Nestled among tall pine trees in South Lake Tahoe, the Barton Center for Orthopedics & Wellness stands as a testament to the future of healthcare.

Under one roof, patients receive seamless integrative treatment from orthopedic surgeons, rehabilitation therapists, spine specialists, health coaches, acupuncturists, nutritionists, pain and stress management experts, sports performance trainers and more.

“The Center’s goals come back to coordination of care, taking a ‘whole person’ approach,” said Chris Proctor, Administrative Director of Barton’s Center for Orthopedics & Wellness. “Someone comes in with a hurt knee and we look at that, but what else do we know about the rest of their body?”

Barton Health opened the Center inside the newly constructed Robert Maloff Center in 2018, moving the hospital’s existing orthopedic department into the building to mingle with a new, state-of-the-art training facility and sports performance program and a host of wellness services.

South Lake Tahoe philanthropist Lisa Maloff donated $10 million in honor of her late husband, Robert, to construct the 26,000- square-foot facility.

Dr. Paul Fry II, one of the area’s first orthopedic surgeons, also donated funds for the construction of the Center’s rehabilitation pool prior to his passing.

“The Center gives orthopedics the brick and mortar it needs to expand and become recognized on a regional and international level,” said Barton Health CEO and President Dr. Clint Purvance.

With the convenience of operating within one building, Barton Health’s highly trained team of orthopedic physicians, rehabilitation specialists and medical support personnel collaborate to create individualized, multi-faceted treatment plans for each patient.

This comprehensive approach led to U.S. Ski and Snowboard designating the facility as a certified Center of Excellence.

“Everyone has their own philosophy about best care for the person, and in many cases they’re all right — there are so many approaches,” explained Proctor. “So we focus on what the benefits are in diversity of care.”

PREVENTATIVE CARE

With the Center for Orthopedics & Wellness, Barton Health is shifting from the traditional healthcare model of treating symptoms to a proactive one that looks at the influence of lifestyle, diet and stress management on an individual’s overall health.

“We are changing the face of healthcare in our community,” explained Proctor. “We are moving from a traditional, reactive healthcare model focused on treating illness and injury to providing guidance and support on the front end with wellness and prevention services.”

The Center for Orthopedics & Wellness combines conventional medical practices with alternative care options like acupuncture, nutrition, yoga, mindfulness and educational classes to help those dealing with illness or simply looking to live a healthier life.

“When I was an ER doctor at Barton Hospital, I saw many patients with acute illnesses and found the best treatment was prevention,” noted Purvance. “The Center creates a paradigm shift that is innovative, addressing potential disease upstream, and delivering care in the form of wellness, prevention and education.”

OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE

Orthopedic patients looking for a next step after physical therapy — or any individual who wants a goal-oriented training program — need not look further than the Barton Performance by ALTIS program housed inside the Center.

The program, created through a partnership between Barton Health and the Phoenix-based elite athlete-training center, brings Olympic-caliber training to Lake Tahoe for athletes and participants of all fitness levels.

“There is no other healthcare center in the United States that I’ve seen that has this level of Olympic training capacity available to everyone,” said Purvance.

The ALTIS model has trained hundreds of athletes who have gone on to win 55 Track and Field Olympic and World Championship medals. The customized workout programs espouse the same whole-body, preventative philosophy carried throughout the Center: Train Well. Eat Well. Restore Well.

“Our goal is to keep people healthy and reduce the overall cost of U.S. healthcare, which in turn will help communities put money toward other initiatives on a nationwide scale,” said Purvance. “The Center’s team of physicians, performance trainers and other providers can truly engage with the community to improve its overall health and wellbeing.”

Incline Village-based freelance writer Kayla Anderson contributed to this article.