Latest news with #KootenaiHealth
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kootenai Health, MultiCare to build 30-acre medical campus in Post Falls
Mar. 12—With goals of eventually opening a new hospital, Kootenai Health and MultiCare are building a new 30-acre medical campus in Post Falls. The expanded partnership between the two health care nonprofit companies will connect Kootenai Health's services in Coeur d'Alene and MultiCare's presence in Washington at Deaconess and Valley hospitals. The "Prairie Medical Campus" will be located at the south-east corner of Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue in the north-east corner of Post Falls. "Working together we do what we can't do alone," MultiCare CEO Bill Richardson said. "The opportunity and challenge in health care is best served in partnership." Richardson added that the first phase of the project should be completed "fairly rapidly" in the next two to three years. That phase will include a micro-hospital with a 12-room emergency department, imaging services and rooms for overnight patients. A medical office space built in the initial construction will have a new ambulatory surgery center and house physician practices for Kootenai Clinic and independent physicians. Kootenai Health spokesperson Caiti Bobbitt said that many Kootenai clinics are at full capacity at their Coeur d'Alene facilities, and the increased access to health care in the region "will be significant." As Post Falls' population grows, the partners hope to expand the facility to a full hospital. The latest population estimate for Post Falls is 48,500 people. Five years ago, the city had 39,250 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's estimate of county populations. "The Prairie Medical Campus in Post Falls is a transformational investment in the future of our region's health care," Kootenai Health CEO Jamie Smith said in a statement. "It is our mission to serve this rapidly growing part of our community. We are excited to partner with MultiCare; working together allows us to build on the strengths of both organizations for the benefit of our patients. It allows us to create something bigger, faster and better in the Post Falls to Liberty Lake corridor than either of us could alone." MultiCare and Kootenai Health jointly purchased land for the project several years ago, but the long-planned expansion stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bobbitt said. While MultiCare provides a financial investment to the project, the campus will be under Kootenai Health administration and branding. Both organizations declined to answer what the financial cost is to each nonprofit for creation of the campus. MultiCare and Kootenai health previously collaborated to start a joint electronic health record system and on two urgent care locations in Coeur d'Alene and Hayden.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Building Idaho's future: the power of education, innovation and partnership
Investment in higher education and a skilled workforce has been shown to provide significant societal benefits, including more individuals with private retirement benefits, medical benefits, and employment stability – thus, decreasing their reliance on state or federal benefits, writes guest columnist Robert Wagner. (Courtesy of Idaho State University) The start of a legislative session has a familiar rhythm – a mix of tradition and purpose that reminds me of the serious work ahead and the hope that comes with new beginnings. As a political scientist, I've always appreciated the unique dynamics of this process, and earlier this month, I had the privilege of watching our legislators take their places, ready to engage in the deliberations that will shape our state's future. Their work, often painstaking and unglamorous, is a clear example of how democracy works in action. It's a reminder that politics, at its best, is not just a contest of ideas but about building something enduring together. The legislative session officially began with an event representing the intersection of governance and vision for Idaho's future — Gov. Brad Little's State of the State Address. Gov. Little underscored the essential role of education in Idaho. His vision is clear: Idaho's prosperity hinges on the ability to equip its people with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to succeed. His strategy is backed by important data: a study indicates by 2031, 72% of jobs in the United States will require post-secondary education or training. This is the daily work of those who serve Idaho's residents at institutions like Idaho State University; we turn goals and dreams into reality. In response to Idaho's urgent need for health care professionals, ISU collaborated with Kootenai Health to create an accelerated nursing program in North Idaho to educate and mobilize skilled nurses. This program prepares RNs in a fraction of the time, combining rigorous academic training with real-world clinical experience. With the governor's support, we are now expanding the accelerated nursing program and ensuring that more nurses are ready to step into the field where they are so desperately needed. Our partnership with Kootenai Health shows what can happen when public institutions and private industry unite. A deeper truth about education is reflected: it's not an expense but an investment. The dividends are clear – not only in economic terms but also in the value of building stronger communities and meeting Idaho's growing workforce needs with homegrown talent. This approach creates greater opportunities for Idahoans and reduces the need to rely on importing out-of-state professionals. Investment in higher education has also been shown to provide significant societal benefits, including more individuals with private retirement benefits, medical benefits, and employment stability – thus, decreasing their reliance on state or federal benefits. The value of our public higher education system is all about equipping Idahoans with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a growing state. Recent studies show that college education results in stronger families, better health, increased prosocial behavior, and graduates who are more likely to vote. Businesses can hire talented workers locally instead of looking out of state, and those workers become active contributors to civic life. They stay rooted in the communities they love, making a difference by raising families, joining PTOs, coaching youth sports and volunteering at food banks and local churches. Investing in higher education is investing in the stewards who will shape Idaho's future. This understanding animates ISU's mission and drives our commitment to innovation. We're reimagining what it means to serve Idahoans by creating flexible pathways that allow more people to access the opportunities a college education provides. Whether a recent high school graduate, a mid-career professional looking to reskill or a parent returning to school after raising children, students are met where they are, and ISU's specialized programs take them where they want to be with a bachelor's degree, a technical certificate, a professional degree or a career-advancing certification. The work we do in higher education requires more than vision — partnerships are essential. Working with our state Legislature, whose members represent Idaho's incredible breadth of experience and insight, is a foundational partnership that generates long-term success. Idaho's elected officials, like its educators, are grappling with an essential question: How do we prepare for a future that's both unpredictable and demanding? Part of the answer lies in the innovative programs that are emerging from the state's public higher education institutions, like ISU. We are partnering with industries to meet workforce demands and create pipelines that connect education to employment. Whether it's health care, energy or engineering, these collaborations are yielding solutions that are as practical as they are impactful. At ISU, we embrace the responsibility of our mission with determination. We understand that the stakes are high and the expectations even higher. We also know that Idaho's potential is boundless, as long as we remain committed to the principles that have always guided us: collaboration, innovation and an unyielding belief in the power of education to transform lives. In the end, the strength of Idaho will not only be measured by its resources and its landscapes, but by the people who call it home and by the futures we are willing to invest in today. There's work to be done, and it's the kind of work that matters. Together, we're ensuring that Idaho's brightest days are still ahead. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
