Sallanches is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department of France with a resident population of over 16,000. Located close to the Mont Blanc massif, many visitors pass through the city en route to other well-known alps towns such as Chamonix, Megève or Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. Sallanches is also one of the cities of the Arve Valley, made popular by the presence of many high-tech industries. Over 300 stores are located in Sallanches, making this city a commercial hub.In 2015 Sallanches hospital announced that, as part of the government's "groupements hospitaliers de territoire" policy, it would develop a specialist accident department to research and develop mountain-related emergency medicine because of its proximity and past experience with dealing with accidents occurring on the nearby high mountains. With an emergency team of 30 doctors and emergency staff, plus 50 support staff, it is expected that the new mountain medicine department will become a word-leader in developing treatments and researching into altitude sickness, frostbite, hypoxia, trauma-injuries and related sports medicine.MediaSallanches is mentioned in American author Willa Cather's 1935 novel Lucy Gayheart.