health services

Vail Resorts’ Chief Executive Officer, Rob Katz, and his wife, Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, today announced more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 emergency relief and behavioral health grants.

In nine communities where Vail Resorts operates, these separate donations will support local nonprofits’ ongoing efforts to (1) provide critical need services throughout the pandemic and (2) improve access to and affordability of mental and behavioral health services.

UPDATE 11/16/20: Lake Tahoe Unified School District has issued a correction to their statement from Sunday. At Sierra House Elementary no students or staff have tested positive. One family member of a student tested positive so the student is currently quarantined.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) sent out a notice to staff and families Sunday night to inform them of two new positive cases of COVID-19 in the district.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Barton Health is partnering with local therapists to expand care to vulnerable community members thanks to a $100,000 grant from Health Net®.

Through the Barton Community Health Center, Medicare and Medicaid patients can schedule virtual visits with Licensed Clinical Social Workers and Marriage Family Therapists contracted through Barton’s secure telehealth platform.

This cooperative effort builds upon Barton’s expert psychiatric services, and makes additional patient care available in a time of need.

The American Red Cross volunteer workforce is spread thin with the number of disasters currently across the country. It has been a very active hurricane and wildfire season and they have an urgent need for volunteers who want to make a difference in the lives of those affected by disaster.

The easiest way to sign up is to visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html (find urgent needs here) for jobs from shelter associates and managers to health services.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. During the month of September, the El Dorado County (EDC) Behavioral Health Division encourages the community to “know the signs, find the words, and reach out” to prevent suicide, as well as learn about local suicide prevention resources.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There will be two new members of the South Lake Tahoe City Council after the November 3 election. In the coming weeks the pubic will have chances to hear from the candidates both via zoom, in print and possibly in person. Below are eight of the ten candidates responses to questions asked by the local #IRunWithMaud group.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A collaboration between the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, El Dorado County Behavioral Health, Barton Health and the Caltahoe JPA ambulance will be bringing a new service to South Lake Tahoe community members in crisis.

The emerging collaboration is called the South Tahoe Alternative Collaborative Services (STACS).

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - There will be some very big shoes to fill when finding a replacement for retiring El Dorado County Undersheriff Randy Peshon. On Tuesday, June 30, Peshon will be putting his badge on for the very last time. For 43 years he's been in some level of law enforcement, the last 33 years in El Dorado County.

During his career in El Dorado County, Peshon has been at the forefront of change from implementing a change in culture at the jail in South Lake Tahoe to getting the new Public Safety Facility built under budget and ahead of schedule.

As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the globe, a shapeless and silent pandemic, borne of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty also began to take hold. While taking care of oneself has been focused on our physical health and hygiene, it has left the mental health and emotional states for many, in limbo and for others, pushed them into crisis.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - El Dorado County officials announced Sunday they will open two appointment-only community sites for COVID-19 testing for any resident wanting to be tested for the virus, one in South Lake Tahoe and the other in Shingle Springs.

These sites follow Governor Newsom's announcement last week to add more than 80 community COVID-19 testing sites across the state, focusing on underserved communities. His goal is to test 60,000 to 80,000 people per day for the virus as the state prepares to reopen.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Working closely with state and county health agencies in a regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Barton Health is preparing for an anticipated patient surge by more than doubling its hospital bed capacity as well as expanding its facilities to accommodate patients who may be infected by the virus.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Once again, Vail Resorts' CEO Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam are giving back to the communities where their employees live and where their company operates.

Today, they announced a donation of more than $2.5 million to provide immediate support to those areas as all contend with the severe impacts of COVID-19.

