$10 million gift presented for Barton Wellness and Sports Performance Center

South Lake Tahoe resident Lisa Maloff presented a $10 million check to the Barton Foundation on Wednesday night for the building of the Robert Maloff Center of Excellence. The donation was made in memory of her husband Robert, who co-owned and operated the Lake Tahoe Inn and Timber Cove Lodge.

The donation will fund an estimated 25,000 square foot orthopedic, sports performance, and wellness center next to Barton Memorial Hospital overlooking Barton Meadow. The center will integrate health, fitness, and medical expertise to treat the person holistically and improve a person’s overall well-being. It will expand on Barton’s comprehensive offerings for healthy living and preventative medicine, and build on a personalized, patient-centered experience.

Exactly how it's going to look inside the building is still being worked out according to Chris Proctor, Director of the Tahoe Center for Orthopedics. "We're going to have an orthopedic clinic and there will be a rehab component, a wellness component and a sports performance component," said Proctor.

“Barton Health continues to look at innovative ways to support the health and wellness of our community,” says John Williams, Barton’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Robert Maloff Center of Excellence will offer a myriad of wellness services supporting the needs of our diverse population. We are more than thrilled with the generous donation from the Maloffs that will help make this vision a reality.”

The Center of Excellence will house a team of Barton’s medical experts, state-of-the-art equipment, and a place for patients to receive coordinated, team-based care in one location. Barton will host educational wellness lectures for the community and employ a Health Navigator to guide community members on their journey to optimal health through Barton Health or other community services. It will also offer facilities for physical therapy, sports medicine and sports performance, and diagnosis-specific fitness and nutrition programs designed to support and enhance the lives of an active population.

“This is not your typical doctor’s office,” says Dr. Clint Purvance, Barton’s Chief Medical Officer. “The goal is to expand our wellness offerings and complement our existing programs. We want to build on our wellness and sports medicine presence in South Lake Tahoe for the benefit of our residents as well as people who visit this beautiful destination.”

According to Proctor the new center will a balance with what the community needs as well as the visitor. He added that there will be a mental health component due to the big need in South Lake Tahoe to address those needs as seen in the recent health surveys.

"The biggest driver is to provide what the community needs and solidify that need for years to come," said Proctor.

He added, "The plans were submitted to the City on March 12." They are hoping the building can be completed and open for business in early 2017.