In this issue

Anna Roth CEO

Greetings from Tahoe Forest Health System!

Dear Community Members,

One of my most significant moments this fall has been witnessing our community come together to address one of its most pressing needs – homelessness. Tahoe Forest Health System, the Town of Truckee, and Nevada County have partnered to launch a new shelter and navigation program, providing around-the-clock support to local, unhoused individuals.

This collaborative effort, which unites healthcare, housing, and local government, reflects the belief that health begins with stability, safety, and human connection. It serves as a powerful example of how we are expanding our approach to delivering care – not only treating illness but also working together to create the conditions necessary for wellness to thrive.

We are also redefining access to care in many ways. Our recent groundbreaking ceremony for the new Gateway primary care center represents more than just the start of a new building; it symbolizes our shared commitment to bringing health within everyone’s reach. Once complete, this expansion will increase patient access by 34% and create capacity for an additional 50,000 clinic visits each year, ensuring that care remains timely, local, and affordable.

Tahoe Forest also proudly sponsored both Truckee and North Tahoe High Schools’ football teams this season, which provided us an opportunity to engage with students and families, listen to community feedback, and strengthen relationships that will shape our future planning.

As we enter the holiday season, I want to express my gratitude for the trust you place in our health system. Every innovation and improvement is inspired by our commitment to you and to the health of our region. Thank you for joining us in building a healthier, more compassionate, and connected community.

I wish you, your family, and your loved ones a warm, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving!

With appreciation,
Anna M. Roth, RN, MS, MPH
President & CEO

Whitney Liehr DO headshot

New Provider Welcome

Whitney Liehr, DO

Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine is proud to announce the addition of Whitney Liehr, DO, to its team of dedicated physicians specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sports-related injuries and musculoskeletal conditions.

Dr. Liehr earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her PM&R residency at UC Davis Medical Center and a sports medicine fellowship with the Utah Valley Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Liehr is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR).

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact Tahoe Forest Health System at (530) 582-6205.

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November Celebrates

Diawli
November 1

Radiologic Technology Week
November 2-8

Nurse Practitioner Week
November 9-15

Veterans Day
November 11

Thanksgiving
November 27

Home Care and Hospice Month

Native American Heritage Month

woman holds her shoulder with look of pain on her face

Say Goodbye to Chronic Pain – TENEX Therapy

If pain is keeping you off the trails, slopes, or golf course, there’s a better way to heal. TENEX is a cutting-edge, minimally invasive procedure designed to target and remove the damaged tissue that causes chronic tendon pain — helping you get back to the active lifestyle you love.

How TENEX works

  • Minimally invasive: Just a tiny 3mm micro-incision — no stitches required.
  • Targeted precision: Ultrasound-guided technology removes only the damaged tissue, preserving healthy tendons.
  • Faster recovery: Most patients return to normal activity within 4–6 weeks.
  • Effective relief: Proven to reduce pain and improve function in the elbow, knee, hip, ankle, and foot (including plantar fasciitis).

Why choose TENEX?

When rest, physical therapy, or injections aren’t enough, TENEX offers a safe, effective alternative to open surgery — without the long downtime.

Life’s too short to sit on the sidelines. With TENEX at Tahoe Forest Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, you can recover faster, skip major surgery, and get back to the mountain lifestyle you love.

Schedule your consultation today

Call (530) 587-7461. Please note: TENEX procedures are not covered by insurance. Payment is due at the time of service.

