physician

Douglas County has recently seen an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases in an extremely short period of time. This is part of a regional and statewide trend in rapidly increasing confirmed COVID-19 infections and they are experiencing strain to their healthcare system and first responders.

There are those that would say 2020 is hands down the scariest Halloween movie ever and yeah, I wouldn’t argue with that. The script for this year has certainly freaked everybody out. Add to that an election year and the advent of modern day zombies who’ve been quarantined a little too long and you have the ultimate scary flick that appears to have no ending. Are you wearing your mask? Yeah, I’d rather be scared by a movie and not real life if that’s okay?

The reminder to schedule a breast cancer screening test comes on strong during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. This month, let each splash of pink you see be an encouragement to get screened with a self-exam, physician exam, or a mammogram.

It’s also a good time to get a feel for your own unique breast density, and establish a baseline to help identify warning signs of breast cancer, including:

- A lump in the breast or armpit
- Swelling or thickening of all or part of the breast
- Dimpling or skin irritation of breast skin
- Localized, persistent breast pain

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Internationally recognized psychiatrist, Joe Hibbeln, MD, has joined Barton Health’s team of expert mental and behavioral health providers. A board-certified physician, Dr. Hibbeln is working with patients over 18 years of age at Barton Community Health Center in South Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A South Lake Tahoe resident has tested positive for plague according to El Dorado County health officials. The individual is currently under the care of a medical professional and is recovering at home.

It’s believed that the person, an avid walker, may have been bitten by an infected flea while walking their dog along the Truckee River Corridor north of Highway 50 or the Tahoe Keys area in South Lake Tahoe. Health officials started investigating the situation after being notified by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

As temperatures at Lake Tahoe are heating up, so are discussions about wearing a face mask in public. While science continues to reveal new information about the coronavirus, one thing is clear: wearing a face mask slows the spread of COVID-19, if enough people wear them.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Even though schools are not currently open, registration is underway for kindergarten and Transitional kindergarten in the Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD).

To be eligible for kindergarten enrollment a child must be five years of age on or before September 1, 2020. If the child will be five years of age between September 1, 2020, and December 2, 2020, they qualify for Transitional Kindergarten (TK); a two-year Kindergarten program located at Tahoe Valley Elementary School.

LTUSD is also offering an Early Entry TK program for students born between

On Monday, the Washoe County Health District reported 19 additional cases of COVID-19 in that county, moving the total number of cases to 44.

Due to the influx of cases, the Health District will not provide specific details or any other information due to medical information and privacy requirements.

The additional 19 confirmed cases were from 2-plus days of testing due to the increased number of tests being submitted to the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory from throughout the region and state.

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.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, there is currently a shortage of physicians in the United States – a shortfall that can be as high as 104,000 doctors by 2030. This issue, as well as an aging population, is changing health care and the need to increase providers to meet the demand of patients and expand access.

Barton is committed to providing our community with the care they need when they need it. We are expanding access to care by adding new experts throughout our healthcare system to work alongside Barton doctors.

Barton Health is a dedicated partner in our community’s health. We have cared for generations of families, providing excellent care since 1963.

Safety and quality are everyone’s priority at Barton Health, and it’s a united team that achieves the high standards we’ve come to expect. Our nurses are critical to those teams - they are on the front line of every patient’s experience, and we rely on their compassion and skill to provide a comfortable and

Learn how trauma affects the brain and tips for improving mental health for adults and their children at the next free community training series at Lake Tahoe Community College on Tuesday, May 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

You will leave with tools that build resiliency.

South Lake Tahoe native Kylee Lyons was honored with the Distinguished Appointed Board Award, First Place in Mei Po Wong Overall Service, and Second Place in Outstanding Total Service Hours at the California-Nevada-Hawaii Circle K International (CKI) District Convention this past weekend in Los Angeles. Lyons was the 2018-2019 Small-Scale Service Chair of the CKI chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she is studying to obtain a bachelor's degree in Psychobiology, aspiring to become a Physician Assistant.

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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.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - It's been 44 years since Gene Wilder brought the character of Dr. Frankenstein to the Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein, along with Peter Boyle as the monster and Marty Feldman as Igor.

Now Young Frankenstein returns to the South Tahoe stage for a six-day run in their TADA Theater. Opening night was a sellout with two more days of full crowds, and they continue the production November 9-11.

Suicide is a public health issue that impacts everyone. For some of us, we are reminded of suicide daily. Yet, it is important to know that suicide can be prevented.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in the United States. The leading reason for suicide is unmanaged depression or a mood disorder. Considering that 20 to 25 percent of Americans are affected by depression, it is important to know the signs that may help save someone’s life.

Dr. Megan Jewell has joined the team at Barton Health as its newest OB/GYN physician. Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Jewell’s credentials tout a da Vinci® Surgery certification in benign gynecology. Dr. Jewell joins Barton Health in a time of momentum as the health care system has been recently been recognized for its quality and safety standards for women’s health in the local community.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The votes have been counted and Dr. Keith Swanson has been named Barton Health’s Doctor of the Year. Each year, hundreds of Barton team members cast their vote to nominate a favorite physician in honor of National Doctor’s Day, and the 2018 winner was announced at Barton’s Doctor’s Day Celebration on March 29.

“We honor Dr. Swanson as our Doctor of the Year, and the incredible contributions he’s made to the community as an orthopedic surgeon and practitioner of nearly 40 years,” said Dr. Clint Purvance, CEO at Barton Health.

The Holiday Season is an especially wonderful time of year. We look forward to holiday get togethers, to holiday meals, to good cheer and yes, treats. But we don’t look forward to holiday pounds. Many of our New Year’s resolutions are testament to our holiday eating patterns. We vow to start a diet, or to exercise more, or change habits. We know we often consume more than we should. So what can we do to reduce the unhealthy parts of the holidays, and keep the treasured parts?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - To show nature is the best medicine, Barton Health and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) have partnered together to give the community Wellness Outings.

Patients will have access to the forest through a guided outing with a USFS ranger and physician or nurse.

In addition to Wellness Outings, the partnership will provide wellness and injury prevention training for USFS rangers and firefighters, as well as accessibility of public lands to promote outdoor recreation.

Prescribed fire operations in both the Eldorado National Forest and Tahoe National Forest Truckee Ranger District are sending smoke into the Lake Tahoe Basin Thursday.

If you have low tolerance for smoke, please take the following precautions to reduce your exposure.
· Stay indoors as much as possible especially seniors and children. Avoid physical exertion.
· Close windows, doors, and outside vents when it is smoky. Use a fan or air conditioner to re-circulate the air. Ventilate your home and work place during periods when it is least smoky.

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.

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.

The Joint Commission recently recognized Barton Memorial Hospital’s capnography program for “Best Clinical Application.” Of 60 abstracts submitted, Barton received one of three national awards.