MD

Henning Mehrens, MD, has spent over 45 years keeping the South Lake Tahoe community healthy and will be missed as he retires and is off to the next chapter of his life.
Both through his private practice as well as at Tahoe Urgent Care, Dr. Mehrens worked both tirelessly and passionately for those he cared for. Besides maintaining those offices he was also the medical director of the Skilled Nursing Facility at Barton Memorial Hospital.

I want to thank my many, many supporters for their belief in me. Withstanding the constant barrage of incorrect information and innuendo about me printed here (in Letters to the Editor) and in other sources, the repeated vandalism of my signs, the anonymous emails at the recent city council meeting that targeted me and others has been made easier by the constant encouragement I receive from our locals who know that I am the best choice for city council.

Board-certified rheumatologist, Leah Krull, MD, has joined the team of medical experts practicing at Barton Health. A physician skilled at addressing autoimmune and joint diseases such as inflammatory arthritis, vasculitis, gout, and lupus, Dr. Krull is treating patients at the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness in South Lake Tahoe.

Rheumatology manages conditions that affect joints and the body as a whole due to systemic inflammation.

The following is a press release from Barton Health, Carson Tahoe Health, Marshall Medical Center and Tahoe Forest Health System:

With the continuing spread of COVID-19 within the U.S., the healthcare providers of the greater Lake Tahoe/El Dorado Region are working closely with each other and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as California and Nevada health authorities, to care for affected individuals. We are also jointly taking steps to limit person-to-person spread within our communities.

Information about COVID-19

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Soroptimist International Club of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) invites the community to their weekly meeting on Thursday, February 27 when they feature Barton Health's Neurology Specialist, Rituparna Das, MD. The doctor will share insights on brain function and brain health.

The meeting will be from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the South Lake Tahoe Senior Center, 3050 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Coffee will be served and both men and women are invited.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It took almost a full week of the new year to welcome in the first baby born at Barton Memorial Hospital. Everett James Haen came into the world at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7.

Everett was born at the hospital's Family Birthing Center to Robert Haen and Shaina Willen, MD. He weighed six pounds 15 ounces and measured 19.5 inches long.

This fall, Rabbi Mordey Richler of Chabad at Lake Tahoe will offer Worrier to Warrior, a new six-session course, to help people deal with life challenges by accepting themselves and finding meaning in adversity.

Beginning Thursday, Nov. 14 at 10:00am, participants in the course will take on life’s challenges by examining factors that prevent us from achieving a more positive outlook—guilt, shame, and fear of inauthenticity—in light of the notion that a purposeful life provides the key to well-being.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Health has expanded the area's access to care and treatment of neurological issues and opened a neurology office in South Lake Tahoe. To staff the new office they have brought on neurology specialist, Rituparna Das, MD to see patients 18 years and older.

Dr. Das is board-certified and experienced in rural health care systems. She was most recently practicing at Adventist Health Feather River Hospital in Paradise, Calif.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Hundred of staff members at Barton Health in South Lake Tahoe have selected Matthew Wonnacott as their Doctor of the Year.

Dr. Wonnacott was recently appointed to Chief Medical Officer at Barton Health. He was previously Medical Director and a family practitioner at Barton Community Health Center. Dr. Wonnacott was instrumental in bringing a new Medication-Assisted Treatment program to address substance abuse and opioid dependency in the community.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After a national search, Barton Health has announced they hired from within to fill two key spots on their executive team.

Kelly Neiger, CPA, MBA is now the new Chief Financial Officer and Matthew Wonnacott, MD has been selected as the new Chief Medical Officer for the South Lake Tahoe non-profit healthcare system.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Teachers at South Tahoe High stayed after school Tuesday to learn what Homeland Security and the FBI want them to - how to correctly apply a tourniquet and help survivors should there be a mass casualty event.

Level III Trauma Center surgeon, Kimberly Evans, MD, FACS and Barton’s Trauma Program Manager, Cate Neal, RN joined South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue Captain Kim George in presenting "Stop the Bleed," a programs created by the Department of Homeland Security and American College of Surgeons to teach lay people how to care for trauma victims.

Health care in the U.S. historically has been focused on treating the symptoms of sickness. The scientific accomplishments in this area are truly astonishing, but despite these advances, the American population as a whole isn’t healthier. In fact, chronic diseases are on the rise.