Tahoe Forest Sports Medicine Physician, Dr. Kari Rezac, explains TENEX

Hi, my name is Dr. Kari Rezac. I’m a sports medicine physician at Tahoe Forest Health System. Here at Tahoe Forest Health System, we’re offering a new service called TENEX. This is TENEX. TENEX is an ultrasonic blade that allows for better management and recovery of tendinopathies. So, if you or a friend you know has a chronic tendon problem, this might be a good answer for you. It can help with the hip. It can help with the shoulder, the Achilles, plantar fasciitis. It can help with a bunch of different things. The reason why it helps is because the ultrasonic blade goes into the tissue itself and takes out or debrides all of the bad tissue, but allows it to keep all the good tissue. So, the ultrasound frequency itself takes out the bad tissue. And again, because of that frequency, it’s not allowed to go into any of the healthy tissue. Usually, after the procedure, it’s just the same day procedure. We numb you up with local lidocaine, we do the whole procedure. It maybe takes 30 minutes. And then at the end of the procedure, you go then into the rehab program. The rehab program is a little bit long. It’s kind of a step-wise position where you start low and slow and you work your way up. It may take maybe 6, 8, 10 weeks depending on the tendon worked on. TENEX is a really great option for people who don’t want to have surgery, but want to have some kind of relief with a minimally invasive way to get your tendons feeling better. So, let’s say you’re a pickle baller or a tennis player with really bad lateral or medial epicondilitis or as we say tennis elbow or pickleball elbow or golfer’s elbow, this would be a really good option for you. For those who do maybe overhead sports again like tennis or just are working hard um in their job and they have supraspinatus or rotator cuff issues. This could also be a really good option for you. If you’ve been having plantar fasciitis and you’re having a hard time and you’re limping around, another really good option for you would be TENEX. About 85% of people have some relief within the first few weeks of the injection. If you or someone you know may find TENEX helpful or you want to have a bit bigger or better discussion about it, please go ahead and contact us at Tahoe Forest Health System, sports medicine department. Thank you so much for watching. My name is Dr. Kari Rezac. I’m a sports medicine physician at Tahoe Forest Health System.
Gloved hands prepare an arm for vaccine

Why Adult Vaccines Matter

Did you know that most vaccine-preventable illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. occur among adults? According to Immunize.org, only about one in five adults is truly “up to date” with all of their recommended vaccines, leaving many of us unnecessarily vulnerable.

Key reasons to make vaccination part of your health routine:

  • Protect yourself: Vaccines are not just for children. Every adult should stay current with immunizations, including but not limited to the annual flu shot.
  • Protect your family and community: Being vaccinated helps stop the spread of serious illnesses to vulnerable loved ones such as infants, older adults, and immunocompromised people.
  • Stay healthy and keep living your life: Illnesses that vaccines prevent can sideline you, lead to complications, or worse. Staying up to date helps you keep working, caring for family, and living fully.
  • Tailored to you: Your vaccination needs depend on your age, your health conditions (like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease), travel plans, and whether you’re pregnant or caring for a newborn.

Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist about your vaccine history. Check with reliable sources like vaccineinformation.org/adults or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adult vaccination pages.

Let’s keep ourselves and those around us protected. Because staying well is more than just an annual check-up, it’s a year-round commitment.

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Upcoming Events

IVCH Auxiliary Gift Shop Sale

November 17-21

25% of all merchandise and special markdowns. Proceeds from the Gift Shop benefit the North Lake Tahoe Community Health Care Auxiliary, which raises money for IVCH and students entering the medical field.

Winter Illness and Injury Symposium

December 15, 3-9 pm

Registration deadline is December 1 (Space is limited).

This annual event is open to all EMTs, Ski Patrol, Paramedics, Firefighters, Law Enforcement, RNs, PAs, NPs, Physicians, SAR Members and other Mountain and Medical Professionals.

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Latest News

Tahoe Forest Health System Hosts 33rd Annual Winter Illness & Injury Symposium

Tahoe Forest Health System and Nevada County Public Health Identify Confirmed Case of Active Tuberculosis (TB) Exposure

Tahoe Forest Health System Welcomes Whitney Liehr, DO, to Sports Medicine Team

Open Enrollment for Medicare and Covered California

Senior couple looking at a screen on a couch

Open Enrollment is Here

The open enrollment period for Medicare and Covered California is here! Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure your coverage for the coming year.

