DAVID

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A Surgeon and his Robot

Cutting-Edge Technology in UMC’s O.R.

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE

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MR. LOW T

LUNCH LADY LAND

THE GIFT OF LIFE

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LUNG

CANCER

LIFESAVING DIAGNOSIS BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY THE FIRST IN NEVADA AT UMC

UMC’s Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy Procedure™ provides a minimally invasive approach to accessing difficult-to-reach areas of the lung, aiding in the early diagnosis and management of lung disease.

For more information about UMC’s ENB™ procedure, early detection and treatment please visit: www.umcsn.com/nospots or call: (702) 383-2214

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The Highest Level of Care in Nevada

7/21/15 11:08 AM

www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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ONE TO THREE BEDROOM CONDOMINIUM RESIDENCES from the low $200,000s VISIT OUR NEW MODEL HOMES TODAY & LEARN ABOUT OUR LIMITED-TIME SPECIALS

702.478.4700

Sales Office Open Daily

M–F 10am–6pm | SAT 10am–5pm | SUN 12pm–5pm

150 N. Las Vegas Boulevard | OgdenLV.com

4 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Compassionate, Personalized Fertility Care 60 Years Combined Infertility Experience 20,000 Babies Born to Our Patients

Brittany Rulis Photography

Why Would You Go Anywhere Else?

Sher Fertility Institute Las Vegas

From Infertility to Family www.haveababy.com

Sher Fertility Institute is Pleased to Welcome Mark Severino, MD Geoffrey Sher, MD | Mark Severino, MD | 5320 S. Rainbow Blvd. Suite 300 | Las Vegas, NV 89118 | 702.892.9696

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AUGUST

42

20 52

36

live

think

grill

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explore The month’s event listings to help plan your day or your stay

19

devour Where to find some of the best eats, drinks and foodie happenings in the Valley

28 speak Our favorite elfin columnist tests the testosterone therapy waters

42 Fall into Fashion With fall around the corner we look at what’s on the designer racks for the coming season.

32 sense The ethics and religious context of end of life decisions.

46 A Surgeon and His Robot Welcome to the 21st century, UMC has recently invested in robotic and super dimensional technology for the OR.

58 Dr.Andrew Eisen President, Clark County Medical Society The month’s spotlight on someone to know.

22 discover Places to go, cool things to do, hip people to see in the most exciting city in the World

36 taste School starts this month.

We asked several Vegas chefs what they pack for their hungry kids.

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20 desire Sin City abounds in world-class shopping ... these are a few of our favorite things

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52 A Gift of Life A U.S. Airforce couple receives a free cycle of IVF from Sher Fertility Las Vegas, compliments of its lucky winner.

A Surgeon and his Robot

Cutting-Edge Technology in UMC’s O.R.

A U G U S T 2 015

on the cover

www.davidlv.com

Dr. Shawn Tsuda and the da Vinci Xi Surgical System @ UMC

HOW TO SAY GOODBYE

MR. LOW T

LUNCH LADY LAND

THE GIFT OF LIFE

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Copyright 2015 by JewishINK LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. DAVID MAGAZINE is protected as a trademark in the United States. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we are under no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged for in writing. DAVID MAGAZINE is a monthly publication. All information regarding editorial content or property for sale is deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions.

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Lung Center of Nevada Joins Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada

C OM PR E H E NS I V E

More resources. More treatment options. More hope.

At Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, all of the specialists who treat you are right here where you need them. A diverse and dedicated team — which now includes Lung Center of Nevada, a division of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada — is here to deliver the highest level of coordinated care.

From radiation and medical oncologists to pulmonologists and surgeons, at Comprehensive you’ll have more resources for seamless care. At every level, your treatment is a coordinated effort. The specialists treating you share data and reports in real time. And through our affiliation with The US Oncology Network, they will ensure you have access to the latest innovations in cancer treatment therapies as they are developed.

Comprehensive treatment. Comprehensive care. Everything we have. For every part of you.

Ask your doctor about Comprehensive. Visit cccnevada.com for more information or call 702.952.3350 to schedule an appointment today.

Lung Center of Nevada A division of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada 9280 W. Sunset Road, Suite 312 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89148 Tel: 702.737.5864

3150 N. Tenaya Way, Suite 125 • Las Vegas, Nevada 89128 Tel: 702.869.0855

Nisarg Changawala, MD, MPH | James S. J. Hsu, MD, FCCP, DABSM Lorraine Kossol, APRN, FNP-BC | Ralph M. Nietrzeba, MD, FCCP, FACP Dawn Willard, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC | John J. Wojcik, MD, FCCP, DABSM

John (Jack) Collier, MD, FCCP, DABSM | Lisa Reiter, APRN, FNP-BC George S. Tu, MD, FCCP, DABSM

The US Oncology Network is supported by McKesson Specialty Health. © 2015 McKesson Specialty Health. All rights reserved.

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Max Friedland

max@davidlv.com editor@davidlv.com

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

EDITORIALllllllll

Calendar Editor

Brianna Soloski

brianna@davidlv.com

Copy Editor Pulse Editor Production Assistant

Pat Teague

Contributing Writers

Marisa Finetti

Marisa Finetti ZoĂŤ Friedland

Jaq Greenspon E.C.Gladstone Corey Lavitan Brian Sodoma Lynn Wexler

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY

Art Director/ Photographer

Steven Wilson

steve@davidlv.com

ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Advertising Director

Joanne Friedland joanne@davidlv.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS 702-254-2223 | subscribe@davidlv.com

Volume 06 Number 4 www.davidlv.com DAVID Magazine is published 12 times a year.

Copyright 2014 by JewishINK LLC. 1930 Village Center Circle, No. 3-459 Las Vegas, NV 89134 (p) 702-254-2223 (f) 702-664-2633

To advertise in DAVID Magazine, call 702-254-2223 or email ads@davidlv.com To subscribe to DAVID Magazine, call 702.254-2223 or email subscibe@davidlv.com

DAVID Magazine sets high standards to ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. This copy of DAVID Magazine was printed by American Web in Denver, Colo., on paper from well-managed forests which meet EPA guidelines that recommend use of recovered fibers for coated papers. Inks used contain a blend of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act standards and is a certified member of both the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. When you are done with this issue, please pass it on to a friend or recycle it.

8 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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DEAN COLLINS Legal and Medical Specialist / 866.980.9585

RITA VASWANI Legal and Medical Specialist / 866.909.8764

SPECIALIZED BANKING FOR NEVADA’S EXECUTIVES AND PROFESSIONALS At Nevada State Bank, we devote exceptional attention to Nevada’s executives and professionals.

JAMES RENSVOLD Executive and Medical Specialist / 866.530.9982

Whether you’re looking to improve your practice, expand your firm, build upon your company’s vision, or construct a custom home for your family, we can help.

BRING YOUR BANKING HOME.

CASH FLOW SOLUTIONS | IMPROVE YOUR BUILDING/FIRM/PRACTICE FINANCE* EQUIPMENT | FINANCIAL STRATEGIES | CUSTOM HOME FINANCING WEALTH MANAGEMENT** RAINE SHORTRIDGE Executive and Legal Specialist / 866.907.7717

55 years in Nevada I nsbank.com

*Loans subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

Nevada State Bank NMLS# 561942. **Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Insurance products offered through LPL Financial or its licensed affiliates. Nevada State Bank and Nevada State Investment Services are not registered broker/dealers and are not affiliated with LPL Financial.

PATRICK MILBANK Executive and Medical Specialist / 866.950.7512

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Not FDIC Insured Not Bank Guaranteed Not Insured by any Federal Government Agency

May Lose Value Not a Bank Deposit

7/23/15 8:43 AM

contributors

Marisa Finetti is a local writer, marketing professional and blogger. The Tokyoborn Finetti has called Las Vegas home since 2005. She has written for such publications as Spirit and Las Vegas and Nevada magazines and has a healthy-living blog at bestbewell. com. When she’s not writing, Finetti enjoys family time with her husband and two boys.

Jaq Greenspon is a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt.

Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He’d like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn’t know why. In his spare time, he’s a university professor and a kick ass uncle.

E.C. Gladstone is a Las Vegas-based writer/photographer and social media consultant. Covering the ever-growing worlds of travel, food, wine & spirits, he has contributed recently to BonAppetit.com, About.com, Thrillist, Everyday With Rachael Ray and multiple local Vegas outlets. Previously, he helped launched JLiving magazine and has held editorial positions with many websites and magazines including AOL.com, US Weekly, and Alternative Press.

His ideal day involves a busy kitchen, soul music, laughter and cask spirits. Currently he is compiling a book of his rock journalism from the ‘90s. Find more of his writing on food and beverages at nowimhungry.com and sipsavorswallow. com.

Corey Levitan is a regular contributor to Men’s Health magazine.

He wrote the most popular newspaper humor column in Las Vegas history, “Fear and Loafing,” which ran 176 times in the ReviewJournal from 2006-2011. At home, however, he is referred to as “Mr. Poopyhead” by his four-year-old daughter, and something much less printable by his wife. Follow his latest adventures here and at coreylevitan.com.

Brian Sodoma has been writing professionally since 1998. He has called Las Vegas home since 2002, and enjoys covering the city’s business issues, real estate, health, sports ... anything that isn’t fashion. Sodoma currently is working on a feature-length screenplay about Las Vegas real estate meltdown with local fi lm director Roger Tinch. When he’s not hunting for new story ideas, Sodoma dabbles in real estate, coaches youth soccer and plays ice hockey.

Lynn Wexler has been a feature writer and contributor for magazines and newspapers, locally and nationally, for over 20 years. She writes a monthly online column entitled Manners in the News, which comments on the behavior of politicians, celebrities and others thrust in the public arena. She is the Founder and President of Perfectly Poised, a school of manners that teaches social, personal and business etiquette to young people.

She is a former TV Reporter and News Anchor. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud of her three outstanding teenaged children.

10 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Where

compassionate cancer care and expert physicians meet.

Meet Our Radiation Oncology Physicians:

Susan Reisinger, MD

Brian Lawenda, MD

Paul Treadwell, MD

Tam Nguyen, MD

Now offering Integrative Oncology consultations focusing on nutrition, exercise and the management of side effects - providing a complementary approach to our patients’ cancer care.

Four Convenient Locations to Serve You: 3006 S. Maryland Pkwy. #100, Las Vegas, NV 89109 • 2851 N. Tenaya Way #100, Las Vegas, NV 89128 6160 Fort Apache Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89148 • 52 N. Pecos Rd., Henderson, NV 89074

(702) 990-4767

Join us as we walk/run to raise funds and awareness for PROSTATE and OVARIAN cancer awareness month: UNLV ’s Track & Field Stadium | Sept. 19, 2015 at 8:30 am Visit www.21stCenturyCARE.org for more information and to register.