To combat this in our own community, Barton Health is offering the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), a national program proven to improve health and wellness. CHIP is designed to help people reduce their risk for disease through better health habits and lifestyle changes.

High blood pressure is very common. The Centers for Disease Control states that it affects one in three American adults and more than 50 percent of people over 55 years of age.

High blood pressure is also a major cause of premature death. It leads to heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and chronic kidney disease. Worldwide, the World Health Organization estimates it is responsible for 9.4 million deaths per year.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On behalf of Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH), I would like to thank our community for its support during the third winter season of the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room project. Our organization received donations from over 150 different individuals and businesses and benefited from 64 volunteers who provided over 675 volunteer hours in the Warm Room.

The National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) has awarded the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for maintaining the "Custodial Facility of the Year."

Their jail was selected for the prestigious award from over 500 jails and prisons across the country.

DCSO representatives attended the NCCHC ceremony to pick up their award.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Barton Health announced today that Jeffrey Orr, MD, has returned to his hometown of South Lake Tahoe to join its network of talented orthopedic surgeons.

Dr. Orr received his medical doctorate from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He conducted his orthopedic surgery residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. He completed his fellowship training at the University of South Florida. He’s an affiliate of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

One important component to living a long and healthy life is to get preventive health screening for serious diseases. If your doctor finds a disease early, it’s often easier to treat and may cause less damage.

In addition to celebrating milestone birthdays as celebrations, consider them reminders for important health checks. Here's a timeline for health screenings through the decades:

Join a panel of speakers from Barton Health for a discussion on concussions on Wednesday, September 13 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College Board room.

Dr. Terry Orr, Dr. Jeremy Vanderhurst and Dr. Tracy Protell will be joined on the panel by speech therapist Susanne Bull and Traci Fogliani.

Learn about:

- Facts, symptoms, research and statistics on concussions
- What to expect when being seen in the primary care office for treatment
- How speech therapy is involved
- ADL modifications and returning to work

Back problems can be severe. A natural alarm in the body signals a sudden, debilitating onset of gripping back pain. It not only hurts, but interferes with your ability to work, play, and participate in your daily activities.

Most adult Americans, between 80 and 100 percent, will experience severe lower back pain at least once in their adult lives. Fortunately, only a small percentage will need attention from a spine surgeon. Below are options to address lower back prior to considering surgery.

A South Tahoe High graduate has come back to the South Shore community to become the new spine specialist at the Tahoe Center for Orthopedics and Tahoe Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Zachary Child, MD, a 1991 graduate of STHS, is a board certified orthopedic spine surgeon and musculoskeletal oncologist. He is skilled in addressing back pain and finding surgical and non-surgical options that help patients reach optimal spine health.

Dear Community,

Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) would like to thank the many community members and volunteers who helped in the clean-up and closing of the South Lake Tahoe Warm Room in early May. The Rotary Club of South Lake Tahoe arrived with their moving van and efficiently packed and moved our belongings into storage. Kim, William, and Lily Demus; Michelle, Brian, and Kelsey Hogan; Dave Huber; Matt, Miri, and Addie Lucksinger; Kathi Jensen; Guy Lease; Christine O'Farrell; and Randy Volgelgesang were all on hand to do the heavy lifting and moving.

No, BumpBar is not a new watering hole in South Lake Tahoe. Instead, BumpBar is a nutritious bar with the pregnant or nursing woman in mind, and is the creation of local couple Dr. Amanda Weavil, MD and Scott Weavil.

BumpBar began in 2015 when Amanda, a South Lake Tahoe OB/GYN wanted to develop a nutrition bar for her patients who were either pregnant or nursing. Something they have and not worry about the ingredients.

Scott researched the large nutrition bar market and found there were no options for sale like they had in mind, something people could eat on the go that was healthy.

South Lake Tahoe, CA – The votes have been counted and Lance Orr, MD has been named Barton Health’s Doctor of the Year.

Dr. Orr is a board-certified emergency physician and medical director at Barton Hospital’s Emergency Department. He is considered a “physician of all trades” and is currently acting as Barton Health’s interim Chief Medical Officer.

On behalf of the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, I would like to thank Barton Health employees and physicians for their incredible generosity.