Healthcare

Marijuana Brownie Incident - During the last weekend of July, a group of women visited South Lake Tahoe for a bachelorette party. During the visit, the women willfully ingested marijuana brownies they obtained through a ride-share company. Within a few hours, 10 of the women were taken to the emergency room in South Lake Tahoe. Eight of the ten were later admitted to the hospital for treatment. While many would have you believe marijuana is a harmless drug, those of us in the public safety arena have seen increases in medical emergencies from marijuana ingestion.

The Barton Foundation has $50,000 to give away in grant funding to groups in the South Lake Tahoe area who work to improve community health.

During their annual grant cycles, Barton provides funds to programs and organizations, and this year they will award grants to those who address mental health, substance abuse, and access to healthcare services.

The classroom used to teach students a career in dental assisting at South Tahoe High was turned into an actual dental clinic this week with the presence of a mobile team from Southern Califonia to perform much needed services on those without dental insurance.

Dr. Azeem Qureshi, DDS, Hygienist Isabel Uribe and Dental Assistant Nancy Pineda saw 14 students on Wednesday, and are expected to see another 25 on Thursday.

Hosted by Barton Health, the Future of Rural Healthcare Conference brings together leading providers and thinkers to offer insight and share resources that address the unique issues and challenges facing rural healthcare systems.

Location

How would you describe Millennials? Until recently I found myself apologizing for my generation as if I were ashamed to be part of the group of people that grew up with the internet, and cell phones, and electric toothbrushes, and CGI, and therefore didn’t know what it meant to struggle. But I’ve come to realize that perhaps this isn’t true.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department has received unspecific information about someone in South Lake Tahoe performing basic dental work without a proper dental office or licenses. A check with two local dentists indicates that some people have needed dental repair work after receiving substandard dentistry possibly occurring in someone’s kitchen. It appears that such activity would function as a “cash” business and prey on the vulnerabilities of the poor.

The police department asks:

As they've done on six previous occasions, the City of South Lake Tahoe and Barton Healthcare System (Barton) will be teaming up again in order for the hospital to issue $20 million in bonds.

There is no risk to the City. They are simply acting as the conduit so Barton can issue tax-free bonds, reducing their interest charges by 1.5% to 2%.

Federal tax law requires any proposed financing of a facility to be approved by a governmental agency having jurisdiction over the area it is located.

Author Mojie Crigler will be reading from her new book, Get Me Through Tomorrow: A Sister's Memoir of Brain Injury and Revival, tonight at Bona Fide Books in Meyers at 7 p.m.

Access to health care can be difficult in a small community, especially if you do not speak the same language.

At Barton Health, Language Access Coordinator Tracy Young, RN, CMI has set out to improve the patient experience for all patients, regardless of the language they speak. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed and on June 5, the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC) recognized Young as one of three Language Access Champions.

El Dorado County joins the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), the California Hospital Association, and a broad-based coalition of Medi-Cal providers known as We Care for California in urging the Legislature and Administration to eliminate Assembly Bill 97 (2011) Medi-Cal rate cuts, and increase Medi-Cal payments to healthcare providers and health plans during the upcoming State Budget negotiations.

The Barton Foundation board and staff have approved to up the ante and will give $50,000 in grants and donations to improve community health.

Every year, Barton Health provides funds for programs and organizations that will positively impact the health of the South Lake Tahoe community, particularly those that benefit underserved populations. In this grant cycle, Barton Health will award up to $30,000 in grants and $20,000 will fund special community projects throughout the year as determined by the Community Health Action Committee (CHAC).

Fourteen international and national women's cycling teams were introduced to the public Thursday night during AMGEN opening night festivities in South Lake Tahoe. The field of racers includes Olympic champions as well as World and National champions.

"How exciting to come to America," said team Xirayas De San Luis from Argentina. "We are very happy to be here."

Dr. Kawika Liu is the new director for the Barton Community Health Center. Lui, originally from Hawaii, came to Barton via Ukiah, CA.

