South Lake Tahoe's Healthcare: Hospital And Medical Services

South Lake Tahoe, California, is home to Barton Memorial Hospital, a general medical and surgical facility. The hospital, located at 2170 South Avenue, has been rated high-performing in four adult procedures and conditions. While there are other hospitals near South Lake Tahoe, such as Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City, Nevada, and Incline Village Community Hospital in Incline Village, Nevada, Barton Memorial Hospital is the main hospital in South Lake Tahoe itself. A new Barton Health hospital project is also in the works, with the public invited to comment on the environmental assessment for the new state-of-the-art, full-service hospital.

Barton Memorial Hospital

South Lake Tahoe, California, is home to Barton Memorial Hospital, a healthcare facility that has been serving the community for over six decades. The hospital is located on South Avenue and is open every day of the week.

However, it is important to note that hospitals in the area, including Barton Memorial, utilise "contracted physicians" in their emergency rooms. This means that even if the hospital is within your insurance network, the physician who treats you may not be, resulting in unexpected out-of-network charges. This issue is not unique to Barton Memorial Hospital, as it is a common practice among hospitals.

Despite this billing concern, Barton Memorial Hospital has established itself as a trusted healthcare provider in South Lake Tahoe, with a consistent commitment to the community over the years.

Rated highly for 4 adult procedures

South Lake Tahoe, California, is home to Barton Memorial Hospital, a general medical and surgical facility. Barton Memorial Hospital has been rated highly for four adult procedures and is located on 2170 South Avenue in South Lake Tahoe. The hospital has been rated by patients on various parameters, including the willingness to recommend the hospital to others, the quality of care provided by physicians and nurses, the explanation of medication and their side effects, the discharge planning, the cleanliness of the hospital room and bathroom, and the overall quietness of the patient's hospital experience.

U.S. News evaluates hospital performance based on health equity, analysing data on equity for historically underserved patients. They consider the representation of the surrounding community and Medicaid patients in the treated population, as well as the percentage of patients from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Barton Memorial Hospital's performance in these areas contributes to its overall rating and reputation.

The hospital is currently seeking public input for a new Barton Health hospital project at Stateline. The project involves the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, full-service hospital within the Kingsbury Town Center of the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan. The new hospital will enable Barton to defer the demolition of the existing hospital, ensuring continuous full-service healthcare for the South Shore and surrounding communities during the transition. The public scoping meeting for this project was held on January 16, 2025, where project exhibits were available for review, and staff were present to answer questions and capture public input.

While Barton Memorial Hospital is the primary medical facility in South Lake Tahoe, there are also other hospitals and medical centres in nearby cities, such as Carson City, Reno, and Sparks, Nevada, that serve the broader region. These include the Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center, Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center, and Northern Nevada Medical Center, among others. Each of these medical facilities offers a range of specialised services and has received recognition in various areas.

Patient experience ratings

South Lake Tahoe is served by Barton Memorial Hospital, a general medical and surgical facility located at 2170 South Avenue.

Barton Memorial Hospital has received mixed reviews from patients. While some patients have praised doctors at the hospital for their knowledge, compassion, and ability to listen to patient concerns, others have expressed concerns about the quality of care they received.

Patient experience measures are based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These surveys inquire about different aspects of the patient's hospital stay and discharge, including the quality of care received, the willingness to recommend the hospital to others, and the quietness of their hospital experience.

U.S. News evaluates hospital performance in health equity by analyzing data on various dimensions of equity for historically underserved patients. They consider factors such as the representation of the surrounding community and Medicaid patients in the population treated by the hospital, as well as the percentage of patients from disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

While Barton Memorial Hospital has not won any recent awards, it is rated as high-performing in four adult procedures and conditions.

New Barton Health hospital project

The Barton Health hospital project in South Lake Tahoe is a proposed state-of-the-art, full-service hospital to be constructed on the former site of the Lakeside Inn & Casino. The project will involve building a 230,000-square-foot hospital with a maximum height of 80 feet for the central five-story section, including one level of below-grade parking. The new hospital will offer a comprehensive range of medical services, including 28 inpatient rooms, a surgery department with seven operating rooms, an obstetrics and labour unit with five rooms, an intensive care unit with five beds, a Level 3 Trauma Center with 20 beds, an imaging centre, gastroenterology, oncology and infusion services, 22 skilled nursing beds, a helipad, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and a cafeteria.

The project aims to address the healthcare needs of the South Shore and surrounding communities by deferring the demolition of the existing Barton Hospital, which was built in 1963. The new hospital will ensure uninterrupted access to full-service healthcare for the region. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), in collaboration with Barton Hospital and the Douglas County Community Development Planning Division, is seeking public input on the project's environmental assessment (EA) and potential amendments to the South Shore Area Plan (SSAP). The EA will evaluate the environmental impacts of the project and any necessary amendments to the SSAP for construction.

The proposed hospital site is located within the Kingsbury Town Center of the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan. The project has received a Letter of Approval from the State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services for a Hospital Replacement Project, along with a Certificate of Need (CON). The public scoping meeting was held on January 16, 2025, where project exhibits were available for review, and staff were present to answer questions and gather public input for the EA preparation.

The Barton Health hospital project in South Lake Tahoe aims to provide modern and comprehensive healthcare services to the community while ensuring environmental considerations and regulatory compliance are addressed through collaborative efforts between various organizations and public participation.

Seeking public comments

The public is invited to comment on the scope of the environmental assessment (EA) for the new Barton Health hospital project at Stateline in South Lake Tahoe. The EA will evaluate any potential environmental impacts of the project and amendments required to the South Shore Area Plan (SSAP) for construction. The project will enable Barton to defer the demolition of the existing hospital located at 2170 South Avenue in South Lake Tahoe, which was built in 1963 and will continue to be used until the new hospital is operational.

The new hospital will be located on 6.67 acres at the former site of the Lakeside Inn & Casino and will be a state-of-the-art, full-service hospital. The project is located within the Kingsbury Town Center of the Douglas County South Shore Area Plan. Section 20.703.060 of the proposed Douglas County Code would be amended to include a new healthcare subdistrict (Tahoe – Healthcare [T-HC]) within the T-MU/TC zoning district. The new subdistrict would specify the use of the area for existing and future healthcare uses and supporting services and would include hospitals as an allowed use, eliminating the need for a special use determination.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), Douglas County, and Barton request your comments on the scope and content of the TRPA EA to be prepared for the Barton Stateline Hospital Project and associated Regional Plan Amendments. A public scoping meeting will be held at the TRPA office on January 16, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The office is located at 128 Market Street, Stateline, Nevada. During the meeting, project exhibits will be available for review, and agency and Barton staff will be available to answer questions and capture public input for use in preparing the EA.

The public can also provide comments on the patient experience at Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe. U.S. News has published patient experience ratings in up to 10 key categories, including the willingness of patients to recommend the hospital to others, how well staff listened and explained things in a way that patients could understand, and how promptly help was provided when needed or requested.

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