Summer 2024 TFHS Foundation News

As the summer sun casts its golden glow over the serene Truckee landscape, the town comes alive with the vibrant energy of community and celebration. This year, among the long, warm days and starry nights, we mark our 75th anniversary of Tahoe Forest Health System. Our commitment to exceptional healthcare has been unwavering, nurturing the well-being of our neighbors and friends. As we celebrate this remarkable journey, we also look forward to the next 75 years, embracing change and innovation to ensure a healthier future for generations to come.

In this edition of our eNewsletter, we celebrate this year’s Thomas Hobday Medical Lectureship, which boasted deep collaboration between physicians and community members. We share a thoughtful testimonial from our Grateful Patient Program, highlighting the kindness and excellence displayed by the staff at Tahoe Forest. We are thrilled to announce our designation as a primary stroke center and stroke receiving center. We highlight one of our very own Tahoe Forest Health System employees who lives our values and goes above and beyond in all that they do. We introduce you to our newest board member, Lauren, who brings invaluable insights to the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation board and our community. Lastly, we ask you to save the date for the 75th Anniversary Fall Festival and Fun Run on October 6, 2024.

As the health system navigates changes to prepare us for the next 75 years, we deeply appreciate you for being our constant in the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare. Your generous contributions have made it possible to enhance our services and facilities, ensuring that we continue to provide exceptional healthcare to our residents and visitors. From cutting-edge diagnostic equipment to innovative health programs, every dollar raised directly impacts the well-being of our community. Thank you for your unwavering support and for being an integral part of our mission to deliver top-quality care to our mountain town community and beyond.

In gratitude,

Karli Epstein
Executive Director

The 2024 Thomas Hobday Medical Lectureship was a wonderful success. Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed the hype, hope, and harms of artificial intelligence in health care. Guests of the lectureship included a beautiful combination of community members and physicians of Tahoe Forest Health System. This blend of backgrounds facilitated immersive discussion on artificial intelligence. A huge thank you to Pam Hobday for her support to ensure Tom’s vision of community and physician collaboration and learning will continue for years to come.

The TFHS Grateful Patient program was created to provide patients with a way of sharing gratitude with caregivers and staff for the care either they or a loved one received. When you support patient services, through gifts and words of appreciation, it helps us enhance expert and compassionate healthcare. Read on to learn more about one grateful patient’s experience at Tahoe Forest:

A grateful patient donated in honor of “inpatient services for the amazing care, fabulous meals, and attention to every detail of my care and stay. My family had COVID and couldn’t be with me, but the staff kept my spirits up and when it was time to leave, I had new friends that felt like family. I could not be more grateful, and hats off to the kitchen staff! It is over-the-top excellent!”

THANK YOU!
A Grateful Patient

Are you interested in sharing a Grateful Patient story or giving a gift in honor of the care you received at TFHS? Visit https://www.tfhd.com/giving/grateful-patient 

Tahoe Forest Health System is proud to announce that the Sierra-Sacramento Valley EMS Agency (S-SV) has recently designated Tahoe Forest Hospital (TFH) as a Primary Stroke Center and Stroke Receiving Center for the local emergency medical services (EMS) region. Tahoe Forest Hospital has met the criteria, requirements, and responsibilities set forth by the S-SV for this designation.

This designation allows Tahoe Forest Hospital to receive patients with stroke-like symptoms, provide a rapid assessment of their condition, and coordinate with local EMS and tele-neurologists to provide expeditious treatment.

“Stroke is very time-sensitive and can occur at any time of the day,” said Brian Evans, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Tahoe Forest Health System. “By using tele-neurology services that are available 24/7, we can save lives and improve the recovery outcome of our patients. Our interdisciplinary stroke team, in conjunction with our local EMS, has developed a robust, life-saving program that will benefit our rural community.”

Tahoe Forest Hospital’s Stroke Program includes a performance improvement program that tracks stroke patient data to improve treatment times and overall care. This data is submitted to the American Heart Association and the State of California. The program also includes educating the community on how to recognize the symptoms of a stroke and how to respond to it. Tahoe Forest Hospital provides education and training for paramedics in the local EMS region.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, and Tahoe Forest Health System encourages all to learn the stroke warning signs. The acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. can help you remember these crucial signs: B for balance unsteady, E for eyes blurry, F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech difficulty, and T for time to call 911. Recognizing these signs can save a life. The quicker stroke is treated, the more likely the person is to recover.

For more information about the stroke program and other emergency care services at Tahoe Forest Hospital, visit www.tfhd.com.

