Tahoe Forest may cut jobs; impact on Incline unknown

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Tahoe Forest Health District announced Tuesday it is reducing its upcoming fiscal year operating budget by $3 million, or 3 percent.

Reductions could include up to 40 full time equivalent positions, said spokeswoman Paige Nebeker. She said reductions would come equally from medical and non-medical staff, but said patients won't notice a reduction in service.

Nebeker said she couldn't specify if cuts would come from Incline Village Community Hospital — TFSD owns the Incline hospital — as a part of the health district's reductions.

For more on the cuts, check tahoebonanza.com or Friday's print edition of the Sierra Sun.

IVCH renovation continues

The second phase of IVCH renovations have begun at the Alder Avenue facility's second floor, said CEO Pete Basler.

After a successful completion of the hospital's emergency room earlier this year, seismic upgrades to the facility began in the spring as part of the $1.5 million phase two renovations. Basler said first floor seismic renovations are complete, and workers have started on the second floor, with the target of finishing by July.

“We're coming in at budget and on time,” Basler said.

He said the seismic renovations — about $650,000 of the project's total value — were funded by TFHD. Tahoe Forest agreed to fund half of the project, with the other $750,000 to come from community donations.

Basler said the community has donated about $250,000 to the project, and the hospital is still actively asking for community support for the project. To donate, call Basler at (775) 833-4100 ext. 200.

The remaining $900,000 is expected to go toward diagnostic equipment and capital upgrades to the building. Basler said no firm timetable has been set to complete the renovations, which eventually will include remodeling the upper floor to create a medical plaza for visiting specialists.

HFAP Accreditation

The Incline Village Community Hospital recently passed a national accreditation survey earlier this month.

The hospital was surveyed by the HealthCare Facility Accreditation Program, which authorizes IVCH to care for Medicare and Medicaid patients. The hospital is surveyed every three years, Basler said.

Basler said the surveyors, a four-person panel of medical experts, found the facility to be in excellent shape when they visited between June 8 and 10 and commended the hospital for: Pharmacy, materiel management, human relations, environment of care, radiology, medical staff, emergency room, therapies, surgery, laboratory, infection control, quality and nutritional services.

Of the 1,100 standards the hospital is surveyed on, the IVCH was only docked in three categories, Basler said, all for documentation.