Immediate emergency relief grants will total $1.5 million and will be distributed to communities including South Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Operational changes, including hospital visitation, screening protocols and testing facilities, continue to be made in the wake of El Dorado County’s first reported cases of coronavirus COVID-19. The health and safety of patients and care providers is Barton’s top priority, and community spread of COVID-19 is a concern. Regardless of confirmed cases in South Lake Tahoe, the advice of Barton Health medical experts is to assume COVID-19 is in the community and stay home unless absolutely necessary, keeping a distance of 6 feet from others if you must leave the home.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to the rapidly changing health crisis brought by coronavirus and COVID-10, the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) has a new
coordinated COVID-19 response and will be open 24-hours-a-day through April.

In preparation for increased utilization and operational capacity surging expected for the next several months, TCH has made the changes to their sheltering and support service programs. They have seen a 30 percent increase in nightly shelter requests and anticipate that number will increase significantly over the coming weeks.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) is bringing a free five-week-long Aging and Caregiver educational series to South Lake Tahoe from April 13 - May 11, 2020.

The series will provide instruction and support for people who care for, or plan to care for, a family member or friend aged 60 years or older.

The educational series will be held at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, located at 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe, on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the following dates:

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Lake Tahoe Warm Room is set to open for the winter on Monday, December 16 at 5:00 p.m. The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) announced today they have secured 989 Third Street for their location this season and will open pending completion of a final City inspection.

During the winter, TCH provides overnight refuge from the elements at the Warm Room. The Warm Room provides a safe and warm environment for adult men and women who are experiencing homelessness.

Do you know what Giving Tuesday is? Giving Tuesday is a global giving movement being celebrated in more than 190 countries across the globe, and 100 local community campaigns in the US by raising money in our digital world by giving online through websites, Facebook and other online media platforms.

Giving Tuesday this year is December 3rd. Tahoe Youth & Family Services is on the front line, building stronger, healthier, smarter communities by providing Mental Health services in the South Lake Tahoe and Douglas County communities.

During Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 7 – 13, we celebrate those who give their time and energy to improve the lives of others. The benefits of volunteering go beyond lending a helping hand. Studies show volunteers have significant health benefits such as lower blood pressure, decreased likelihood of depression, and an increased sense of purpose and life satisfaction.

Volunteers are the bedrock of Barton Health. More than 55 years ago, our hospital was founded by volunteers, and the spirit of helping to support our community’s health thrives within our organization to this day.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – A donation from Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam is allowing the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) to offer more mental health services to those experiencing homelessness on the South Shore.

In December, the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust made more than $2M in contributions to support emotional wellness programs in nearly every mountain resort community in which Vail Resorts operates, including South Lake Tahoe.

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health Division invites the public to provide input on the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Annual Update. Community members can provide input by attending an upcoming community meeting or by submitting an online survey or an email.

Community meetings to receive input for the MHSA Annual Update are scheduled as follows:
• Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane in Placerville

Memorial services for Dr. Stephen Banner, a popular South Lake Tahoe orthopedist who died on December 13, 2018, have been set.

On Tuesday, December 18 there will be a viewing at McFarlane Mortuary from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Then, on Wednesday, December 19, a funeral service will be held at Saint Theresa’s Parish at 10:00 a.m. with burial following at Happy Homestead at 11:15 a.m. There will be a reception following the burial at Grace Hall.

Removing unused, unwanted and expired medications from homes is a huge step in preventing pill abuse and theft, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will be holding a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Safeway parking lot.

This is the local's 16th opportunity in the past eight years to get rid of their potentially dangerous medication on the South Shore.

As a person with Medicare, do you have any rights and protections? You certainly do!

You have rights whether you’re enrolled in Original Medicare – in which you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare – or Medicare Advantage, in which you get care within a network of health care providers.

Medicare helps to pay for a wide variety of health services, from flu shots to hospital stays, and from preventive health screenings to hospice care.

But it doesn’t cover everything. And it doesn’t cover all your out-of-pocket costs.

Many services covered by Medicare require co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles. You can purchase supplemental insurance to cover these “gaps” in Medicare.

Such coverage is called Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap. Some Medigap policies also cover certain benefits that Medicare doesn’t, like emergency care in a foreign country.