He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics but will take on a leadership role at the clinic as well as creating a patient-centered, medical home model (PCMC). PCMC is primary care that is patient-centered, comprehensive, team-based, coordinated, accessible, and focused on quality and safety.

Almost twenty years later and the Tahoe Valley Area plan isn't in place, yet. John Hitchcock, the City of South Lake Tahoe Planning Manager, gave the Council another presentation on the status of the plan and where things stand as of today during Tuesday's City Council meeting.

First proposed in the early 1990's, the resurrection of the Tahoe Valley Area plan made great strides towards adoption in 2014 with Hitchcock holding four public meetings where input was requested, presenting the plan to TRPA three times, three times to City Council and twice to the planning commission.

Tahoe Chamber and Barton Health, in conjunction with Small Business Majority and Covered California, will host a free interactive event on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 on the state’s new health insurance marketplace, Covered California, and how it impacts small employers in South Lake Tahoe.

California Proposition 46 is costly and deceiving to voters. It would increase costs for patients, deter doctors from practicing in California, and threaten patient privacy. The consequences are also higher for rural communities like South Lake Tahoe. I have been a physician in South Lake Tahoe for over 34 years and I’m asking our voters and patients to take a closer look; Prop 46 just doesn’t add up.

As a parent, we want our children to be safe. Certain safety measures are designed to help keep children safe, like child safety seats, seat belts, and toddler gates. However, some parents may overlook one critical component to keep children healthy and safe: vaccinations. Current vaccinations are the most effective and safest they have been in history and have saved millions of lives from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Whooping cough has made an alarming resurgence across the county this year, prompting health officials to call for booster shots for children and adults over the age of 11 as well as up to date immunizations for infants.

Local health officials have seen more than double the normal number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases this year. There have been six reported cases in South Lake Tahoe and four on the west slope of El Dorado County. Statewide there have been 3,458 cases since January 1.

Expanding access to healthcare in rural communities requires innovation and collaboration. In remote areas like South Lake Tahoe with smaller populations, residents still expect high quality care and individual medical needs vary widely.

To increase specialty medical services available in our community, with consideration that unique medical conditions may not have the demand for a local office, Barton Health launched Telemedicine in 2009.

$25,000 will be awarded to South Lake Tahoe groups that make a difference in the health and wellness of individuals in the community.

Barton Health will award grants to organizations that serve underserved populations and have a lasting impact on the community’s well-being.

In this grant cycle, Barton Health will fund programs that address the South Lake Tahoe community’s most pressing health needs. Based on the 2012 Community Health Needs Assessment, the top three health concerns are substance abuse, access to healthcare, and mental health.

“The patient is our focus and that’s why we put the patient at the top of the pyramid,” said Dr. Clint Purvance. Today [March 5], Dr. Purvance, Barton Health’s Chief Medical Officer, as well as Barton employees and community members gathered to recognize Patient Safety Awareness Week at Barton Memorial Hospital. Dr. Purvance highlighted Barton’s “excellence in performance and commitment to patient safety.”

The public is encouraged to come to Barton Memorial Hospital and celebrate Patient Safety Awareness Week with Barton Health. On Wednesday, March 5, Dr. Clint Purvance, Barton’s Chief Medical Officer, will recognize our successes, lessons learned, and commitment to our patients while creating patient safety awareness. Barton staff will announce the Patient Safety poster contest winner. Festivities begin at 1 p.m. in the Snowflake Lobby at Barton Hospital.

Are you concerned with South Lake Tahoe’s party and drug culture and want to help decide how a new grant can be used to create lasting change in our community? Be a part of the solution and join other community members who want to provide change around drinking and drug use for youth in our community.

It’s not too late to enroll for the new healthcare exchange program, Covered California. Barton Health offers free Enrollment Sessions. Uninsured California residents can meet with Barton’s Certified Enrollment Counselors, visit the Covered California website, determine eligibility and get enrolled with insurance. For more information, call 530-543-5537. No reservation required. First come, first served. Spanish-speaking counselors available.

When: Saturday, February 1, 10:00am-12:00pm
Where: South Lake Tahoe Library, 1000 Rufus Allen Blvd