All proceeds will locally benefit the 21st Century C.A.R.E. Foundation and UsToo Prostate Cancer Support Group.

www.21cOncologyLasVegas.com

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from the publisher

A Sweet New Year becomes sweeter WITH YOU! High Holiday Services SAVE THESE DATES

Sat Eve, Sept 6 • Slichot

Havdallah Reflections, Wine & Desserts

Sun, Sept 13 • 7pm Erev Rosh HaShanah Sunset Station

Mon, Sept 14 • 10am Rosh HaShanah Sunset Station

Tues, Sept 15 • 5pm Tashlich and Picnic Dinner

Tues, Sept 22 • 7pm Erev Yom Kippur - Kol Nidre Sunset Station

Weds, Sept 23 • 10am Yom Kippur (all day) Sunset Station

Reservations Required

(702) 436-4900 pnaitikvahlv.org CPT Members: Free Adult Guests & Visitors: $118 College Students: $36 • Children 13-18: $18 Children 0-12 & Military Members: Free Ask About Our Special Programs: Challah Baking & New Children’s High Holiday Happening!

“Space, the final frontier, this is the challenge of the magazine DAVID, its continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and civilizations, to boldly go where no publication has gone before.”

(Whoa! Slow down there, Captain Max. You’re risking a lawsuit from CBS Television and Paramount Pictures!)

With apologies to the estate of creator Gene Roddenberry and the producers and distributors of this iconic TV show, I should explain that Jaq Greenspon’s latest contribution (The Surgeon and His Robot, pages 46-51) really got my “Star Trek” juices flowing. Let me please explain. A recent request for a story on robotic and super-dimensional technology led me to the discovery that the “Starship Enterprise” (work with me) seemingly has landed (well, it’s sickbay has) at 1800 W. Charleston Blvd., the site of University Medical Center of Southern Nevada. Jaq ably describes the state-of-the-art surgical appliances and canny professionalism showcased in UMC’s astonishing operating rooms. Beam me up, Scotty!

When considering Lynn Wexler’s August assignment, I could never have

imagined a personal connection. She had just lost her father. I began our conversation with my sincere regrets for not having reached out to her earlier. I knew that my ignorance of the tragic event was of little consolation, but my hyperactive Jewish guilt forced the apology.

As we spoke, the idea of doing a piece on end-of-life issues took shape. Notwithstanding the freshness of her own psychic wounds, Lynn was adamant to take on the challenge, and actually looked forward to its cathartic dimensions.

Then on July 4th, as fireworks filled the evening sky, I lost my own dad. He passed peacefully from this world with all his children gathered around to say farewell. In his honor, we raised our glasses to bid him adieu. One of my brothers gently caressed his lips with a finger moistened with his finest 18-yearold single malt. We all swear he smacked his lips, smiled and gently departed.

What I’m attempting to illustrate with this personal narrative are some of the myriad ways to offer final farewells to those we love. In How to Say Goodbye, pages 32-35, Lynn takes on the ethical, emotional and religious dimensions of this difficult subject. It is a touching read.

Having explored goodbyes, it’s only fitting to cover “hellos”: specifically, the length some couples go (with help from medical science) to have a child. The internationally acclaimed Sher Fertility Institute and its head, Dr. Geoffrey Sher (recently quoted in Time), want access to IVF treatments available to as many infertile couples as possible. In The Gift of Life, pages 52-56, we celebrate a very human story, a tale of struggle, triumph and (with an unexpected twist) inspired generosity.

Here’s to a healthy, long life! We’ll see you in the racks.

Max Friedland max@davidlv.com

12 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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pulse explore @ 14 devour @ 19 desire @ 20 discover @ 22

OF MONSTERS AND MEN 8.13

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eXplore L A S

MAMA'S WRANGLERS - THE JACKSON FAMILY BAND AND CLOGGERS: 2 p.m., free.

Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org CLUB READ: Through Aug. 15, free. All Clark County Library District branches.lvccld.org SCOTTY ALEXANDER BAND: Times vary, free. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111.treasureisland.com

V E G A S

PICASSO - CREATURES AND CREATIVITY: Through Jan. 10, times vary, $14-$19.

Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

888-987-6667.bellagio.com

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JEWEL AT THE POOL 12 p.m., free.

Downtown Grand, 206 N. 3rd Street, Las Vegas. For more information, email marni@ jewishlasvegas.com.jewishlasvegas.com SUNDAY CINEMA FOR GROWN UPS - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-359-9982. downtowncontainerpark.com

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TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE BIJOU - STANLEY DONEN, KING OF THE HOLLYWOOD MUSICAL: 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN: Varying dates through Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m., $70-$150.

Flamingo, 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-733-3111.flamingolasvegas.com

THE BACON BROTHERS: Through Aug. 2, 8 p.m., $29.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777.orleanscasino.com

August 1

AEROSMITH: Time and cost TBA. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-891-1111.mgmgrand.com CHRISTOPHER TITUS: Through Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m., $20. Southpoint, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111.southpointcasino.com JEFF DUNHAM: Through Aug. 2, times vary, $72. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. planethollywoodresort.com ROD STEWART: Through Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m., $49-$250. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110. caesarspalace.com

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THOMAS WILLIS - RETROFIT PAINTINGLAS VEGAS: Through Aug. 9, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

LAS VEGAS STORIES - LAS VEGAS IN POP CULTURE: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-5073459.lvccld.org EASY 8S: Times vary, free. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8947111.treasureisland.com

THE BACON BROTHERS: Through Aug. 2, 8 p.m., $29.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777.orleanscasino.com RICH LITTLE: Through Aug. 23, 7 p.m., $39.95-$59.95. Tropicana, 3801 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-739-2222.troplv.com LAKOTA WESTERN U.S. CHAMPIONSHIP: Times vary, free. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111. southpointcasino.com

PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTS SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS: 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-507-3459.lvccld.org

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FALL OUT BOY AND WIZ KHALIFA: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com MELISSA ETHERIDGE: 8 p.m., $49. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-9427777.palms.com

14 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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Lakota Western U.S. Championships 8.1

SUPER FREESTYLE EXPLOSION: Time TBA, $31.50. Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleansarena.com RON WHITE: Through Aug. 8, 10 p.m., $59.99.

Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-791-7111.mirage.com KUMUKAHI UKULELE & HULA FESTIVAL: Through Aug. 8, times vary, $22. Sam's Town, 5225 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas. 702-4567777.samstownlv.com DOO-WAH: Through Aug. 8, times vary, free.

Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111.treasureisland.com

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CAPITAL CITIES: Time and cost TBA. The Cromwell, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-777-3800.draislv.com

at Red Rock, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-797-7777.redrock.sclv.com

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FRANKIE MORENO: Encore Aug. 11 & Aug. 25, 8 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-7492012.thesmithcenter.com THE ARMCHAIR TRAVELER - HISTORIC PUBS OF DUBLIN: 6Â p.m., free. Summerlin Library, 1771 Inner Circle Drive, Las Vegas.

702-507-3866.lvccld.org FRANKIE MORENO: Through Sept. 27, 8 p.m., $25. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com

Happy Summer

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JUSTIN SHANDOR: 7 p.m., $30-$42. M Resort, 12300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Henderson.

702-797-1000.themresort.com

JEFF DUNHAM: Through Aug. 16, times vary, $72. Planet Hollywood, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 877-333-9474. planethollywoodresort.com

LIPSHTICK COMEDY SERIES PRESENTS JENNIFER COOLIDGE: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-414-1000.venetian.com

BRENT SOMMERHAUSER: Through Sept.

13, times vary, free. Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000. cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

DENNIS MILLER: Through Aug. 9, 8 p.m., $54.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleanscasino.com

SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE: 2:45 p.m., free.

Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org

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TEQUILA DINNER - PATRICIO SANDOVAL ODE TO THE AVOCADO: 6 p.m., $45. Mercadito

BLACK SHEEP: 8 p.m., $12-$15.

Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com

301 N. Buffalo Drive

255-3444 www.thebagelcafelv.com

WhereTheLocalsEat.com

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FIFTH HARMONY: Time and cost TBA. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-9427777.palms.com

SOUL MEN STARRING SPECTRUM: Through Aug. 16, times vary, $37. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702749-2012.thesmithcenter.com

HEART: Through Aug. 15, 8 p.m., $55-$69.50.

Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com

MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD: 9 p.m., $34.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com

BACK TO SCHOOL FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT: 6 p.m., $25-$35. Wet 'n' Wild, 7055 S. Fort Apache Road, Las Vegas. For more information, visit jewishlasvegas.com. mgmgrand.com

MAKING COMICS: 11 a.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas.

702-507-3459.lvccld.org

EASY 8S: Through Aug. 15, times vary, free.

Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111.treasureisland.com OF MONSTERS AND MEN: 9 p.m., $35.

Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - FINDING NEMO: Sundown, free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-269-5001. mytownsquarelasvegas.com

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ARETHA FRANKLIN: 8 p.m., $55-$159.50.

Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110.caesarspalace.com

Jackson Browne 8.21

RECKLESS IN VEGAS: 8 p.m., $35. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012.thesmithcenter.com AN EVENING WITH SHELLEY SHEPPARD GRAY: 7 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-5073459.lvccld.org NMLS 335665

SLIGHTLY STOOPID: 9 p.m., $35.

Cosmopolitan, 3708 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-698-7000.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

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KELLY CLARKSON AND PENTATONIX: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777. mandalaybay.com

Refinance Purchases Reverse Mortgages

Ira Epstein President

NMLS 308738 Nev. Lic. 2749

1401 Hillshire Dr. #150 Las Vegas, NV 89134 Tel:702.8717800 Cell:702.561.5444 Fax:702.871.7808 ira@statelinefundinginc.com

LIPSHTICK COMEDY SERIES PRESENTS LONI LOVE: Time and cost TBA. Venetian, 3355 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-4141000.venetian.com BRANDON BENNETT ELVIS MY WAY: Through Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m., $15.95. Suncoast, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. suncoast.com CSNSONGS CELEBRATE CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG: Through Aug. 16, 8 p.m., $19.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777.orleanscasino.com

READY...SET...DRAW!: 1 p.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org BUNCO TOURNAMENT: To benefit Goodie Two Shoes Foundation. 6 p.m., $35. Aliante, 7300 N. Aliante Parkway, North Las Vegas.