Open enrollment for Medicare ends December 7, 2025. To sign up or make changes, visit: www.medicare.gov

Open enrollment for Covered California ends January 31, 2026. To sign up or make changes, visit: www.coveredca.com

Find more information and a thorough video explaining everything you need to know about open enrollment for health insurance and Medicare.

I’m Samantha Zilsdorf, the supervisor of Patient Access for Tahoe Forest Health System and today we’re going to talk about Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment for health insurance marketplace begins on November 1st, and this is the first day that you can enroll in, renew, or change your marketplace plan coverage. Covered California is a free service that connects Californians with health insurance coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It is the only place you may be able to receive financial help for your health insurance plans from well known commercial companies. You may qualify for a discount of your health plan premium through Covered California or you may qualify for the State’s Medi-cal program. Medi-cal and Covered California utilize the same application so when you submit your information, you will get a determination whether you qualify for Medi-cal or Covered California. Outside the yearly Open Enrollment period, the only time that you can change your marketplace plan is if there is a life-changing event or a significant change in your income that allows you to qualify for the special enrollment period. If you feel that you may qualify for Medi-cal, you can apply throughout the year at any time. Your health insurance marketplace plan covers 10 essential health benefits. For example, that’s hospitalization, emergency room services, or lab services, as well as preventative services and coverage for pre-existing conditions. If you live in California, you can apply at coveredca.com. If you live in Nevada, you can apply at nevadahealthlink.com. You can fill out and mail in your application or you can utilize a certified enrollment partner. If you feel you may qualify for Medi-cal or Nevada Medicaid and you have had services at Tahoe Forest Health System, you can reach out to our financial counseling department at (530) 582-6458 and they can assist you with submitting your application. You can also mail in your application or visit your local county social services office. Medicare also has an open enrollment period. The initial Open Enrollment period for Medicare is 3 months prior to when you turn age 65 and at that time, you can enroll in any plan. Open enrollment period for Medicare for all current Medicare members is October 15th through December 7th in order to have coverage starting on January 1st. During this period, you can join, drop, or switch your Medicare Advantage Plan. You can switch from original Medicare to Medicare Advantage plan or vice versa. You can also join or drop or switch your Medicare drug plan if you currently have original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans have an open enrollment period. If you’re a current Medicare Advantage plan member, this is January 1st through March 31st. During that time, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan with or without drug coverage. You can drop your Medicare Advantage plan and join original Medicare. I’m Samantha Zilsdorf, the supervisor of patient access for Tahoe Forest Health System. Thank you for listening.

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Kind Words

“Our experience was awesome! All the nurses and doctors are amazing! We all felt so comfortable and all our questions were answered. We felt all the support and Lucie was taken care of like she was part of a family. Surgery is always scary, but we felt supported and Lucie was taken care of with love and kindness!”

Ambulatory Surgery

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Health & Wellness

Upcoming Health & Wellness Events

Menopause Support Group – Virtual

Navigating menopause can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Tahoe Forest Wellness’s Menopause FREE Support Group is a safe space where women can share experiences, ask questions, and support each other. Whether you’re dealing with physical symptoms or the emotional changes of midlife or want to better understand the journey, this group offers a compassionate community.

Open to women at all stages of menopause—whether you’re in perimenopause or post-menopausal—you’ll leave feeling empowered and connected. Led by Liz Schenk, Menopause Coaching Specialist

When: Wednesday, November 19th, 5:15-6:15 pm
Cost: FREE
Location: On Zoom

Tahoe Forest Cooking Club

Need to get out of a cooking rut? Want to learn new healthy meals? Join for an evening of cooking demos with Registered Dietitian Lisa Fligor. The best part? You get to taste test and take home easy, healthy, and delicious recipes!

This month’s theme: Food and Mood

When: Monday, November 24th, 5:00-6:30 pm
Cost: $30
Location: Tahoe Forest Wellness

Call Tahoe Forest Wellness to schedule your program at (530) 587-3769.