In this issue

Anna Roth CEO

Greetings from Tahoe Forest Health System!

Dear Community Members,

Spring in the Sierra is a season of transition, when the pace of winter begins to ease, and we look ahead to what comes next. At Tahoe Forest Health System, this season also marks an important moment for listening and learning from the communities we serve.

Healthcare is constantly evolving, and our responsibility is to ensure that the care we provide continues to meet the needs of the people who live, work, and spend time in our region. That is why we have launched True North, our strategic planning initiative designed to help guide the future direction of Tahoe Forest Health System.

A central part of this effort is the 5,000 Voices Initiative, a broad community engagement effort that invites residents, patients, second homeowners, partners, and staff to share their perspectives on healthcare in our region. Listening to these voices will help inform our next strategic plan and ensure that our priorities reflect what matters most to the communities we serve.

As part of this initiative, we are launching a community listening tour this spring, with informal meet-ups across the region where people can stop by, share their thoughts, and connect with members of our leadership team. You can find more info, plus dates and locations, below in the newsletter.

We want to listen and learn from our community about what matters most when it comes to healthcare. Access to care, quality of services, and how we continue to improve are key areas where your input will make a difference. These gatherings are an opportunity for open conversation, and we are excited to meet people in the places where our community naturally comes together.

We look forward to seeing you and hearing your perspective.

Warm regards,
Anna M. Roth, RN, MS, MPH
President & CEO

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March Celebrates

Social Work Month

Women’s History Month

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

Employee Appreciation Day
March 6

International Women’s Day
March 8

Eid al-Fitr
March 19

Doctors’ Day
March 30

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Upcoming Events

Blood Drive

Friday, April 3 from 9 am-2 pm

Sign up online and be a hero! While walk-ins are welcome if space allows, we strongly encourage scheduling an appointment in advance. Our schedule often fills up quickly, though occasional cancellations can open up last-minute spots.

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True North Listening Tour

Tahoe Forest Health System (TFHS) is launching a community listening tour this spring as part of its new True North initiative, a comprehensive effort to gather input that will help shape the organization’s next strategic plan.

Through this outreach, TFHS is inviting residents, patients, second homeowners, partners, and staff to share their perspectives on local healthcare priorities. Community feedback will help guide future decisions around access to care, quality of services, and how TFHS continues to evolve to meet the region’s needs.

Join us at a community meet-up

TFHS will host informal gatherings at local cafés, restaurants, and community spaces across the region:

  • Tahoe House, Tahoe City — March 23, 11 AM– 1 PM
  • Happy Tiers Café, Incline Village — March 26, 11 AM– 1 PM
  • Wild Cherries, Truckee — March 31, 10 AM–1 2 PM
  • Alibi Ale Works, Incline Village — April 1, 4– 6 PM
  • 5050 Brewing Co., Truckee — April 2, 4– 6 PM
  • Tree House Café, Kings Beach — April 4, 10 AM– 12 PM

Community members are invited to stop by, enjoy complimentary refreshments, and share their input by completing the True North survey.

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Latest News

Tahoe Titans Recognized by Tahoe Forest Health System Board After Fundraising Incident

March Is National Nutrition Month—So What’s Up with the New Dietary Guidelines?

Tahoe Forest Health System Donates Advanced Trauma Manikin to Truckee Fire Protection District

Community Statement Following the Castle Peak Avalanche

Castle Peak Avalanche Mental Health Resources

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Kind Words

“Came for a sick baby appointment scheduled the same day, and we were able to get antibiotics for an ear infection and didn’t have to go to urgent care! So thankful for this team and the care they provide our littlest patients!”

Pediatrics

Knowing the Symptoms of Sepsis Can Save Lives

Measles: What You Should Know

You may have seen in recent news that measles cases are on the rise. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads easily through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms usually begin with fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes, followed by a rash that typically starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. People with measles can spread the virus from about four days before the rash appears to four days afterward, and it is highly contagious.

The best protection against measles is vaccination. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective, providing about 97% protection. If you or your child is not fully vaccinated, talk with your healthcare provider about getting the MMR vaccine.