702-692-7530.aliantegaming.com

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LOS VAN VAN: 10 p.m., $50. Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777.samstownlv.com

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THE MANE EVENT: Through Aug. 23, times vary, free. South Point, 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-796-7111.southpointcasino.com

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FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT - INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL: Time TBA, free. Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702359-9982.downtowncontainerpark.com AUSTIN LAW: Through Aug. 22, times vary, free. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111.treasureisland.com

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TRIBAL SEEDS: 9 p.m., $25. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-6935000.hardrockhotel.com JACKSON BROWNE: 8 p.m., $63. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com QMMUNITY CONNECTIONS RESOURCE FAIR: 11 a.m., free. The Center Las Vegas, 401 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas. 702-7339800.thecenterlv.org MOVIES IN THE SQUARE - THE WEDDING SINGER: Sundown, free. Town Square Las Vegas, 6605 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-269-5001.mytownsquarelasvegas.com JONNY LANG: 8 p.m., $30-$60. Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas.

702-432-7777.boulderstation.sclv.com

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G'DAY LAS VEGAS WITH GREG BONHAM: 8 p.m., $40. The Smith Center, 361 Symphony Park Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-749-2012. thesmithcenter.com JACK JONES: Through Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m., $29.95. Suncoat, 9090 Alta Drive, Las Vegas.

702-284-7777.suncoast.com SUMMER BLOOD DRIVE: 11 a.m., free. Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-507-3459.lvccld.org PETER FRAMPTON & CHEAP TRICK: 8 p.m., $49.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas. 702-874-8719.hardrockhotel.com

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CELINE DION: Through Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., $55-$250. Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7110.caesarspalace.com BELLAGIO EXECUTIVE CHEF'S CULINARY CLASSROOM - BACK TO SCHOOL: 7 p.m., $135. Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 888-987-6667.bellagio.com CHELSEA WOLFE: 8 p.m., $10-$12.

Backstage Bar and Billiards, 601 Fremont Street, Las Vegas. 702-382-2227. backstagebarandbilliards.com SCOTTY ALEXANDER BAND: Through Aug. 29, times vary, free. Treasure Island, 3300 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-894-7111. treasureisland.com

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SLIPKNOT: Time and cost TBA. MGM Grand, 3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-8911111.mgmgrand.com

Heart 8.13-15

VINCE GILL: 8 p.m., $50. Palms, 4321 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas. 702-942-7777. palms.com CHROMEO: Time and cost TBA. The Cromwell, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas.

702-777-3800.draislv.com RANDY HOUSER WITH DUSTIN LYNCH: 9 p.m., $39.50. Mandalay Bay, 3950 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com LAS VEGAS BEER AND BARREL PROJECT: Through Aug. 30, times vary, costs vary.

Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las

Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com MIGUEL: Time and cost TBA. Drai's Las Vegas at The Cromwell, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-777-3800.draislv.com TRUTV IMPRACTICAL JOKERS ‘WHERE’S LARRY?’ TOUR STARRING THE TENDERLOINS: 9 p.m., $39.50. Hard Rock Hotel, 4455 Paradise Road, Las Vegas.

702-693-5000.hardrockhotel.com DANIEL TOSH: Through Aug. 29, 10 & 7:30 p.m., $59.99. The Mirage, 3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-792-7777. mirage.com

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ARIANA GRANDE: Time and cost TBA. Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S, Las Vegas. 702-632-7777.mandalaybay.com COYOTE COUNTRY FEST: 7 p.m., $20.

Orleans Arena, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-284-7777. orleansarena.com

BRASS TRANSIT: Through Aug. 30, 8 p.m., $19.95. Orleans, 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas. 702-636-7075. orleanscasino.com

Peter Frampton & Cheap Trick 8.22

To submit your event information, email calendar@ davidlv.com by the 15th of the month prior to the month in which the event is being held. www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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Saturday, August 29

THREE PARTIES. ONE PRICE. Weekend lineup includes:

AFAN Black & White Party Saturday, August 29 I 9 pm - 1 am I (VIP entry at 8 pm) The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

After Party Sunday, August 30 I 1 am I Piranha Nightclub

Pool Party Sunday, August 30 I 1 pm – 7 pm I Oasis Pool I Luxor Las Vegas

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Purchase tickets at afanlv.org

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Tickets starting at $50

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devour

Sugary Goodness With cake names like Kiss, Manan, Bird’s Milk, Luxor, Nutella, Mikado and OMG, it’s hard to decide which one to choose. But at Manan Bakery, most creations are available by the slice, so you can try them all.

Manan Bakery, named for pastry chef Naira’s daughter, started out from simply having a knack for creating sweets for the people she loved. From custom cakes, to crepes and pastries, French macaroons to breads, everything is made fresh daily to tantalize the curious – and satisfy the sugar addict.

Manan Bakery, 6620 W. Flamingo Road, #4, Las Vegas. 702-733-4000.

Steve Hill

Bird of Paradise This Southeast Asia-inspired cocktail takes you on a virtual trip to coral-fringed islands, secluded white sand bays and crystalline waters. The Bird of Paradise bursts with flavors of native dragon fruit, passion fruit, mangoes and papaya. Featuring X-Rated Fusion Liqueur, Absolut Grapevine, Yuzu Sour and fresh lemon juice, this concoction is the embodiment of summer and the tropics!

It’s Clucking at Downtown Summerlin The first iteration of Blue Ribbon’s casual fried chicken concept outside of New York City, the recently-opened Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, has finally hatched at Downtown Summerlin. Fried chicken by the piece is the menu’s centerpiece, along with house-made sauces.

But patrons also can choose from a variety of well-crafted fried chicken sandwiches, including the Blue Bird, a Las Vegas exclusive topped with a generous helping of melted blue cheese, red onion and smoked bacon. Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken is the third Blue Ribbon restaurant in Las Vegas, following the oBlue Ribbon Sushi at The Cosmopolitan and Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq.

Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, Downtown Summerlin, 1770 Festival Plaza Drive, Las Vegas. 702-329-9300.

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1 ounce X Rated Fusion Liqueur

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1.25 ounces Absolut Grapevine

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1 ounce Yuzu Sour

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.5 ounce simple syrup

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.5 ounce fresh lemon juice

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splash soda water

Table 10, Palazzo, 3327 Las Vegas Blvd.

S., Las Vegas. 702607-6363 www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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Healthy Innovations This is no average yoga mat. The SmartMat syncs with an app to track when you’re out of alignment and gives you verbal, real-time feedback on how to correct your poses. $297. Smartmat.com

Feeling the urge to wear a little bling during the workout? Misfit partnered up Swarovski to develop and design the new Swarovski Shine Collection of activity and sleep trackers. The violet Swarovski Shine is the world’s first wireless activity and sleep tracker that utilizes an energy harvesting technology from the light. Pre-order at Misfit.com.

Music is powerful motivation to run or cycle and now to swim that extra last lap. Finis Neptune secures to swim goggles and uses bone conduction audio to relay music to the user’s ears without the need for ear buds. 159.99. Amazon.com.

Eating too fast? HAPIfork is a gadget that can help reduce your pace. The sensors notify you through tiny vibrations when you’re ‘speeding’. It can also track your eating duration, the amount and intervals of ‘fork servings’ per minute. The data is tracked with the accompanying app and transferred with a mini USB. $99. Hapi.com.

20 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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This smart pedal tracks stats like speed, route, incline, and calories burned on each ride, and alerts you through an app if someone tries to steal your bike. Thanks to a GPS locator, you can also see where it’s been taken if it gets into the wrong hands. Coming soon. Connectedcycle.com

It’s almost impossible to tell if you have bad breath — until now. Simply place the Breathometer into your mouth and the device will measure humidity and bacteria levels, giving insights on bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. $99 Coming soon.

Breathometer.com.

So you want to stop smoking? The Quitbit Lighter can help. The small gadget tracks smoking habits and lets you set a date for when you want to stop. As the date approaches, it lowers the number of cigarettes you’re allowed to have. Coming soon. Quitbitlighter.com These smart socks have sensors to detect parameters important to your running form including cadence and foot landing technique. The socks connect to the innovative lightweight anklet which wirelessly relay data during your run to the Sensoria Fitness mobile app. $199. Sensoriafitness.com Innovation Award honoree at the 2015 CES show, the Visijax commuter jacket is the bicyclists ultimate life-saving piece comes with 23 high-intensity LED lights on the front and back of the jacket for visibility, and turn indicators that activate when you raise your arm. $159.95. Amazon.com

www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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discover Beauty is NOT Skin Deep.

Since DAVID focuses on health and medicine this month it is only fitting to visit BODIES - The Exhibit. Over 200 bodies are on display offering an unprecedented and wholly unique look beneath the skin. Notable exhibits include the human fetus’ development, as well as the lungs, the latter showing the difference between a healthy set, and one damaged by a pack a day.

BODIES - The Exhibition, LUXOR, 3900 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas. 702-262-4400.

“BAZ-ZLE!” A completely immersive theatrical experience, the 90-minute BAZ, with its ensemble cast of true triple threats and a knock out live band, take audience members on a captivating ride inspired by the cinematic and musical films of famed director Baz Luhrmann. The star-crossed lovers of “Romeo + Juliet,” “Moulin Rouge” and “The Great Gatsby” collide in this mesmerizing concert mash-up, where the music and moments from the movies spring to life. The production features a six-piece live band playing an epic soundtrack that includes “Lady Marmalade,” “Kissing You,” “Love Is In The Air,” “Crazy In Love,” and much more.

BAZ, LIGHT Nightclub, Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas. 877-632-7800. Visit thelightvegas.com

Pairing up with Giada Join GIADA’s team of extremely talented sommeliers as they guide you through a food and wine pairing hosted by J Winery of Healdsburg, CA, as part of their monthly wine dinner series on Thursday, August 27.

The tasting menu will include GIADA favorites, as well as some unique additions to highlight the selection of the winery’s finest wines from Russian River Valley’s cool-climate fruit.

Giada, The Cromwell, 3595 Las Vegas Blvd., S., Las Vegas. 702-731-7778.

22 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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mingle CLARK COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY ANNOUNCES 2015 WINGED HEART AWARD AND STUDENT RISING STAR AWARD RECIPIENTS

1

Venue World Market Center

Date Saturday, June 27

Photos 1.

The Clark County Medical Society 2

Board.

2.

(L-R) JusticeSheryl Kogan, Justice Michael Cherry, Sandy Peltyn and Dr. Parvin Modaber-Jacobs

3.

Dr. Michael Edwards passes the gavel to the new CCMS president Dr. Andrew Eisen.

4.

Dr. George Alexander with representatives from Candlelighters Foundation.

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Lynda Lee and Dr. Ho Dzung.

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Clark County Medical Society Co-

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President Jacqueline Nguyen Lee. 7.

(L-R) Dr. Kate Zhong, Dr. Jeff Cummings, and Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

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(L-R) Dr. George Alexander, Rising Star award winners Robert Wills and Lindsey Murphy and Dr. Michael Edwards.

