An August 2022 presentation at the Tahoe Forest Hospital District board meeting revealed that Tahoe Forest physicians and advanced practice providers are disproportionately impacted by burnout compared to the rest of the nation (read Healing Healthcare Burnout here). Maybe this is related to reports of difficulties in getting healthcare in the area? This month’s question is: What waiting time or other difficulties have you had with healthcare?
Katie Jones, Truckee
Spiritual life coach
In winter 2021, [I] couldn’t get [a] doctor appointment to prove that I had overcome Covid, which was a requirement at the time to travel to/from Costa Rica … which contributed toward not making the trip.
Marin Whittlesey, Glenshire
Love wizard
Just today I paid $95 for my insulin, instead of the $40 I usually pay, because my Sacramento endocrinologist was late with the prescription that I requested a week ago, finally calling it in today.
Ted Coakley III, Tahoe Vista
Question asker, image recorder
When I busted up my clavicle the day before Thanksgiving, I had to wait until after the weekend to be seen by a surgeon, because there wasn’t one in town for the holiday weekend. I got surgery after a week of debilitation and intense pain from bone pieces rattling against each other.
Ashly Gillis, Verdi
Lover of life
The staff there [at Tahoe Forest Hospital District] are all amazing, but the system is set up for too many hoops to jump through. Need to wait weeks for a doctor, then weeks more for a P.T. appointment. New patients bring in more revenue than existing patients, so existing patients are phased out due to increased waiting times, which leads to decline in P.T. happiness, since they can’t see their patient to the end of needed therapy.
Dan Goodrich, Tahoe Vista
Dog lover, small business owner (Goodrich Excavation)
I’ve been up here 53 years, with Truckee Tahoe Medical Group. [A] new facet of healthcare up here is nobody has a primary physician. I have 50 years’ experience with these guys, and nothing against the doctors, but they don’t know any of my history, as where previously, my doctors knew all the ins and outs of my medical conditions. My history, basically, from 50 years up here has been erased.
