Level III Trauma Center
Barton Memorial Hospital, in conjunction with the region’s emergency medical services response team, is working to establish Barton Memorial Hospital as a Level III trauma center by spring of 2013.
As a Level III Trauma Center, Barton will be able to evaluate, assess and treat many more people who are now flown to a designated Trauma Center. We already have the expertise on staff – the surgeons, Orthopedists, emergency doctors and nurses. Now we just need the designation as verified by El Dorado County and the American College of Surgeons, the “gold standard” in Trauma Center verification. The process is onerous – it will take us more than a year of consultation, oversight, education and reporting to achieve this designation, but the benefit to our community and to those who travel here far outweigh the costs.
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Barton Community Clinic
Walking into the Barton Community Clinic the first thing you notice is the waiting room; it’s crowded, hot, and outdated. As a patient the next thing you notice is the wait – the current Clinic building just wasn’t designed to meet the overwhelming needs of our community – and with healthcare reform these needs are only expected to grow.
The Barton Community Clinic has experienced a 16% increase in patient volumes in the past couple of years and is now seeing 19,200 patients annually, 1,600 each month, and 60-80 patients every day. The volume is largely due to the recession and the 16% unemployment rate in South Lake Tahoe.
The Clinic is our community safety net, providing health care to a service area that spans at least 4 counties. Our patients are typically the poor or uninsured in our community and they pay what they can afford – all care is provided on a sliding scale. A visit with a physician or practitioner can cost as little as $1.
To better meet the demands of our community, Barton Health is planning an expansion to be completed by the Spring of 2013. The new building will include 10 additional patient examination rooms, more bathrooms, storage, a bigger lab space, and an expanded waiting room. The new facility will allow for a more comfortable patient experience and a more efficient flow, allowing the Clinic to see more patients each day.
Through a combination of hospital system reserves and philanthropic support from local the Barton Foundation and Auxiliary, this project is expected to be fully funded and implemented on schedule. But we still need the help of our community.
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Footprints to the Future
“Footprints to the Future” is an ongoing project to acknowledge a new life. Footprints of Barton-born babies are set into a small satin medallion and adhered to a special wall dedicated to the display. Other home/office medallions and Christmas ornaments provide babies born in other facilities as well to enjoy a keepsake of a very special time. Hospital wall medallions are offered for $100 with all other medallions and ornaments requiring only a $40 donation.
All proceeds benefit Barton's Family Birthing Center.
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Patient Care Initiative
Besides good quality care patients want to be treated with respect and empathy. At Barton Health we strive to offer our “guests” an experience that exceeds your expectations. That is why the Barton Foundation has made patient care a priority and is funding training programs for hospital staff as well as amenities for our patients.
In addition the Barton Foundation has helped to fund the private patient room project which offers privacy to our guests and their families, a spa basket and in-room refrigerators for guests in our Family Birthing Center, and many other projects and programs that affect the patient experience.
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Barton Health Grants
Click here to submit a grant for the 2013 Health Grant cycle.
Barton Health Grant proposals are reviewed by the Barton Community Advisory Committee and the final grant recipients will be approved by the Barton Health Board of Directors. Funding for Barton Health Grants is provided by Barton Health through a gift from the Barton Foundation. The total grant amount available for 2013 is set at a maximum of $25,000.
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a committee of the Barton Health Board of Directors that exists to identify and advise the Board regarding the unmet health needs of the communities served by the hospital. As appropriate, this group will also participate in the development and implementation of projects and programs designed to serve these groups. The Committee will serve as a catalyst for relationship building and partnering with community organizations, the business community, and the individuals who live in our community.
2012 Recipients included:
- South Lake Tahoe Police Activities League (PAL); Six-week athletic programs and sports sponsorships: $2,000
- The Drug Store Project; Prevention of teen drug use program in Douglas and Lake Tahoe Unified School Districts: $3,000
- National Alliance on mental Illness (N.A.M.I.); Funding for emergency medications and temporary housing for mentally-ill patients: $3,000
- Boys and Girls Club; Bike Safety for Youth Program: $1,500
- Live Violence Free; Child counseling services: $5,000
- American Youth Soccer Organization (A.Y.S.O.); Soccer Scholarship Fund: $1,500
- Ordinary People meeting Extraordinary Needs (O.P.E.N.) Transportation for medical treatments: $3,000
- South Tahoe Library; summer reading program, Reading Is So Delicious:” $2,000
- Tahoe Youth and Family Services; Tahoe Collaborative Mentoring Project: $3,000
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Spirit of Philanthropy
The Spirit of Philanthropy Award recognizes the dedication and contributions of those within our community that have given of themselves so that we can all lead healthier lives.
This award recognizes an outstanding individual, family, couple, or Foundation who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to the health of the South Lake Tahoe community in general, and to Barton Health in particular, through their good works and/or financial generosity. The honoree will also have 1) demonstrated exceptional civic and charitable responsibility and 2) inspired others to philanthropic achievement. This award is for a living person, so if a Foundation is proposed there should be at least one living founder.
Nominee must reside in, have a second home in, or have previously lived in the South Lake Tahoe area and continue to have a connection to our community.
Click here to access the application.
Past Recipients include:
2009
Ray Sidney
Ron and Francie Alling
2010
The Barton Memorial Hospital Founding Board of Directors, 1960
In addition this year, Barton honored the Ledbetter, Gross, Mosher, and Barton Families with the Legacy of Life Award.
2011
Dr. Greg Bergner
Dr. Brooks Martin
Dr. Paul Rork
2012
Dr. Paul Fry II
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Grateful Patient/Heartfelt Fund
We invite you to partner with us in our continual efforts to provide top-quality medical care to our community by donating to the Heartfelt Fund.
When making your gift, we hope you will consider recognizing a special nurse, doctor, volunteer, entire department, or someone else who went the extra mile during your experience at Barton. Large or small, your gift will be a great encouragement to our staff—professionals who work tirelessly to provide the best care possible for all of our patients.
Your donation will directly benefit our community's health, by helping Barton Memorial Hospital: Achieve Level III trauma center status; provide better online health information; serve those in need through the Barton Community Clinic; offer more comprehensive hospice services; and to continue providing you with the very best patient care.
To make a donation, please click here.
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