Photos: Cashman Photography

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mingle AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF NEVADA FOUNDATION’S THIRTEENTH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES

1

Venue Panevino

Date Friday, June 26

Photos 1.

(left to right) John Wanderer, Todd Eikelberger, Shelley Berkley and Tod Story.

2.

Jolie Brislin and Nikki Koval.

3.

(left to right) Patrick Caddick ,

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3

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Michael Viets and Ed Popovici.

4.

(left to right) Maggie McLetchie, Alina Shell and Frannie Forsman.

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(left to right) Former Assemblyman Paul Aizley, Sari Aizley, and Tod Story.

6.

(left to right) Leora Olivas, Kathy England, Amy Rose and Vanessa Spinazola.

7.

(left to right) George Levine, Teri Brown and Max Berkley.

8.

(left to right) Wendy Kraft, Kathy Ferguson and Laura Sussman.

9.

(left to right) County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, Dr. Larry Lehrner, Leonard Gang and John Wanderer.

Photos courtesy ACLUNV

26 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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live Mr Low T @ 28 How to Say Goodbye @ 32 Lunch Lady Land @ 36

LUNCH LADY LAND pg 32

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9” x 10.875” full page

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If a small fire started in your kitchen, would you ignore it? Of course not. In much the same way, it’s critical to find breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. Call 702.822.2324 or visit komensouthernnevada.org to learn more.

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This space provided as a public service. ©2009 Susan G. Komen for the Cure® The Running Ribbon is a registered trademark of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

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Mr.

speak

Low T Our Favorite Elfin Columnist Tests the Testosterone Therapy Waters

By Corey Levitan

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M

y 4-year-old daughter is terrified of anyone with bulging biceps and a deep voice, and I finally figured out why: She’s never around real men.

The fact that I have low testosterone should not be news to anyone who has ever heard my supposedly adult voice and looked around for the open helium balloon behind me. My level is 280 nanograms per deciliter. (Normal is 300-800.)

My doctor told me to do some research, then handed me a coupon for AndroGel and said it was up to me. But how is this a decision I’m more equipped to make than a medical doctor? So I consulted an expert who isn’t in my provider network.

“You’re an idiot if you don’t at least try testosterone cream,” said Jon, my childhood friend. He’s been using it for five years and claims “it’s the most amazing thing in the world,” and “it will totally make you feel 17 again.”

Hmm. When I was 17, I wasn’t prone to hot-headedness as Jon is now. And I didn’t have a rapidly widening bald spot that no one is supposed to mention. (In fact, there is little doubt that my inadequate man hormone level is responsible for my only feature ever to be envied by other males: my lack of receding hair in middle age.)

Still, it would be nice to once again experience fewer-than-twoenergy-drink days, the occasional customer-service operator who doesn’t “ma’am” me, and chronic stiffness in a body part that isn’t my back. (Judging from the frequency with which I need to clear my Internet history before my wife comes home from work, I would describe my erectile function more as dys-APPOINTING, but you’ll need to ask her.)

Testosterone prescriptions in the U.S. grew fivefold between 2000 and 2011, netting the makers of these products $1.6 billion annu-

ally. So maybe there is something to this. Or maybe that number is simply a result of the U.S. being one of only two countries that allow direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

Of course, as a journalist, I know that thorough research involves more than just asking one biased friend who used to lick frozen poles in your middle-school schoolyard. So I hit Google for a medical search. Normally, this is not the greatest way for a hypochondriac to remain happy, sane and/or married. For instance, there was that time our daughter presented with a rash and Dr. Levitan M.D./O.C.D. diagnosed it as German measles; in fact, a particularly deadly and/or German strain because the rash only covered half her face and neck. (What I had forgotten was that I had just rubbed my unshaven face into the left side of her neck. The rash was gone by the time I woke my wife up with the tragic news.)

This time, however, my search (for “testosterone cream” and “death”) yielded the kind of horrifying results that were actually useful.

Rare genetic conditions can decrease testosterone, causing lifethreatening problems, including anemia, diabetes, obesity and bone loss. Fortunately, only 3-7 percent of men suffer from clinical male hypogonadism, and they don’t include me, since my only symptoms are napping twice a day and a reduced need to think about nothing but female reproductive organs while awake. These symptoms point to another condition entirely: becoming an old man. Testosterone levels normally decrease throughout adulthood, according to the Mayo Clinic, about 1 percent a year after age 30.

While becoming an old man certainly sucks, the alternative sucks even more – and there’s a distinct possibility that treating agerelated symptoms with testosterone therapy could hasten one’s

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inevitable return to nonexistence. One recent study concluded that testosterone therapy actually doubles the risk of heart attack death in older men, which is why the FDA recommends against it.

So, basically, I’m being asked to choose between great sex and remaining alive – between the red pill that lets me die in the course of pleasing my wife on a daily basis, and the blue pill that lets me continue my neutered existence until, if I’m lucky, I one day get “happy birthday-ed” by Willard Scott.

That’s one hell of a sucky choice, but it’s still an obvious one for me. Because I’m not Keanu Reeves. As bad as sex may get for the testosterone-challenged, I’m fairly certain it’s worse for the dead.

We’re sorry, little girl, but your daddy died so that he could increase the frequency and duration of his erections and not need to lie down for 12 minutes twice a day. But please take comfort in the knowledge that he died happy and alert.

Speaking of my little girl, a trace amount of the testosterone remains on the hands even after washing. That means I could end up transferring it to her, where the accumulation in her bloodstream could cause her to enter puberty early and as the incorrect sex.

And there are side effects other than the balding and aggression, including sleep apnea, blood clots in the legs, and an elevated prostate-specific antigen level that could increase prostate-cancer risk.

In addition, once you start testosterone treatment, you could end up having to continue forever if your body permanently stops making its own, which is a distinct possibility.

So why, if treating the effects of aging with testosterone cream is such a bad idea, did my doctor hand me that AndroGel coupon?

I can’t say. But I have noticed a steady stream of gorgeous pharma sales babes wheeling carry-on bags of free drug samples in and out

of his office. So maybe his testosterone level isn’t as low as mine.

In a recent episode of HBO’s “Togetherness,” Mark Duplass’ character finds it difficult, at age 38, to continue being “steel boner man” 24/7. It happens to be the episode my wife and I snuggled up to watch after she returned from a three-day business trip, whose conclusion a good husband would have celebrated by driving the beef bus into tuna town.

I think a better husband wouldn’t trade four more decades of snuggling like this for anything.

But, again, you’ll need to ask her.

Nevada

Silver State Stars

QRIS

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sense

How to Say Goodbye The Ethics of End of Life Decisions

By Lynn Wexler

32 AUGUST 2015 | www.davidlv.com

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eath and dying belong to the natural course of life. At the end, each person’s story is different. For some, death comes suddenly. Others may linger and gradually fail with or without suffering. The elderly may experience a deteriorating body with a robust mind, while others may remain physically strong as mental capacities diminish.

Death, however, is inevitable and inescapable for all – with each loss felt deeply by those close to the one who has died. Every occurrence uniquely demonstrates the intimacy, sorrow, joy, significance, remorse and pain that accompany the process. Philosophical, social, ethical and emotional challenges color the stories of those who pass, and of the caregivers and medical professionals invested in the process.

In Western culture, many prefer to avoid thinking about and planning for what is imminent. The idea of finality is frightening, perhaps because it interrupts the human achievement of living; offers little by way of what lies in its stead; and reminds us of our shared fragility.

Death and dying in the 21st century, however, is further complicated by a confluence of medical advancements to extend life and the incomparable growth of an aging population segment. Where death was once seen as a natural progression toward life’s ending affairs, in the 21st century it has come into conflict with the medicalization and legalization of the dying process.

In Fragile Lives: Death, Dying and Care, author Beverly McNamara states that while “… people live longer — and with that, most in contemporary Western societies expect an increased quality of life — claims of medical progress aside, the majority of people face a period of prolonged dying associated with complex and often multiple conditions requiring systematic, cohesive and empathetic social and medical care.”

McNamara infers that what lies at the intersection of these factors are the implied ethical ramifications for patients, loved ones and medical professionals alike. The manner in which society addresses these intricacies either can strengthen the integrity of the human imperative or tear it asunder.

Increasing advancements in medical technology suggest the ability to avoid the consequences of life’s limits, to defy mortality.

Medical technology holds the potential to obscure compassion for the dying and those who love them.

“The care of terminally ill people is much more than a health care mandate,” McNamara asserts. “We need to view the context of terminal care as a microcosm reflective of important and humane global issues.”

Presently, there are more older adults than at any time in history.

And the geriatric years portend myriad difficulties — chronic illness, frailty, progressive dependency, a need for assistance — that collectively augur one of the largest public health challenges in history.

According to the Institute of Medicine, terminally ill patients generally have a list of priorities: they don’t want to suffer, they want to be with family, to feel the touch of others, and to be mentally aware and not be a burden.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that most people want to die at home, not in a hospital or nursing facility, but that most end up dying in an institution. By some estimates, 56 percent of Americans will spend time in a nursing home, and of those who stay longer than two weeks, 76 percent will die there.

Lisa Rosenberg is a geriatric medicine physician in Las Vegas, certified in hospice care and palliative medicine. “It’s not a matter of when we die, but how we choose to die – which must start with a conversation when we’re healthy. The rest is just the mechanics,” says Rosenberg, who urges the designation – early on — of a health care surrogate to free loved ones from having to make last-minute end of life decisions.

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A family event celebrating the Jewish fall holidays. @ the “J” Sunday, August 30, 2015

1-3 pm

Family friendly crafts, games, activities, apples & honey, food and so much more!

Free and open to all

COMMUNITY KOLLEL Registration required www.jccsn.org OF GREATER LAS VEGAS

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Contemporary approaches to dying and death include the hospice and palliative care approach, and the “requested death” or euthanasia movement (physician-assisted suicide among terminally ill patients – legal in some states). These challenge the premise that death is a taboo subject.

“Still, dying and death are most often discussed in theoretical tones in public … in a clinical sense in the professional arena … and on a ‘need to know’ basis in the private realm,” says Rosenberg.

While technical advances in medicine have increased the average lifespan by years, she says, they haven’t necessarily provided a concomitant extension of happiness and well-being. “We have, for the most part, only extended the span of living with chronic diseases.”

Karen Rubel joined the Nathan Adelson Hospice in 2007 as vice president of development. NAH is the only nonprofit hospice in Southern Nevada. But there are more than 40 for-profit ones for those seeking end of life quality care for themselves or their loved ones.

The term “hospice” comes from the same root word as “hospitality.”

