Barton Health has announced the addition of general surgeon Dr. Scott Welker to its medical staff.

Welker, formerly from Walla Walla, Wash., comes to South Lake Tahoe following a career as an Air Force officer. His distinguished military career began in 1980 at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated with honors. Welker attended the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md., where he received his medical degree, and completed his residency at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He served 28 years in the Air Force, including combat deployments to the Middle East for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom and Bosnia during the Balkan conflict. He was stationed in Aviano, Italy; Yokota, Japan; and at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Welker has multiple decorations including a commendation medal for heroism.

Welker performs all general surgery operations, and has special interest in colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), advanced laparoscopy including coloectomy, lap hernia, Nissen fundoplication, and single incision laparoscopy, as well as chest surgery and head and neck surgery including thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

Welker grew up in Aptos, Calif., and is married with two teenage children. His hobbies include bicycling, skiing, golf, astronomy, word games and running. He recently finished the Big Sur marathon and is running the San Francisco marathon in July.

Welker shares office space with Dr. Gregory Eyre at 1090 Third Street, Suite B, located inside the same building as Barton Family Medicine. For more information, contact Welker’s office at (530) 543-5691.