Friday, March 20, 2020: Update from President and CEO Harry Weis, Tahoe Forest Health System

Dear Community Members,

Tahoe Forest Health System continues to have an active testing program for the COVID-19 virus in our health system in Truckee, CA and Incline Village, NV. Last Tuesday, we reported our first positive test result for an Eastern Nevada County resident. We have received two more positive test results for COVID-19 late last night, one for a patient that we tested who is visiting in Placer County, and one for a patient who resides in Washoe County. All three patients are self-isolating at home and are not receiving care as inpatients in our Health System.

The State of California issued an Executive Order on 3/19/20. We strongly urge all residents in our region to take the time to read, understand and follow Governor Newsom’s executive order.

General overview of the executive order: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs

Full text of the executive order: https://covid19.ca.gov/img/N-33-20.pdf

The state is mobilizing at every level to aggressively protect the health and well-being of Californians, and their actions are critical to saving lives. They have established a new website specifically for COVID-19, described as “a new, consumer-friendly website that highlights critical steps people can take to stay healthy and resources available to Californians impacted by the outbreak, including paid sick leave and unemployment assistance.”

Our entire healthcare team here at Tahoe Forest Health System is working tirelessly 24/7 with new proactive examination programs to keep our “well residents well” and to aggressively treat our ill patients in a separate area. I’m confident we can overcome this challenge over the next several weeks.

Please follow our website as well as the Nevada, Placer and Washoe County Health websites for continued updates: 

• Tahoe Forest Health System
• Nevada County Public Health Department
• Placer County Public Health Department
• Washoe County Health District

For all other questions related to COVID-19, please contact your county health department:

• Nevada County Public Health: (833) 342-5211
• Placer County Public Health: (530) 886-5310
• Washoe County Public Health: (775) 328-2427
• El Dorado County Public Health: Dial 211 on your phone

Harry Weis
President and CEO
Tahoe Forest Health System