In early Western civilization it described a place of shelter and rest for weary or sick travelers. It was first applied to specialized care for dying patients in 1967 at St. Christopher’s Hospice in London. Today, the term refers to humane and compassionate end of life care offered in a variety of settings – patient’s homes, hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care or freestanding in-patient hospice facilities.

“Our mission is to help people die well,” Rubel says. “There is a misconception that hospice is a place where people go to pass away.

Not so. While people can spend their final days here, most hospice care takes place wherever a person calls home.”

Generally, a person’s stay at NAH is five to seven days. During that time a medical team stabilizes them – making sure they’re free of pain – so they can leave to spend quality time with loved ones for the duration of their days, weeks or months. In many instances, this could mean time to travel or enjoy what is most meaningful.

“We also have a full time spiritual care team, palliative care physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, 350 specially trained volunteers and social workers offering support to family members,” Rubel adds.

As a non-profit, NAH is also required by the federal government to offer bereavement support services for loved ones of all ages.

“One of our most important initiatives is a program we designed called Deciding Tomorrow … Today,” Rubel says. “The program encourages families to discuss clinical intervention options to better define their end-of-life journey. These conversations should happen prior to experiencing compromised health issues, and before it’s too late.”

The program also urges health care professionals to educate patients on the importance of planning end of life measures.

Jay Poster is general manager of the King David Memorial Chapel and Mortuary. He agrees that the process is less intimidating when plans for the deceased are decided in advance – whether by years or even days.

“The stress of dealing with the loss of a loved one is compounded O F G deceased, R E A T E R L A S type V E G A Sof casket, when decisions — about where to bury the kind of service, choosing a rabbi to officiate — have to be made at the last minute. Keep in mind that, in traditional Judaism, burial is required within a day or two of passing,” Poster says. “It’s just too overwhelming without a plan already in place.”

He says families who experience hospice and palliative care are more prepared emotionally for the burial and mourning rituals.

“Unlike the past – prior to the availability of end of life supportive measures, or in the case of sudden and unexpected O F G R E A T E R L Adeath S V E G A–S families

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these days seem to be better able to deal with their grief due to the care received through hospice,” Poster says.

Laura Sussman co-owns Kraft-Sussman Funeral Services with Wendy Kraft. They were inspired to open the business following their work with the Chevra Kadisha. Hebrew for holy or burial society, Chevra Kadisha is an organization of Jewish men and women who prepare the body of a deceased Jew for burial according to Jewish law. It also protects the corpse from desecration. The Chevra Kadisha task is considered commendable, as tending to the dead is a favor the recipient cannot return, making it a good deed of truth (chesed shel emet) devoid of ulterior motives.

“I feel like what we do is a holy calling,” Sussman says. “We felt that there was a need in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada for a positive alternative to the large corporate mortuary and cremation chains. We’re a small, independent, family owned funeral home – and exclusively Jewish. We focus on knowing the deceased and their families and building relationships.”

Perhaps the most striking aspect of dying and death is how religious practices ascribe meaning and purpose to the end of life and mourning.

Rabbi Yocheved Mintz of Congregation P’Nai Tikvah is the founding advisory board chair of the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning in Las Vegas. She has escorted many through the difficult, sometimes traumatic experience of loss.

“Jewish rituals and observances can be an immense source of comfort, strength and wisdom to those who accompany a loved one through the transition from life to death,” he says. “Guidelines to best get through this painful process are an integral part of Jewish doctrine.”

Upon hearing of the death of a loved one, Mintz says, mourners recite a blessing acknowledging that G-d is the true arbiter of life. Traditionally, mourners wear a torn garment as a sign of grieving and fragility.

The body of the deceased is accorded honor through ritual purification and by not being left alone. A Shomer, or one who guards, stays with the body and recites from the Book of Psalms.

“Jewish tradition mandates a closed casket during the funeral as a sign of respect for the deceased, and to help mourners remember their loved one as they were in life. Those in attendance participate in the mitzvah (commandment) of comforting the mourners,” Mintz says.

Shiva (seven) refers to the traditional period of time following the burial for mourners to receive condolence calls. Sh’loshim (thirty) is the month after the funeral serving as a period of adjustment, where mourners begin to return to the rhythms of life.

Kaddish, commonly referred to as the mourner’s prayer, is recited throughout the following year to honor the deceased and bring comfort to the mourner.

The first year, and on each anniversary (Yahrtzeit) thereafter, is marked by lighting a memorial candle. Visiting the actual grave is also a comfort. Leaving a smooth stone on the Matzevah (tombstone) is a tangible way of noting one was there.

“The living are commanded to ‘choose life,’ ” says Mintz. “In death we pray for those who have transitioned to the Beyond to be ‘bound up in the bonds of life’ – referring to life in the world to come.”

We all have a rendezvous with death. It is more than a biological event, the end of a single existence. It’s hard to imagine a world in which we, as individuals, cease to exist. Death has no respect for age, creed, ethnicity or social status, cutting off at a whim those at the start of their prime, at its conclusion or in between. The hope is that the dignity we seek in dying and death reflects how we lived our lives, recognizing our own mortality and accepting the losses of those we loved.

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2697 East Eldorado Lane Las Vegas, NV 89120 702-464-8570 www.kingdavidlv.com www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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Lunch

Lady

Land It’s a Challenge to Get Our Kids to Eat Healthy at School.

Several Vegas Chefs Share their Lunch Bag Secrets.

By E.C. Gladstone

B

ack to School: A time of year that can strike terror into the hearts of parents everywhere. Worried about how your child will do academically? Perhaps. Concerned your son or daughter will face bullying or peer pressures? Possibly. Panicked about what to pack in their school lunches? Definitely!

Not to make light of other issues in raising kids today, but parents and educators alike have been placing increasing importance on the value of good nutrition, discouraging the consumption of sodas and salty snacks, while promoting fresh, balanced ingredients — at least in theory.

But just because we want to see our kids eating healthy doesn’t mean the lunch lady has to suddenly become Giada. Oh, sure. We all know those families with the perfect child, thrilled to try artichokes at age 3 or have sashimi for his 5th birthday (and maybe you have one!). In reality, some kids just aren’t born that way, and all the good influence in the world won’t necessarily sway them.

In fact, here’s a bit of a dirty little secret: Even some of our most sophisticated chefs have trouble trying to get their own kids to eat healthy! We asked a few pros their secrets for getting kids to eat better during school lunch — and even wrested a few recipes from them.

“Cole is a plain eater,” restaurateur Elizabeth Blau says of her son with husband Kim Canteenwalla, executive chef of Andiron Sea & Steak and Honey Salt. “He likes the classics.” That’s a euphemistic way of saying that when Grandma packed the 10-year-old some

vegetable sushi rolls in his lunch for camp this summer, they got traded to another kid. “There are about four vegetables in his repertoire,” Blau says.

“I gotta tell you, it’s tough,” admits chef Sam “Sammy D” DeMarco. “But you gotta keep trying.” Kids want to conform with their friends — and their friends might pressure them if they don’t.

But DeMarco says we don’t always “give kids enough credit for trying new things.”

Strip House corporate executive chef Michael Vignola is a bit luckier. His kids love grilled vegetables. But, then again, he might have made his own luck. Vignola and DeMarco both recommend taking kids along to farmers markets and inspecting the produce with them, then putting them to work helping prepare the food!

Says DeMarco, “Delilah and Dakota trying things at the market, knowing the farmers … that’s created the best connection.”

Vignola adds: “ Some of the tasks that I find great for my daughter Mia [age 4] are breaking broccoli down to florets, shelling beans, peeling the skin off of roasted peppers, picking herbs for vinaigrette, tossing the vegetables in oil prior to grilling, cleaning lettuces for the salad or even mixing the ground beef for burgers.”

Chef John Church knows about the importance of trades. But the former executive chef of MTO Café, now heading Artisanal Foods’ new catering arm, also takes the challenge head-on. “My favorite time of the morning is preparing my son’s lunch.” Celery, peanut butter and craisins form his version of “ants on a log.” And the

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Chef Megan Romano’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake

main dish might be leftover homemade pizza from the night before, or Church’s own version of macerated strawberries, banana and Nutella on multigrain bread.

With children ages 4, 6, and 8, Mizumi’s executive chef Devin Hashimoto certainly has a lot of experience in this field. While his kids may not have the kind of appetites to appreciate the exotic menus he serves, at least he makes sure they get the best versions.

“We invest in organic peanut butter and jelly,” says Hashimoto, “and whole grain bread.” He makes granolas, along with nuts and seasonal fruit, for snacks.

“We don’t ‘dumb down’ our food for our kids,” says Megan Romano, on behalf of husband Joe, also a chef. The chef/owner of Chocolate & Spice says of Will (13), Nina (11) and Frankie (7), “Some eat better than others but … they at least need to try new things. If they really don’t like it, I don’t force the issue and might try another way to include this ingredient – sure bets like pizza, mac ‘n’ cheese, chicken pot pie or lasagna – to introduce new vegetables like arugula, asparagus or mushrooms. They buy into the idea since they recognize a favorite food.”

“When kids eat, they want to have fun, too,” says Chris Fearnow, executive chef of the Silverton Lodge Hotel Casino. He’s raised five of his own and is now moving into granddad territory. “Kids like to eat with their fingers, dip, slather and slosh.” So he and Sammy D both take a page from Japanese tradition, and make bento boxes with lots of tastes. For DeMarco, a variety of fruits, vegetables, pasta tossed in olive oil, and perhaps some protein leftover from a dinner, form the basics. Fearnow’s selections range from PB&J with banana in Ezekiel bread wraps, to BBQ chicken, and home made

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jerky and ramen, mac ‘n’ cheese, hummus and baba ganoush, even a veggie-hiding special meatloaf.

Some other tips: One of Fearnow’s fun recipes is mashed yams with walnuts and Grade B maple syrup (more robust than Grade A). But his kids also enjoy Hawaiian musubi, sticky rice balls with protein, wrapped in nori.

Blau and Canteenwalla try to make sure fresh fruit or at least homemade treats are involved; They like to freeze grapes or even cookies, a trick to keep the other food fresh and have the treats arrive at the perfect temperature by noon.

DeMarco is also big on “Thermos things,” (think soups and turkey chili), while Church packs in extra vitamins by squeezing fresh orange, grapefruit and cranberry juices into his son’s sports bottle.

Vignola also recommends homemade popsicles for an afterschool or after-dinner treat, made with blended fruit. “Some of our favorites are cucumber mint, strawberry lime and watermelon pineapple.”