Vaccine facts

  • Vaccines are safe and effective at preventing serious diseases.
  • They are carefully tested before approval and continually monitored for safety.
  • Vaccines train your immune system to recognize and fight diseases.
  • Some people may experience mild side effects, such as soreness or a low fever, which usually go away quickly.

Staying up to date on recommended vaccines helps protect you, your family, and your community from measles and other preventable diseases. Schedule vaccine appointments with Tahoe Forest at (530) 582-6205.

Tahoe Forest Health System Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Brian Evans, discusses the recent rise of measles cases.

Hi everybody, I’m Doctor Brian Evans, Chief Medical Officer here at Tahoe Forest Health System. I’ve been a doctor for almost 30 years. Other physicians of my vintage and I have actually never seen cases of measles, believe it or not. Which I think is surprising to most people.

And why is that? That’s because, generally speaking, our vaccination rates for measles over the years have been excellent. We really haven’t seen many cases of measles at all – it’s been generally pretty rare.

But something has changed. We’re now starting to see  all around the country. We’ve actually had clusters in Sacramento Placer County, Shasta County, one in Washoe County, none in Nevada County yet. But we’re expecting to see some measles cases here as well.

What has changed? First of all, there’s been a huge shift at the federal level in this last year. We’re getting a lot of mixed messages about vaccines from the CDC, from the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and it’s really quite a different stance than we’ve seen in the past.

I’ll also mentioned that the Advisory Committee on an Immunization Practices -17 members- were all let go. They were all terminated last year, and these were people with deep scientific experience and expertise related to vaccine science. And so they’ve been generally replaced by people who are skeptical about vaccines.

In addition to that, the federal government has suspended a lot of funding that would generally fund vaccine clinics and education. So that people do go out and get the MMR vaccine which contains the measles vaccine in it.

All of this to say – there’s been an erosion of public confidence, and we have seen our vaccine rates drift and go down across the country, including in our communities as well.

We know that we are at risk for measles, and other outbreaks in this community because we have so much tourism coming into North Lake Tahoe all the time. So what are we doing about this? Because we know measles can be very dangerous. It can be deadly for unvaccinated individuals.

So we’re getting busy here at Tahoe Forest, making sure that our teams are trained to recognize measles early, isolate quickly, treat complications, and get ready to do a public health tracing for any individuals with measles and who they might’ve exposed. It’s extremely contagious, so we really wanna get on top of that.

You should get busy as well. What we would like to make sure you know is the most important thing you can do for you and your families is make sure you are vaccinated. So if you’re unsure about your vaccination status, or your child’s, now is the time to get in with your physician/get in with your pediatrician. Find out out about your vaccination status and get vaccinated, get up to date.

It protects infants, it protects people who can’t be vaccinated, protects people who are immunosuppressed, and they really need all of us to vaccinate ourselves, so that we can protect them.

We care deeply about the health of this community. We’re very concerned about the changes that have taken place with our vaccine status and the reductions of vaccination rates and we know they are very likely to see measles here in our community. I’m concerned about it. Other physicians are concerned about it here, so let’s do our part to keep North Lake Tahoe healthy. Thank you.

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Health & Wellness

Diabetes Prevention Program Discovery Sessions

Join us for a FREE Discovery Session! Did you know that 1 in 3 adults has prediabetes — and 90% don’t even know it? Tahoe Forest Community Health is proud to offer Prevent T2, a proven lifestyle change program that has been shown to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in at-risk adults.

When you enroll, you’ll receive:

  • A CDC-approved curriculum
  • Guidance from a trained lifestyle coach
  • A supportive group of peers on the same journey
  • A year-long program with weekly meetings for the first 6 months, followed by meetings once or twice a month for the next 6 months

When: April 23 and April 30, 4-5:15 PM
Cost: FREE
Location: Tahoe Forest Wellness Center

Heart to Heart: Strength and Stability Classes

Build confidence, improve balance, and strengthen your body in this supportive and encouraging class. Heart to Heart: Strength and Stability focuses on functional strength, core stability, and balance training to help you move safely and confidently in everyday life.

When: Every Tuesday, 11 AM-12 PM
Cost: $75 for a 10-class punch card or try a class for $10
Location: Cardiac Rehab Gym at the Tahoe Forest Hospital