WELL CARED FOR

WELL CARED FOR by Trinkie Watson

Trinkie Watson is a professional REALTOR with Chase International Real Estate as well as a board member for Tahoe Forest Health System and an actively involved member of the Tahoe community. She holds a deep appreciation for the arts and believes that education and community involvment are at the cornerstone of succes.

The Tahoe-Reno-Carson Region is blessed with five major hospitals plus a few smaller ones to serve its growing population. The area is well covered with Tahoe Forest Health System in Truckee and satellite Incline Village Community Hospital, Barton Memorial at South Lake Tahoe, Carson Tahoe in Carson City, Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno and St. Mary’s in Reno. The Foundations of each of these hospitals are critical for supplying funds to support various needed services and equipment. The Tahoe Forest Health System, serving five counties, includes the aforementioned presence in Incline with its own Foundation. Not-forprofit Tahoe Forest Health System, affiliated with U.C. Davis, also has the well-recognized Gene Upshaw Memorial Tahoe Forest Cancer Center in Truckee with the goal of providing the best rural cancer treatment in the country. The Tahoe Forest Hospital Foundation raises money to expand local access to healthcare by purchasing new medical equipment, paying for the latest technology, and providing support for special programs, including but not limited to cancer patient and caregiver services not covered by insurance. Current Foundation support has been designated to a state-of-the-art 3T MRI and VELYS Robotic-Assisted Solution Knee Replacement Device. This technology will greatly enhance the patient care experience. The Incline Village Community Hospital Foundation is currently focused on helping to provide technology and equipment upgrades, so critical for keeping services up-to-date.

Not-for-profit Barton Health and Barton Memorial Hospital serve the needs of South Lake Tahoe, CA and NV, and surrounding area and is located at South Lake Tahoe, CA. In addition to traditional hospital services, its orthopaedic department has been well recognized over the years. It also has a long-term care facility. Its Foundation, founded in 1990, has raised over $20 million, with over $6 million of that invested in endowment accounts to insure future health of the community. Recent projects include formation of a 20-person Community Health Advisory Committee focused on identifying and advising the Barton Board of Directors unmet health needs in the community. Each year Barton Health Grants gives $50,000 to support this program. Other ongoing vital programs are Barton Health’s Cancer Wellness Program, Barton Community Clinic and the emergency department’s Level III Trauma Center initiative.

Carson Tahoe Health, is a not-forprofit locally owned healthcare system. An affiliate of University of Utah Health, Carson Tahoe is dedicated to providing convenient access to advanced quality care in a tranquil, healing environment. This comprehensive healthcare network features two hospitals, two urgent cares, an emergent care center, outpatient services and a provider network with 21 regional locations. Its reach stretches far and wide, encompassing Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville, Carson Valley, South Reno, Dayton, Lake Tahoe, Yerington, and beyond. The Carson Tahoe Health Foundation has recently introduced a new initiative – The Community Fund – established to serve as a resource for patients and

families facing financial hardship who might not otherwise seek the medical treatment they need. In 2018, a retired local physician, donated $100,000 to establish the Community Fund Endowment. Additional funds are increasing that amount, and interest from the endowment has been distributed to this program since 2019. This is just one of the numerous programs this foundation administers.

Renown Health includes Renown Regional Medical Center, a nonprofit hospital in Reno, Nevada. It is Renown Health's flagship hospital and the region's only level II trauma center. Renown Regional is also home to the region’s only children’s hospital, a leading robotic surgery institute, ground breaking brain and nerve care, and comprehensive heart and cancer services. Ancillary services are extensive. Renown Health Foundation’s current funding projects include supporting Renown Children’s Hospital, Renown Institute for Cancer, Renown Heart & Vascular Institute, and Renown South Meadows Medical Center. Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, owned and operated by Prime Healthcare Services, is a 380-bed acute care hospital offering inpatient, outpatient and wellness services. It offers a robust line of services including a top-rated Center for Cancer, state-of-the-art William A. Pennington Emergency Room, a Cardiology Program, dedicated to long-term wellness and a comprehensive Stroke and Neurovascular Program. This forprofit health system also operates a fully-integrated Medical Group with over 50 providers and a state-ofthe-art Fitness Center. As a longstanding community partner, Saint Mary's is dedicated to ensuring the health and wellness of northern Nevada. Saint Mary’s Foundation supports the greatest need in a variety of programs including cardiac care, McAuley Adolescent Psychiatric Programs, The Spine Robot, Women & Medicine and the SF Ortho Residency Program.

You can see that we have wellpositioned health services in our Region. No question that health costs have gone through the roof. Supporting our local hospital foundations is one way to keep our hospitals funded for state-ofthe-art equipment and services. An inordinate number of rural hospitals have closed in recent years, escalating more rapidly in the last two, putting more pressure on those that have survived and the more urban, well-established. Tahoe Forest Hospital alone carried $82M in charity care in the last six years. All but St. Mary’s are nonprofit health systems. So, when you are making year-end donations, why don’t you consider adding something for the health foundation of your choice? When we need it, we all want the latest in technology, and these foundations are integral for helping hospitals acquire the tools they need to stay current.