And several of the chefs emphasize that age-old maxim of getting off to a good nutritious start each day. “Breakfast is a big deal in our house, no matter what happens at lunch,” says Blau, who mentions several scratch pancake recipes. Eggs and bacon are also frequent ingredients, and Canteenwalla and Blau try to keep as natural and close to organic as possible.

Hashimoto takes that a step further, with a smoothie recipe that looks to pack almost the whole day’s supply of nutrients, sneaking in spinach, chia seeds, nuts, yogurt, soy milk or almond milk and fresh fruit.

Chef John Church’s Macerated Strawberries, Banana And Nutella On Multigrain Bread

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Lunch Bag Recipes Megan Romano’s Roasted Asparagus Parmesan Whole Wheat Wrap •

Devin Hashimoto’s Morning Smoothie

This is a batch to feed a family of five, about 60 total fluid ounces.

• 2 cups spinach • 6 ounces – yogurt; (your preference) • 1 each – banana, peeled and chopped • 1 cup – chopped berries, fresh or frozen • 4 fluid ounces – soy milk or almond milk • ¼ cup – Almonds or walnut, raw and unsalted • 1 tablespoon – chia seeds

John Church’s Macerated Strawberries, Banana And Nutella On Multigrain Bread

• 2 cups very ripe strawberries • 1 teaspoon lemon zest • 1 teaspoon honey • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (braggs) Mix ingredients in a mortar and pestle and work until thoroughly combined. Spread on one slice of multigrain bread. Spread thin layer of Nutella on another slice. Slice ripe banana and place between the two sides.

Chris Fearnow’s Secret Meatloaf

• 80/20 ground beef or turkey (8 pounds or mix) • 1 cup small diced carrots • 1 cup small diced celery • 1 cup small diced red bell pepper • 1 cup small diced broccoli • 1 cup small diced mushroom • 1/2 cup fine diced onion • 3 tablespoons garlic • cracked black pepper to taste • 15 large leaves fresh, chopped basil • 2 tablespoons fine chopped thyme • 1/2 cup chopped parsley • kosher salt to taste • 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce • 8 eggs • 2 cups bread crumbs (whole wheat) • 1/2 cup rolled oats (optional) • 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese Mix ingredients together and form in a large loaf pan; Top liberally with natural ketchup; Bake at 325 degrees for two hours, or until a center, internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

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Optional items (turkey, prosciutto, ham, salad greens, heirloom tomatoes) • Ingredients for Roasted Asparagus: • 6 pieces roasted asparagus • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil • salt and pepper • 1 tablespoon shaved parmesan Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat asparagus in olive oil and place on a parchment-lined baking pan. Place in the oven for 6 minutes, until asparagus is cooked and bends easily.

Ingredients for Pesto: • 1/2 cup shaved parmesan • 1/2 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup shaved almonds toasted • 1 c fresh basil leaves • salt and pepper Place olive oil in a bar blender. Add parmesan and almonds and puree until smooth. Place basil in blender and submerge in the oil mixture.

Pulse to blend until smooth, but not long so as to prevent the mixture from getting warm and discoloring the basil. Remove from blender.

Assemble: Lay whole wheat wrap on a cutting board. Spread spoonful of pesto in the center of wrap. Place asparagus and parmesan in the center. Fold the bottom edge and sides and roll the wrap away from you. Place the wrap on plastic film and wrap.

Megan Romano’s Pumpkin Bundt Cake

• 1 cup canola oil (mix first six ingredients) • 1 cup orange zest • 1 cup sugar • 1 cup water • 2 eggs • 1c pumpkin puree • 1 2/3c all purpose flour (sift all dry) • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 tablespoon baking powder (add in 3x) • 3 teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice Preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Spray a bundt pan mold generously with nonstick spray. Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Place oil, zest and sugar in a KitchenAid mixer. Mix until ingredients are incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix pumpkin puree, eggs and water. Add wet ingredients alternately with dry ingredients. Spoon pumpkin cake batter into the mold. The cake batter should fill the pan two-thirds.

Bake 30-40 minutes until a small wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Remove from oven. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Place a plate on the top of the pan and invert so that the cake has been unfolded onto the plate. Leave at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Wrap with plastic film while still a bit warm to prevent drying out.

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think Fall into Fashion @ 42 A Surgeon and His Robot @ 46 The Gift of Life @ 52

A SURGEON AND HIS ROBOT pg. 46

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think

Fall Into Fashion Grab Your Cap & Grab Your Coat.....

By Marisa Finetti

C

uffin season refers to that time when days get shorter, when a steady love is needed to help endure the cold months ahead. “Baby, it’s cold outside (Well, not yet. But we’re optimistic!)” In preparation for cuffin season, we’re delivering all the fall fashion finds you’ll want to hook up with. It’s time to think about swapping those summer flip-flops, flouncy shorts and maxi dresses for fall season boots, layers on top to layers over those layers, and that impressive statement overcoat.

We’ve spotted a few key trends for men and women, so you don’t have to worry about what to love this season.

MEN There’s plenty to covet this fall and winter in men’s outerwear, including new approaches to layering, texture and color. Finding your new niche can be as fun as a plunge into a leaf pile.

BLACK OUT Black’s still hot, guys. And it’s so ubiquitous (again) that it’d be a bit silly to label it a trend. From striking goth evening wear to sleek, tailored suits, the Dark Side is most definitely back. And Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen and Prada all have their money on black.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION Covering up with a statement overcoat has never been stronger, whether it’s a gnarly bouclé, a peach fuzzy mohair, a leopard print coat or a shearling trimmed jacket. For Calvin Klein Collection, Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs, the animal print adds a taste of backstreet wildness to a tailored look.

WHAT THE NECK? The male neck shares real estate between neckties, for more dressy occasions, and this fall’s big trend: turtlenecks. Projecting a cozy vibe for the chilly months, the turtleneck sweater is the de facto suit pairing of the season. We’ll take that!

GREEN WITH ENVY As far as inspiration goes, the military is about as influential as it gets. Designers focused on tried-and-true shades of Army green and applied them in different ways — from Michael Kors and Ermenegildo Zegna — sleek uniforms with brass buttons to a rugged, pine fresh-inspired take on street wear.

And to sum it all up, pay attention to fall’s color palette. Pantone, the authority in this area, released its top 10 fall colors with one major distinction — a shift toward a palette sans gender bias. Look for olive green, earthy red-brown, golden bisque, pinky rose and deep, cool blue in both masculine and feminine offerings.

WOMEN MIXED UP Women face a bevy of choices, one that’s continually changing.

And that’s good because, this fall, more will be more. Those old maxims about clashing colors and prints? Ignore them! The eclectic looks that boldly mix patterns and colors have dominated runways from New York to Paris, proof that a bit of this and a bit of that add up to heads turning.

70s BOHO-CHIC Then there’s the lingering Bohemian theme, which emerged as spring’s defining aesthetic. Grab that tambourine and be the ‘70s dancing queen ABBA always wanted you to be. With gauzy gowns, flares and a spirit of globe-trotting eclecticism on catwalks from Burberry Prorsum to Lanvin, there’s no shortage of evidence that peace and love are still fashionable.

A LEG UP Covering up this fall might be by way of long coats. But legs are extremely fashionable. Not to mention, the silhouette is youthful and flattering on just about everyone. No wonder designers far and wide are embracing the power of the miniskirt. A thigh-skimming A-line is the shape of the season. Pair it with layered turtlenecks and sweet little blouses, or a boxy topper.

BABY DOLL Scandalous higher hemlines also have a softer, feminine look this season – with baby-doll dresses, both sweet and a little naughty.

Prada leads the charge with a taffy, candy-colored parade.

UPHOLSTERED Designers, shall we say, have drawn the drapes to reference fabrics and motifs usually found in a posh home library. Tory Burch prints recall Moroccan rugs, while Erdem gives a fresh look to stately brocades.

STOMP It may not get that cold in our city, but designers still seem to be reacting to last year’s blasts elsewhere. Should you encounter snow this winter, get your stomp on by choosing from dozens of chic black or chunky statement boots.

Finally, take on a bit of 19th century flair with high collars, ruffles and lace. The Victorian theme that hit runways recently paid homage to the styles that dominated the 1800s, but with a thoroughly updated infusion of bright colors, leather details and sexy silhouettes we can all fall in love with.

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Paul & Shark’s three quarter length cashmere and chinchilla coat in this season’s midnight black color adds a touch of fur and the very versatile turtleneck. $9,395. Paul & Shark, Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas. 702-396-7772.

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M Missoni floral jacquard dress mixes two fall elements: the rising hemline and rich upholstery pattern. $996 M Missoni, Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas 702-862-4583.

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This REDValentino ensemble pairs fall season’s short dress ($895) patterned with seasonal leaves and a stunning fur coat made of modacrylic ($1,650). REDValentino, Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas. 702-737-7614

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A Surgeon and his Robot

Cutting-Edge Technology in UMC’s O.R.

By Jaq Greenspon

I

don’t know about you, but I like living in the future. It’s great when I walk up to a door and it opens automatically. I enjoy being able to have live video chats with friends around the world, using a device small enough to fit in my pocket. That same device can tell me exactly where I am on the planet at any given moment, and then tell me how to get someplace else. I can carry an entire library’s worth of reading material in my backpack, and my shoes work together with my watch to tell me how many steps I’ve taken and how many calories those steps burned.

Now, though, the future is getting even closer. University Medical Center (as well as several other valley area hospitals) is bringing computers and robots into the picture as diagnostic and surgical tools, ones designed to “help more people, get more accurate diagnoses earlier than other conventional and traditional ways.”

In the past eight months, UMC has added two incredibly specialized pieces of equipment to its facility to keep up with the ever-sharpening curve of technological advancement. The first piece, acquired last December, is the da Vinci Xi, the newest offering in minimally invasive surgery from Intuitive. Boasting a smaller footprint than the company’s SI model, the Xi looks like nothing so much as a torture device from a high tech super spy film, albeit one

with precisely the opposite effect (said in a vaguely eastern European accent: “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to have a significantly higher recovery rate.”).

The four highly articulated arms of the da Vinci will, quite literally, change the way surgery is performed as we move deeper into the 21st century. In the past, once we got beyond leeches and general bloodletting, the primary modality of surgery was what we call “open.” This is what we’re all familiar with from hours of medical nighttime dramatic television, where the doctor (who, contrary to real life, always looks incredibly well-rested, despite having artfully coiffed bedhead) jumps into an emergency room procedure, calling for a scalpel - while still pulling on his scrubs - and cuts into the patient, jamming his hands into the opening and doing whatever it is doctors do. For a long time, this was the only way it was done, and, to be fair, is still done this way for certain procedures (without the obvious theatrics – today’s surgeons are much better trained than nighttime television actors).

