health and human services

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Lake Tahoe and the rest of El Dorado County, as of 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 18.

Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is reporting a second positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. This is the second case reported in the Quad County region: Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) is bringing a free five-week-long Aging and Caregiver educational series to South Lake Tahoe from April 13 - May 11, 2020.

The series will provide instruction and support for people who care for, or plan to care for, a family member or friend aged 60 years or older.

The educational series will be held at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, located at 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe, on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the following dates:

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - El Dorado County health officials and agency partners are closely monitoring the outbreak of novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) that originated in China. As of today, there are no known cases of COVID-19 in El Dorado County.

“It’s important to keep in mind that while the situation is evolving, the risk throughout the U.S. is currently low,” said El Dorado County Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless has been recognized for setting the stage as the county-wide homeless strategic planning process is about to begin. They utilized a one-time grant of $30,000 to help 30 people in 17 households avoid homelessness in El Dorado County and South Lake Tahoe. In the last four months, efforts by the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and the El Dorado Opportunity Knocks Continuum of Care (EDOK) have utilized almost the whole grant that was provided through El Dorado County Health and Human Services

Due to PG&E’s Public Safety Power Shut off, the following is the current status of
County buildings operations on the West Slope:

Closed to the public
Agriculture
1. Building A (Board of Supervisors, Chief Administrative Office, Human Resources, County Counsel)
2. Child Support Services (Shingle Springs)
3. Health and Human Services Agency - Briw Road
4. Health and Human Services Agency - Spring Street Complex
5. Placerville Jail
6. Libraries – Placerville, Georgetown
7. Union Mine

Open to the public
1. Animal Shelter
2. AQMD

The El Dorado County Employment Resource Center located in South Lake Tahoe will be closed for several weeks for needed building repairs which include mold remediation, painting and new carpeting. Originally the office, located in Suite 100 of the El Dorado Center at 3368 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, was going to be temporarily closed for just this week.

Other offices in the same building, including County Income Support and Child Welfare Services, will remain open and provide services to the public.

The El Dorado County Senior Nutrition Program is currently looking for dedicated, caring volunteers for the Home Delivered Meal program in South Lake Tahoe. Each volunteer generally works one day a week on an assigned route, delivering meals between 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to older adults in the community who have become more homebound due to health or other reasons. The meals are prepared in advance by the Senior Nutrition program and volunteers deliver those meals.

Did you know that Medicare has an ombudsman to help you resolve complaints you may have about your healthcare?

Congress created the job of Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman to assist people with Medicare with their inquiries, complaints, grievances, appeals, and requests for information.

The Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman also shares information with Congress, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and other organizations about what works well and what doesn’t work well to improve the quality of the care you get through Medicare.

EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. - Flu season is till here, and while cases across the country have resulted in few hospitalizations and deaths so far, people still need to take precautions.

“While it appears that influenza activity may have already peaked in El Dorado County, we are still receiving reports of flu cases. In fact, Marshall Medical Center reported nine confirmed cases of the flu this past week, a recent uptick in cases,” said El Dorado County Public Health Officer, Dr. Nancy Williams.

The El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health Division invites the public to provide input on the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Annual Update. Community members can provide input by attending an upcoming community meeting or by submitting an online survey or an email.

Community meetings to receive input for the MHSA Annual Update are scheduled as follows:
• Tuesday, January 8, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at the Placerville Library, 345 Fair Lane in Placerville

Many people do not get to see their loved ones as often as they would like. The holidays offer an opportunity to not only reconnect with and visit parents, grandparents and other loved ones, but to ensure that they are staying safe.

“If you are visiting your loved one and become concerned about their wellbeing, particularly if you suspect they may be a victim of neglect, self-neglect or abuse, please reach out for assistance,” said Laura Walny, Manager with the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency.

Mental illness can affect any person or family. For those individuals in El Dorado County with the most severe forms of mental illness, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program (also known as the “Laura’s Law” program) is available. The program, coordinated through the El Dorado County Behavioral Health Division of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), gives additional tools to families, agencies and individuals to help people who need mental health treatment receive those services.