The North Lake Tahoe Community Health Care Auxiliary (NLTCHCA) is a nonprofit corporation made up of dedicated volunteers who give their time and financial resources to help others. The auxiliary is an integral part of Incline Village Community Hospital.

The NLTCHCA Golf From the Heart Golf Tournament will take place Sunday, September 22, at the Incline Village Championship Golf Course. All proceeds will benefit medically related student scholarships, Incline Village Community Hospital equipment, and medical needs of the community. If you are interested, register online or reach out to [email protected].

Save the Date!
Inspired by the idea of gathering together as a community and celebrating the growth of the Tahoe Forest Health System, the 75th Anniversary Fall Festival and Fun Run will highlight and celebrate the community.

Please join us for this community event and fun run at Truckee River Regional Park on Sunday, October 6, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fun Run registration is now available. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, reach out to the TFHS Foundation at [email protected] for more information.

Save the Date!
Motivated by the vision of uniting as a community and celebrating the progress of the Tahoe Forest Health System, the 75th Diamond Anniversary will showcase the team’s commitment to delivering the highest quality patient care. Join us at the North Tahoe Event Center on Friday, November 1, 2024, for this special event. All net proceeds will be designated to the Tahoe Forest Health System’s Area of Greatest Need. We hope you consider joining us in celebrating 75 years of Tahoe Forest Health System with some of our favorite chefs. Thank you for your continued generosity and support.

Ticket sales will become available soon! More info to come! If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, reach out to the TFHS Foundation at [email protected] for more information.

The TFHS Foundation received a $30,000 grant awarded by the Martis Camp Foundation. The TFHS Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD) and Grief Counseling Program is designed for patients receiving prenatal care and birthing services at Tahoe Forest Health System, as well as helps cover mental health support for mothers who have experienced pre- and post-natal depression, anxiety, pregnancy loss, or fetal demise.

PMAD and grief pose significant health risks for mothers of newborns, creating an urgent need for behavioral health support services. Every year, more than 400,000 infants are born to mothers experiencing depression. According to the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, perinatal depression has been classified as the most under-diagnosed obstetric complication in the country.

TFHS is committed to reinvesting in the communities we serve. Grant funding, like that from the Martis Camp Foundation, helps us enhance healthcare services for our growing and diverse population. We are profoundly grateful to the Martis Camp Foundation for this endowment and for giving us the opportunity to expand pre- and post-natal care.

Dr. Lauren Lessard is an associate professor of health sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage and a maternal and child epidemiologist at the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies. She has extensive experience developing research protocol and interventions addressing health disparities and inequities in communities. Dr. Lessard completed her PhD in Public Health at UCLA and her MPH at UC Berkeley in Maternal and Child Health. Prior to completing graduate school, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Suriname, South America, and completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political and Community Science at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She moved to Truckee in 2022 and has 3 children attending and thriving in local schools. Her husband is a full-time emergency medicine physician at Tahoe Forest, and they both love the vibrant community and outdoor activities Truckee has to offer.

The foundation is incredibly honored to welcome Lauren Lessard as our newest addition to the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation Board. We look forward to collaborating with Lauren in this role as board member.

We are always proud to share some of the positive recognition we receive from patients, honoring the compassionate care provided at Tahoe Forest Health System!

“The nurses are very attentive and very sweet people. They are all angels. Thanks in truth for all the unconditional support that they gave me.”

“Having grown up with a medical person who was an RN supervisor of an OB floor at a hospital, I am very critical of how things go. I have been stunned by the excellence of your hospital and the entire doctor/staff/nursing care, etc., of my experience. I have nothing but good things to say.”

“The staff showed concern and communicated very well for my needs in getting back to the fitness I desire to keep working and enjoy the sports activities that I love.”

“Tahoe Forest Cancer Center staff are the most professional and caring caregivers I have ever encountered.”

“Love the Staff. EVERYONE always has a SMILE and is so efficient. I feel VERY BLESSED.”

Learn more about the Foundation by following the Health System on social media! We post updates weekly.

Instagram Username: tahoeforesthealthsystem
Facebook Page: Tahoe Forest Health System
Twitter Account: TahoeForestHospital

Thank you for your interest in the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation. To learn more about the different ways you can support TFH through philanthropy, visit www.tfhd.com/giving/giving or contact Karli Epstein, Executive Director, at 530-582-4204 or [email protected].

If you are not on our electronic mailing list, sign up to receive our quarterly TFHS Foundation eNewsletter.