As the 20th century started, several different researchers independently got the bright idea that maybe there was a better way to do things. The concept of laparoscopic surgery was invented, although it really wouldn’t take hold until nearer the end of the

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The da Vinci Xi patient-side cart with splayed articulating arms.

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century, as technology caught up with concept. Here, the concept is to go in through a much smaller incision, with a smaller set of instruments and a way of looking inside the body with a laparoscope (a flexible fiber-optic camera). Known as MIS (for minimally invasive surgery), “band-aid” surgery or, my personal favorite, keyhole surgery, there are distinct advantages and disadvantages to using this technology, most often in the abdominal or pelvic regions (When an MIS is performed in the chest cavity, it’s a thoracoscopic procedure; both fall under the umbrella of endoscopy).

For the past 40 years or so, this was the way it was going.

The cameras would get smaller (but remain monocular), the instruments more precise, but in general, MIS had plateaued. Then the robots arrived.

Don Galloway, director of surgical operations at UMC, explains what’s cool about robotic surgery: “This actually allows the surgeon to work the instruments as if it (were) actually his hand.

It can articulate in ways other minimally invasive surgeries can’t manipulate.” In other words, the four robotic arms of the da Vinci allow you to get the camera in place, as well as hold something else.

And then you still have two hands to do the actual work involved.

“For complex procedures, where you’re working with small confined spaces, [this is] incredible technology.” Galloway’s professional composure strains over his excitement at what his hospital is doing.

“If you think about it,” he continues, “robotics is just the next evolution in laparoscopic surgery. It’s going to give a surgeon better control, better visualization. Allow him to mobilize easier. All the technology and all the advancements of laparoscopic surgery are now translating to robotic at a faster pace because that pathway has been already produced. Basically, this will become the next generation of surgeries.” At UMC, with one of very few XIs in the valley, the surgical staff is already taking strides along the path toward whatever comes next. As robotic surgery becomes more commonplace, as it becomes the standard, UMC is determined to make sure its staff is not left behind.

“Our young surgeons are getting trained on it,” Galloway explains.

“They’re learning cutting-edge things and getting in at that ground level very early. Robotics has been around just a few years. Now, all of a sudden they’re all involved in it. These procedures that were done with something that can only articulate at this angle – X and Y – now can go X, Y and Z. It can retroflex, turn behind other pieces of viscera or organs. It’s actually kind of cool.

“Think about it this way … You know those action figures you see at Target or Toys R Us with ‘37 points of articulation?’ That’s what you’re looking at here. Instead of using just their arms, which have a limited range of motion, the robot can give surgeons a multitude of new possibilities and ways to reach into the body. All these rotations

Above: Surgical Operations Director Donald Galloway, RN BSN MBA CNOR. Right Page: Dr. Shawn Tsuda, at the controls of the da Vinci Xi. Dr. Tsuda is a board-certified general surgeon and assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas.

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that you previously couldn’t do,” says Galloway, moving his arms awkwardly by way of example.

“That’s going to speed things up. When you use the term mobilization that means you take a bowel and you move it over here. Now, instead of just being able to go like this, you can come over here, grab it and give even more reach. Or go over here and push it over.”

Most of the benefits of having a da Vinci in the hospital seem pretty obvious. It allows a surgeon better access to the affected area through a smaller entry hole, which means less scarring – the ultimate goal here being “single site robotic surgery,” where the robot enters through one point, the umbilicus (belly button for lay people), which effectively leaves no scarring at all. This is already being done for some laparoscopic surgeries, with UMC’s da Vinci team soon to follow.

Already they are using the robot for MIS procedures in gynecology, colorectal and general surgery, all the while training more and more of their surgical staff in the use of the technology.

Interestingly, medical students today are starting to choose their schools and residencies based on which are offering robotic training.

And UMC, whose vision is “to be the premier academic health center,” is looking at that training when making hiring decisions.

Besides the obvious health benefits the robot provides for patients, there are other advantages, too. Galloway is confident “the

technology will continue to improve to the point where it just takes over – and prices, as competition increases (come) along, will drive down.” He says the robot helps UMC refine its nursing processes, which will decrease the amount of supplies its nurses open. This, in turn, allows nurses to become more efficient, so patients get in and out faster. Win-win for everyone.

The second piece of tech that UMC added recently isn’t nearly as imposing as the Xi. At first glance, it looks like the kind of computer workstation you’d find in any office. Looks, however, can be deceiving. In the first place, the Super Dimension room at UMC is the only one in Las Vegas. In the second, the room is electromagnetically mapped out so that “workstation” knows exactly where the doctor is in relationship to the patient – specifically the patient’s lungs. The Super D, as it’s often referred to (and is such a new piece of technology it doesn’t have a cool nickname yet), creates a virtual roadmap of the airways of a patient’s lung. Then it provides GPS-style directions to lead the pulmonologist directly to the problem area.

Dr. Hidenbu Shigemitsu (“Shigster” to his friends) jokes that the machine will tell him “the nodule will be on your left-hand side.”

Then he gets serious regarding the machine’s capabilities and science fiction-like attributes. “We never even imagined something like this when I was in school,” he gushes. “When I was in school, the fiber optic scope was even a new thing. To be able to be in an era where just

Dr. Hidenobu Shigemitsu, professor of medicine and chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas.

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UMC nursing staff prepare a patient for surgery.

to be able to go into the lungs and look into the lungs was very novel.

Fast forward 20 years later, and now we’re able not (only to) go into the lungs but (we’re) using a GPS system with an electromagnetic field to accurately go into the airways and make a biopsy … .”

Here’s how it works: A patient with a spot on his lung and requiring a CT scan will be referred to Shigemitsu and his team.

Technically, it would be either a nodule (under 3 cm) or a mass (over 3 cm), but “spot” gets the point across without being pedantic or fear-inducing. At this point, the team will reconstruct the imaging to make it available for the Super D to map out the airways that lead to various parts of the lungs. Those airways leading into the nodule or mass are identified and get mapped. Then the patient lies on top of an electromagnetic field that works with the machine to do a realtime mapping of the airways that lead directly to the spot.

This is where it gets pretty cool.

“We’re aiming to be, and are on track to be,” Shigemitsu says, the first place in the state (UMC is working with the University of Nevada medical school) to “have all these experts, including pulmonologists, thoracic/lung surgeons, the medical oncologists, the radiation oncologists and also palliative care” allied in a patient’s care. “It’s a multidisciplinary approach for taking care of patients with lung nodule and/or lung cancer.” Studies at large U.S. cancer centers that have adopted this approach show it leads to increased patient satisfaction due to shorter intervals between diagnosis and treatment.

Basically, Shigster drives his catheter into the mass without any guesswork, grabs a sample for biopsying and calls for a pathologist, who comes down and sits at a microscope in the room while the patient is still on the table. By the time the patient wakes up, there’s a diagnosis. Instead of the back and forth of waiting for appointments between specialists, which can take weeks or months, the team approach can lead to a complete diagnosis in days.

“It’s not only for diagnosis,” says Shigemitsu, obviously excited about where his field is going. They can place fiducial markers, he says, that radiation oncologists use to direct their treatments for cancer or malignant tumors.

“It’s basically a laser point treatment of the small nodule. In the past, the radiation oncologist would say it’s right around here,” Shigemitsu says, indicating a general area where you assume your lung is. “We would kind of do radiation ablatement right around this whole area. Obviously, there are areas which don’t need ablation, and so patients could get complications from that. With these markers, you can actually direct the target right to the lesion, and the radiation oncologist can use that to precisely direct it.” The diagnostic accuracy goes up; complications go down.

For a while now, futurists like Ray Kurzweil have been saying immortality is only 20 years away. With these types of devices in the hands of enthusiastic practitioners like those at UMC and elsewhere, it seems that 20-year scenario might be getting closer to reality. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what that future will look like. www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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The Gift Of Life

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Sharing Her Good Fortune Allows an Army Couple Reason to Hope

By Lisa A Stark

I

t’s a packed house at Opportunity Village, the venue Sher Fertility Las Vegas uses for its educational events. On this night, hundreds of Las Vegas couples are here, pinning their hopes of having a baby on the luck of the draw. All wishing the same wish — that their name will be called.

Dr. Geoffrey Sher reaches into the giant baby bottle and pulls a name. Sher, a renowned fertility doctor who draws patients from all over the globe, donates a free in vitro fertilization cycle at seminars around the country. For many in the audience, winning the free cycle is the only chance they have to get a treatment they desperately need. In Nevada, most insurance plans do not cover IVF. And, at $12,000 a shot, the cost is out of reach for many.

1st Lt. Mick McGeorge and his wife Jennifer are among the hun-

dreds waiting to hear the name Sher will call. Jenn is still numb from news she received a few days ago. Mick, a guy who doesn’t scare easily, was terrified.

“My palms were sweating, my heart was racing,” says McGeorge.

“I have been in combat and was never this nervous.”

Sher calls out the winner, “Samantha Thomas!”

Stunned, Thomas stumbles up to the podium.

The McGeorges are devastated. Another hope dashed. Another painful setback. More grief and disappointment in what has been a string of stinging defeats in their quest to have a baby.

“It is not rational,” Jenn says, “but when someone else wins you are angry. I kept thinking: ‘When is it my turn?’ ” Thomas, meanwhile, is shocked and confused. She knows about devastation and climbing back up from the deepest, darkest hell.

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1 Lt. Mick and Jennifer McGeorge with Sher Fertility Office Manager Sharon Jochman

Life after Loss Flash back to a year ago: Thomas and her husband Hector are at a hospital in Australia holding their dead baby. Gabriel Thomas was born still at 32 weeks. The Thomases learned of structural abnormalities in the fetus at their 20-week ultrasound. Testing revealed a rare genetic disorder. But they decided to keep the pregnancy and fight for their baby’s life.

After eight months of gestation, however, Samantha’s blood pressure skyrocketed. Doctors had to induce labor and Gabriel was not ready.

“The hardest part was being surrounded by moms with healthy babies,” Thomas says. “We would walk down the hall and see families celebrating their newborns. We were happy for them, but our hearts were broken.”

But, as they say, what does not beat you will make you stronger.

The experience emboldened the Thomases and gave them the courage to try again.

“We view life as a gift,” says Thomas. “A healthy baby is a miracle.”

And a miracle came their way. Ten months after losing Gabriel, Elijah was born.

“Right after I gave birth, I asked Hector, ‘Is he alive?’ The entire

pregnancy we were on edge, expecting something to go wrong. Now that he is here and healthy, we are in awe of him.”

After Elijah’s birth, the Thomases moved to Las Vegas. They had eight remaining embryos they wanted to use in hopes of getting their son a sibling or two. They went to the Sher seminar to learn more about IVF. When her name was called, Thomas knew right away that she had to give this incredible gift back.