Ten El Dorado County area foster youth were all smiles last Saturday, August 18, 2018, when they received the generous gift of technology -- their very own new laptops. The laptops were given to the youth during a small gathering at the El Dorado County Office of Education in Placerville.

Dr. Megan Jewell has joined the team at Barton Health as its newest OB/GYN physician. Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Jewell’s credentials tout a da Vinci® Surgery certification in benign gynecology. Dr. Jewell joins Barton Health in a time of momentum as the health care system has been recently been recognized for its quality and safety standards for women’s health in the local community.

MEYERS and SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Don Ashton has been making the rounds to communities throughout the county, explaining the budget through an informative presentation and discussion.

Most of the communities Ashton has visited have had 15-20 citizens in attendance, all asking questions and giving input in the budget process as Ashton and the Supervisors figure out how to save $20M over the next four years to meet CalPers pension liabilities.

The Family Caregiver Support Program of the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency is pleased to present a free “Aging and Caregiving” educational series in South Lake Tahoe. This series will be held weekly on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. beginning April 16, 2018, and ending May 21, 2018, at Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel located at 4130 Lake Tahoe Boulevard in South Lake Tahoe.

The educational series will give instruction and support for people who provide care for a family member or friend aged 60 years or greater.

The series will feature a different topic each week:

For the past week, South Lake Tahoe's homeless have been able to get out of the cold at the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church, but come January 1 they will be moving into their new home.

The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless will open their warm room at 1195 Rufus Allen Blvd, the City owned property that once housed Unity at the Lake. Their operations will begin at 7:00 p.m. The will be open daily from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. until April 1, 2018.

Dr. Devendra I. Patel, aka Devendrakumar I. Patel, 58, of Elko, Nev., was arrested Tuesday on 39 charges of unlawful distribution of prescriptions opioids and Medicaid fraud.

Patel is charged with 36-counts of distribution of controlled substances such as oxycodone and hydrocodone, and three-counts of health care fraud. He is a cardiologist at his medical practice, Northeastern Nevada Cardiology. The statutory maximum penalty for distribution of a controlled substance is 10 years in prison and the maximum penalty for health care fraud is 10 years in prison.

The Behavioral Health Division of the El Dorado County (EDC) Health and Human Services Agency invites the public to provide input on the County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Three Year Plan Annual Update for Fiscal Year 2018/19. Community members can provide input by email, online survey or at an upcoming community meeting.

Community meetings to receive input for the MHSA plan are scheduled as follows:

Every parent wants to provide a safe and healthy environment for their child. El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Nursing is hoping to increase awareness among parents about the hidden dangers of lead exposure to children. October 22 through October 28, 2017, is National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and South Tahoe Now will be running a series of stories on suicide prevention.

“For anyone who has lost a friend or loved one to suicide, this month can be especially hard,” said Laura Walny, manager with the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA). “We hope that by supporting one another and working together to raise awareness about suicide, we can ultimately save lives.”

The Tahoe Regional Young Professionals (TRYP) will be hosting the next installment in the Tahoe Town Hall series on August 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Tahoe Beach Retreat Conference Center at 3411 Lake Tahoe Blvd. The event, Tahoe Town Hall: Addressing Homelessness, is free to the public, and will feature a panel of experts to discuss the homelessness issue in South Lake Tahoe.

The intensifying Detwiler Fire near Mariposa, Calif. continues to send smoke into the Lake Tahoe Basin, Alpine County, Reno, Carson City and the Carson Valley, causing air quality to be in the unhealthy range.

As of Wednesday morning the Detwiler fire had burned over 45,000 acres, sending a plume of smoke due north, into our area. It is 7 percent contained and caused the evacuation of the town of Mariposa as well as many surrounding roads and neighborhoods.

Looking for a job in South Lake Tahoe? Here is information about upcoming job fairs and other current opportunities.

El Dorado County Connections - One Stop is hosting a free Hiring Event on Thursday, April 13, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Community College (Commons Area), located at One College Drive in South Lake Tahoe. During the event, representatives from Harrah’s and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe will share information about their organization, job opportunities and how to apply for current job openings.