An Important Message to Our Community from Harry Weis, President/CEO

COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are surging across the United States. This is true in the Truckee/Lake Tahoe region, and Tahoe Forest Health System has recently moved into a higher level of proactivity to handle the growing pandemic care challenges.

We’ve seen a large daily increase in COVID-19 positive lab tests locally, with more positive inpatients at Tahoe Forest Hospital. The amount of care we can provide is limited based on the availability of staff, equipment, and space. We’re beginning to reach our higher limits on delivering this care, and we strongly urge all residents and visitors act responsibly to avoid catching COVID-19, including masking, physical distancing, and regular hand washing so we have available resources to care for all patients who seek and need our services.

We are in the initial stages of COVID-19 vaccine planning, with certain categories of healthcare workers being given access to the vaccine hopefully before year-end. More information will be available about community vaccines this winter. 

An important prevention tip that everyone can take advantage of now is adopting a healthy daily lifestyle, if you haven’t already. Regular exercise, healthful eating and drinking, and plenty of sleep are great defenses against the virus, and is sensible advice we should follow in the days, weeks and months ahead.

We ask that patients call their physician or come into the Emergency Department on a timely basis if you do have a health issue that could place your life at risk. Please don’t procrastinate!  This can lead to worsening of conditions that could have been taken care of easily, if just seen earlier.

For any other questions about COVID-19, please contact your county health department.

Your health is our number one priority. 

Harry Weis
President and CEO, Tahoe Forest Health System