“In the car that night, I said: ‘I wonder if there is a way I can give my free cycle away?’ ” she says.

And when she met with Sher, that is what they both agreed to do.

“I was happy to give away the cycle to another struggling couple,” Thomas says. “Maybe my story could inspire them.”

“Food for the Soul” The McGeorges were in desperate need of inspiration. At 26, Jenn had just been given the horrific news that she would never give birth to her own genetic child.

She was in the middle of an IVF cycle with Sher when the doctor delivered the news. He told her she had no follicles (early eggs) growing. She had gone from diminished ovarian reserve to www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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depleted ovarian reserve. She was in premature menopause and had zero eggs left.

“As a woman, I felt stripped of femininity. I felt empty,” says McGeorge. “We sat around all day and cried.”

In their darkest hour, the McGeorges held onto hope, thanks to a doctor who inspired them with his kindness.

“When Dr. Sher told me about my cycle being canceled, he started crying,” says Jenn. “He said I am sorry your appointment is late. I had to sit here and think of how to tell you.”

“Every single patient matters to him,” says Mick. “We have never had a more compassionate, more dedicated doctor. Same for the staff.”

For Sher, giving is part of who he is, part of a culture he has infused at all of the Sher centers.

“Food for the soul” is how Sher describes these philanthropic donations.

“When you see as many people as I do, who are desperate but can’t afford a treatment they medically need, you are inspired to do what you can to help them,” he says.

Sher’s hope is that other IVF clinics around the country will follow his lead.

“If only every program could donate a few IVF cycles a year,” he says, “we could make a dent. Ninety percent of the people who need IVF to have a child never get it, primarily because of the cost.”

Through Sher Fertility Institutes’ eight clinics nationwide, hundreds of IVF cycles have been donated. At roughly $12,000 per cycle, it equates Samantha Thomas and baby Elijah to millions of dollars in fertility philanthropy. And besides the IVF donations, there is Sher Fertility Rescue, which enables cancer patients to preserve their fertility prior to chemo for free.

“I am addicted to the feeling of giving,” Sher says, “of seeing the joy it brings others. Giving is also a morale booster for our staff.

Care is better, performance is better; it all flows from the good feeling derived from giving.”

Sher’s philanthropic inclination began when he was a high-risk OB-GYN in Reno in the ’80s. Through Washoe Medical Center, he led an effort to improve the birth outcome for the indigent population by donating his services.

In the ’90s, before founding Sher Institute, his IVF centers in California donated one free cycle for every 10 they did. Couples awarded a free cycle were asked to serve on a committee that chose future recipients.

Sher also started and still is a founding board member for a national nonprofit called The International Council on Infer-

tility Information Dissemination, or INCIID. It has a program Sher created called “Inside the Heart,” which donates free IVF to couples in need.

When Sher met with Samantha Thomas, they agreed to re-donate her free cycle since she had just given birth.

“She felt badly that she had won the cycle,” Sher says, “and was not only willing but relieved to give it back.”

True to form, Sher then offered to give Thomas a free frozen embryo transfer, or FET, so she could try to produce a sibling for Elijah.

“Dr. Sher has a very big heart for what he did and does,” says Thomas.

Holding on to Hope Sher has been helping patients go from infertility to family for more than four decades. He opened the first private IVF clinic in the U.S. in 1982 in Reno. Since then, he has been influential in the birth of more than 20,000 IVF babies.

One of them was born 16 years ago to Staff Sgt. Mark Thomas and his wife Justene.

Thomas is a soldier in McGeorge’s platoon. McGeorge told Thomas about struggling to have a child.

“Infertility is a part of my life every minute of every day,” says McGeorge. “The hardest thing for me is that I can’t do anything to help Jenn. I am powerless, which, for a guy like me, is hard to accept.”

On Thomas’ advice, the McGeorges went to see Sher.

After testing, the doctor concluded that Jenn had Diminished Ovarian Reserve and needed IVF right away. Then came the canceled cycle and the heartbreaking news. She would need a donor egg.

That meant Mick’s sperm would be used to fertilize an egg from another woman. This anonymous donor would have to be paid, raising the cost of the IVF from $12,000 to $30,000 — a sum that would take the McGeorges years to amass.

Jenn was depressed. And angry.

“I hate to think I have to send my husband to war to afford an egg donor before I am 30,” she said.

But fate was finally on their side. Just 24 hours after learning that her cycle was canceled and she would need an egg donor, she received the gift of a lifetime.

The phone rang and the Sher Fertility number appeared. Jenn, home alone, thought someone was calling to check up on her. But when she picked up, Sher office manager Sharon Jochman told her she had good news and to conference in Mick.

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Sharon then told them that they had won the donated cycle Thomas had given back. The clinic did a re-draw and the McGeorges were picked.

Mick was at Nellis Air Force Base when he heard.

“I fell to the ground and started crying,” he says. “It reignited my faith that everything was going to be OK.” “It was validation that prayers are listened to,” says Jenn. “I instantly felt like 100 pounds was lifted off my back. We were the happiest we have been in so long.”

Now the plan is to move forward with an egg donor cycle in October. Mick deploys to Afghanistan in November, so they will likely wait until he returns to transfer. They are optimistic and grateful.

“We know Dr. Sher and his team will do whatever it takes to get us where we need to be,” says Mick.

“I want to thank the woman (Thomas) who gave back the cycle,” says Jenn. “And, of course, we thank Dr. Sher and the Sher staff.

They are wonderful. Everyone knows my name. I have never felt like a number here.”

Through their experience, the McGeorges have discovered a passion for infertility activism. Mick hopes to start a nonprofit when he gets back from his tour to help military families afford IVF. Jenn blogs on a regular basis, sharing her innermost feelings about her infertility. Mick’s commander and soldiers read her blog. And he feels reconnected to his wife through the power of her words.

“I look forward to reading it when I am in Afghanistan,” he says, “because I know it will inspire me. I personally challenge anyone who sees infertility as a stigma to read Jenn’s blog.”

“You will get more support than you ever thought you could,” adds Jenn. “By sharing your feelings, by saying, ‘I am infertile’, you build closer friendships, and your family understands you better. If I can help one person by sharing my journey then it is worth it.”

The Thomases will also be doing IVF with Sher in October. They

Thomas with Dr. Sher and Dr. Mark Severino the night she won the free IVF cycle

want to give their remaining embryos a chance of life, and provide Elijah a sibling.

“I think it makes you look at life differently,” says Thomas.

“We are thankful for the smallest things. I think the best part of watching Elijah grow is seeing the new discoveries he makes every day.”

Thomas hasn’t personally met Jenn McGeorge. Perhaps they will connect when both are in cycle at Sher in October. If they do meet, Thomas would offer these words of hope.

“I would tell her to keep her dream alive; have faith and courage.

Don’t be afraid to try with everything you can to have a baby. The gift of life is such a precious gift.” www.davidlv.com | AUGUST 2015

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Dr. Andrew Eisen

President, Clark County Medical Society Valley native Andrew Eisen, M.D., is passionate about the local medical community. A trained pediatrician, he is the associate dean for clinical education at Touro University. Eisen also recently started his one-year presidency with the Clark County Medical Society. It is his stated goal to use his tenure to explore opportunities to improve Nevada medicine.

The University of Nevada, Reno, medical school graduate even spent time in the state Assembly, helping usher forth child abuse and child welfare laws; he supported important child death review legislation and laws to help identify wasteful Medicaid spending, among others.

DAVID: What do you hope to accomplish as the new president of the medical society?

EISEN: I think the biggest thing is to make sure we’re focused on our mission to improve health care in Southern Nevada. We do that through a variety of mechanisms. We’re a referral source for patients, education through media interview or we participate in community events. And there’s also advocacy.

DAVID: Tell us more about the society’s advocacy efforts.

EISEN: We try to offer our expertise at health care conventions across the state. It isn’t a legislative year, but there are regulations being promulgated. And it’s important we speak up in terms of what we think is helpful for patients. … We don’t lobby directly … but we do have a political action committee that helps to educate people. We also participate in a variety of community roundtable discussions. … We have a responsibility to speak up to make sure the needs of patients are being met.

DAVID: With Roseman and UNLV bringing medical schools to the valley, how will the community benefit, and when do you think we’ll start to see positive changes?

EISEN: We (the Clark County Medical Society) are excited to see that happening. The growth of medical education is really a positive thing, but a medical school won’t directly affect our physician supply shortage. We’re short in pretty much every discipline, and you address that with residencies and fellowships, or graduate medical education. If those opportunities aren’t there, you’re basically training a medical student to leave the state, go elsewhere for a residency.

And that’s the place where they’ll likely start practicing. We need an increase in graduate medical education here in Nevada. That’s what will address the physician shortage.

Now, medical schools are also economic engines. They drive research and elevate the quality of care. You have all these students asking questions of their physician supervisors. That makes us better. But we have to continue to do the work on the graduate medical education side.

DAVID: How can we do that?

EISEN: The Legislature approved a reasonable amount of money ($10 million) to help offset some of the start-up costs for residency programs.

That’s important. The University of Nevada School of Medicine has built up a moderate-sized GME presence at University Medical Center, and there’s a small one at Sunrise (hospital). Touro has worked with Valley Hospital. Mountain View (hospital) is well on its way. … But there are a lot of complicated steps to build GME because of the way it is funded long term. It puts a lot of pressure on the hospital to get filled up (with residents) quickly.

You have to have a comprehensive plan and ramp up the program quickly because you are capped for federal funding at the fifth year. … You can seek out alternative sources of funding, and the hospitals and schools are looking to identify those opportunities right now.

DAVID: What did you learn from your time in the 2013 legislative session?

EISEN: Aside from learning how the state government functions … I think the biggest thing was working so closely with people of such varied backgrounds on such important and big issues was really valuable. It really helped me refine my skills on compromise and discussion and prioritizing things. In my office, on the wall, I have a couple prints of the bills I carried that passed unanimously.

It’s not because I was a legislative steamroller, but because I learned quickly that it mattered to sit down, particularly with the opposition, and hear what concerns them. … Often, you have your own vision, but you have to realize what we want and what they oppose are different things, and it only all works if you communicate.

DAVID: What do you consider your greatest professional accomplishment?

EISEN: It’s going to sound cheesy, but I don’t think I’ve had it yet. I think I’ve had a series of very rewarding professional experiences. I have helped build a pediatric residency (through Touro’s partnership with Valley Hospital) and seeing residents go into practice then come back around; a number of former students are now supervising and teaching current students. Seeing that come full circle is incredibly satisfying.

— Brian Sodoma

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