Spring 2026 IVCH Foundation News

As we continue advancing our mission, I am grateful for the generosity and partnership that make our work possible. Because of your support, we are able to invest in meaningful initiatives that strengthen healthcare close to home and enhance the experience of care for our patients and families. Your commitment to our Foundation reflects a shared dedication to building a healthier future for our community.

In this edition of our newsletter, we are pleased to introduce True North, welcome a new Foundation Board member, invite you to celebrate National Doctors’ Day, and extend our heartfelt thanks to a valued retiree for years of service. You’ll also learn more about Periscope Path and meet one of our outstanding team members in this quarter’s staff spotlight.

Thank you for your continued trust and generosity—it is an honor to partner with you in support of exceptional care for our community.

With gratitude,

Karli Bunnell
Executive Director

Tahoe Forest Health System’s True North community engagement initiative is now underway, and we’re inviting residents, patients, second homeowners, partners and staff to help shape the future of healthcare in our region by sharing what matters most to them.

True North is all about listening first. We want to understand what it looks like when a health system truly becomes the center of health in a community, and your input will help guide priorities around access, services, innovation and the overall patient experience.

Over the coming months, the TFHS team will be out in the community to meet people where they are, including at a number of planned events in Incline Village. You’ll see opportunities to participate through an online survey, QR codes at both IVCH and Tahoe Forest Hospital and partner locations, listening sessions and collaborations with local organizations.

Your opinion matters! We hope you’ll get involved, learn more, and most importantly take the survey today. For specific dates, locations and details, please visit tfhd.com/true-north.

We are pleased to welcome Michael Craig to the IVCH Foundation Board of Directors and are grateful for his commitment to our mission.

Michael Craig recently retired after a distinguished 41-year career as a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch in the firm’s San Jose office. A Stockton native, he earned his degree in Agricultural and Managerial Economics from UC Davis and completed the Christian Brothers Winery Management Training Program in Napa Valley before beginning his career. Michael remained deeply engaged in the San Jose community, serving two terms as president of the Sainte Claire Club, and he and his wife, Erin, raised their two children in Los Gatos.

For the past three years, Michael and Erin have split their time between Incline Village and La Quinta. In retirement, Michael enjoys an active lifestyle that includes golf, tennis, pickleball, and spending time with his family.

Please join us in thanking Michael for joining the Foundation Board and supporting our community.

Join us in celebrating National Doctors’ Day on March 30th! For the sixth consecutive year, we’ve shared Doctors’ Day Gratitude Grams from grateful patients to honor our incredible physicians. Every donation supports the TFHS and IVCH Foundations’ mission to provide exceptional care in our community. Let’s show our doctors how much they mean to us! Purchase your Doctors’ Day Gratitude Grams by March 17th.

After 34 remarkable years of dedicated service, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ellen Bjorkman as she retires from Tahoe Forest Health System. Serving as Director of IVCH, Ellen’s leadership, commitment, and deep care for our patients, staff, and community have left a lasting impact. Her steady guidance and passion for excellence have helped shape IVCH into what it is today. We thank Ellen for her extraordinary contributions and wish her every happiness and adventure in this well-deserved retirement.

As we celebrate Ellen’s service, we are pleased to welcome Natasha Lukasiewich as the new Director of IVCH. We look forward to Natasha’s leadership and the continued strength and growth of IVCH in the years ahead.

In partnership with Vince McElligott at Thompson & Associates, we’re pleased to offer Periscope Path—a guided, confidential process that helps families discover what truly matters most. By aligning personal values with estate plans, this thoughtful approach ensures loved ones and meaningful causes are supported with clarity and purpose for generations to come.

If you are interested in learning more about this complimentary estate planning education opportunity, we invite you to visit the Periscope Path website. For additional information or questions, please contact Karli Bunnell, Executive Director Foundations, at [email protected].

Our staff at Incline Village Community Hospital love getting to know their patients but here’s an opportunity to get to know the staff! Meet Greg Paradero, CLS Technical Specialist, who brings 21 years of extensive experience and dedication to patient care.

His supervisor, Erin DeVries, said,

“Greg has been with Tahoe Forest since 2018. He quickly showed how his flexibility could benefit this health system. He initially covered shifts at the TFH and Cancer Center labs in Truckee in addition to the lab at IVCH. Several years ago he agreed to take over as lead CLS at IVCH when his predecessor retired. Taking on the added responsibility requires a substantial amount of learning and dedication. As Greg found his footing in this new role he has still been an essential part of the Cancer Center lab team. As Greg’s immediate supervisor, I am very grateful for the everything Greg does for this organization.”

Outside of work, Greg enjoys mountain biking in the summer, snowboarding in the winter, and being a goofy dad to his two teenage children, Jacob and Audrey. He and his wife of 18 years love traveling together, especially when it involves camping, hiking, and exploring new places. Greg is also a fan of Filipino cuisine, with lobster and shrimp among his favorites. One day, he hopes to travel to Peru to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, as well as visit Antarctica and Patagonia.

We are so fortunate to have Greg on our team at Incline Village Community Hospital and Tahoe Forest Hospital, and we hope you enjoyed getting to know him a little better!

We are always proud to share the positive recognition we receive for the way we care for our Emergency Room, Lakeside Family Medicine, and Incline Health Center patients:

“Can’t say enough good things about the staff and service. No stranger to the emergency room at many different locations. I can honestly say the best ever!!! Love those guys!!”

“The best experience I’ve ever had in a ER visit situation. Hands down the kindest, most professional and efficient staff and medical personnel I’ve had the opportunity to interact with. 100% satisfied and even prompted me checking into health care in general in your area for additional medical needs, it’s definitely worth the 2 and a half hour drive from my current town of residence, but lucky for me, this ER trip was during a vacation stay!”

“Even though the machine went down and it was surely chaos for you all on the day of my scheduled appointment, my experience with everyone on staff and notifying me in advance of the alteration in scheduling and then having the staff get me in still the same day was great!”

Thank you for your interest in our community Hospital! Visit the IVCH Foundation to learn more about the different ways you can support IVCH through philanthropy, or contact Karli Epstein, Executive Director, at 775-888-4204 or [email protected]