What We Support

In 1951, the Dick Joseph family created a legacy that would benefit our community for future generations by donating land for a new hospital. The public quickly rallied around this endowment and created the Tahoe Forest Hospital District. Today, Tahoe Forest Health System continues to thrive under this heritage of philanthropy.

Your donations make a variety of important services and programs possible, and ensure that our Health System can continue to provide the margin of excellence our residents, second homeowners and visitors rely on. New cancer treatment chairs, diagnostic equipment, children’s libraries for our Hospice program, an educational resource center in the Briner Imaging Center, underwriting for a nutrition program in our local schools, and healthy aging programs for seniors are just a few of the visions we have been able to realize through philanthropic support.

Donations to the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation may be directed to a specific department, program or service, or to the area of greatest need. Gifts may be made in honor of a family member, friend, or in memoriam. In any case, your funds are ensuring the ongoing provision of excellent health care for residents and visitors alike.

The Annalise King Hall Fund aids in building a framework that provides Tahoe Forest Health System employees the tools and training to help families who have experienced the loss of a baby or newborn, as well as provide funds to purchase state-of-the-art equipment that supports the Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care. This fund has sponsored nursing bereavement training, funded the human breastmilk project, purchased a cuddle cot, provided comfort packages for grieving families, and procured advanced perinatal monitoring systems. The Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation is incredibly thankful for Josh and Lindsay Hall, who are enabling Annalise’s legacy to live on through their life-saving generosity.

Gifts to the Area of Greatest Need allow the Foundation to support the most pressing needs of Tahoe Forest Health System and its patients. The Foundation Board of Directors approves the use of these funds to purchase new medical equipment, pay for the latest technology, and provide support for special programs.

Located in the High Sierra town of Truckee, California, Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center has a purpose as rarified as its elevation.

Our goal is to provide the best rural cancer treatment in the country, and to do it in the most honest, supportive, and compassionate way we know how.

Led by Medical Director, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist, Ahrin Koppel, MD, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist Melissa Kaime, MD, FACP, Radiation Oncologist Kathleen Legarza, MD, and Medical Oncologist and Hematologist, Thomas Semrad, MD, MAS, FACP, the Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center’s mission is to provide our local community with a high level of cancer treatment and support programs not often found in rural settings.

Simply put, our cutting-edge technology is the very latest found in the medical field. Our treatment options are the most current, including access to clinical trials through our affiliation with the UC Davis Cancer Care Network, and our supportive care programs are among the best in the country.

Emergency and Acute Care are available 24 hours a day at Tahoe Forest Hospital. The Foundation has established an Emergency Patient Assistance Fund, which provides modest sums for food, a change of clothing, transportation, and other essentials that make a difference for patients during a difficult moment in their lives. In certain instances, we can help individuals or families with bigger needs, such as rent, utilities, and furniture to ensure that patients return to a stable and healing home environment. In the more heartrending cases, we can also help with funeral expenses.

Gifts to our Endowment benefit our community’s Health System in perpetuity. We are a proud partner with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, who holds our endowment funds. You may designate endowment gifts to our General Support Endowment Fund or the Community for Cancer Care Endowment Fund.

Tahoe Forest Home Health provides quality care services in-home care services under the direction of a physician. We will provide care that is tailored to a patient’s needs, implementing it with the right mix of personnel and services. Registered nurses, Home Health Aides, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Medical Social Workers all operate collaboratively to execute a plan of care. Whether you are recovering from an illness or injury, have a medical condition that requires frequent assessment, or require rehabilitation to increase your strength or activity tolerance, we have a service to help you. Tahoe Forest Home Health Services allows you to stay home so you can heal in comfortable and familiar surroundings. Home Health Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tahoe Forest Hospice is a specialized program that offers skilled comfort care for patients who are facing the end of life. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life, help preserve personal dignity, provide effective pain and symptom management, and support patients and their families physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The goal of the Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care is to anticipate your needs, earn your trust, and exceed your expectations. Our Emergency Room and Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care are both Safe Haven Baby Drop-Off locations, which allow mothers to surrender their newborns without any questions asked. Babies are given medical attention and mothers are assured confidentiality.

The Joseph Family Center for Women and Newborn Care is certified Baby-Friendly. This certification awards hospitals that have made a dedicated commitment to implement the ten steps in aiding mothers with breastfeeding. We offer a nurturing environment that supports mother and infant bonding immediately after delivery.

Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center offers a variety of supportive care programs. Cancer-specific support programs have been shown to play an important role in a patient’s overall treatment program.

We offer an integrated approach to psychosocial needs before, during, and after treatment. This whole-person approach to cancer care addresses the social, psychological, emotional, and functional aspects of the therapeutic journey to improve the quality of life for the patient, their family, and the caregiver. Each of these programs is offered at no cost to patients and is provided through generous philanthropic support. 100% of all gifts given to the Tahoe Forest Health System are designated to the program of the donor’s choice.

If you have any questions about donations, please contact the Tahoe Forest Health System Foundation at (530) 582-6277.