choices,

ways to increase activity and other behavior modification techniques to im-

prove eating habits. Three months later the family was feeling really good

about the lifestyle changes they had made

and even Dad had lost weight and had his

diabetes under better control. They were

eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking

more water and fewer sweet beverages,

eating smaller portions and being more ac-

tive. The entire family was benefitting from

healthier eating and really appreciated the

guidance they had received.

CHA ~ CONNECT Volume 1, Issue 1

Caption describing picture or graphic.

A rugby career, history of head

injuries and chronic pain can cause

mental health problems.

10 Tips for Healthy Eating

1. Balance calories and remember more activ-

ity = more calories used. Build physical

activity into your routine.

2. Enjoy what you eat but eat less of it. Eat-

ing in the car and snacking in front of the

TV can lead to overeating.

3. Limit oversized portions. Split a restaurant

entrée or save some for leftovers the next

day.

4. The nutrients we need for optimal health

are found in vegetables, fruits, whole

grains and low-fat dairy. Up your intake!

5. Make half your plate fruits and vegeta-

bles. Dark colored vegetables are rich in

nutrients and taste good.

6. Drink skim or 1% milk instead of whole

milk. They contain the same amount of cal-

cium as whole milk but way less fat.

7. Opt for whole grains (wheat bread, brown

rice) over white ones which contain fewer

nutrients.

8. Save high fat/high sugar foods like cakes,

cookies, ice cream, soda and fatty meats

for treats—not every day.

9. Watch your sodium intake by reading nu-

trition labels.

10. Drink water instead of soda, energy drinks

or sports drinks which are a major source of

extra sugar.

Source: USDA Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion

You Mean The World To Us Thank you, thank you! We simply can’t say it

enough!

Your support is essential to the health of our community and

we want you to know how crucial you are to the work we

do. We’re deeply grateful for every donation, big or small,

and we value your support beyond words.

In the last year you have helped us care for more than

25,000 patients at more than 100,000 visits. We’ve taken

care of babies and the elderly, women and men, homeless

people and the chronically sick, and we never turn anyone in

need of our services away.

You don’t just make a difference, you make the difference.

The difference that means Washoe County’s most vulnerable

citizens get the help they need to get well, get back to work

and get on with their lives. Thank you.

Community Health Alliance Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit

that raises funds solely to support the programs of CHA. EIN

45-5298721. To learn more about our programs or to donate

visit www.chanevada.org. Contact us at foundation@chanevada.org.

We’ve come a long

way in twenty years.

From one doctor and one

nurse practitioner who saw

and treated the first

HAWC Clinic patients in

1995, to the twenty plus

highly skilled medical pro-

viders who now manage

the healthcare of more than

25,000 Northern Nevadans

from the Community Health

Alliance Clinics. MD’s,

DO’s, nurse practitioners

and physician assistants.

Our team is as varied and

diverse as the community

we serve.

Meet Our Team

L to R: Steven Shane MD, Jason Crawford MD, Valerie Leitko PA-C, Gary Johnson PA-C, Cheruba Abraham MD, Tristan Stiles PA-C,

Chelsea Doyle APRN, Christine Miller APRN, Danijela Janes MD, Christopher Patin MD, Brooke Walker APRN, Eithne-Marie Barton

DO, Michael Owens MD, Nikki Beck RPh, Brianne Kelly PA-C, Bruce Nigro APRN, Taylor Ann Johnson APRN, Christine Reese APRN,

Kasie Reynolds APRN, Gina Pedersen PA, Rick McCracken PA-C (not pictured).

On March 23, 2015 we’re moving to 680 S Rock Blvd, Reno, NV 89502. 775-336-3030

Our same-day and walk-in appointments mean we can treat babies and

young children when they are sick and help a family avoid a costly trip to the

emergency room or urgent care.