St. Luke's Health System

St. Luke’s recently gathered more than 100 representatives from nonprofit and community-based organizations at its annual Community Health Improvement Fund celebration at JUMP in downtown Boise.

The event is an important opportunity for partners to gather, celebrate, network and share the work they do to serve the community. For St. Luke’s, it serves as a reminder of why there is investment in these valued partnerships—to further the health system’s mission.

St. Luke’s hosts hundreds of community partners at its annual Community Health Improvement Fund celebration For life-threatening medical emergencies, call 911 without delay. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free and confidential crisis support.

The Surgical Services team at St. Luke’s Magic Valley recently hosted its first ever Family Day in the OR. Kids and adults were able to don scrubs and enter the OR setting where they were able to test their skill at robotic surgery using two robots in simulation mode.

“We wanted to be able to show our families what we do every day and the really cool equipment and tools that we have,” said Leon Jacobs, manager of surgical services in Twin Falls. “Doctors were just as excited as staff were to bring in their families.”

About 120 people attended, including St. Luke’s staff members from the OR, CSP, peri-anesthesia and surgery center in Twin Falls.

On the XI DaVinci robot, family members were able to move rubber bands from one pile to another. On the Stryker Mako, the participants were able to shave down a model femur in preparation for an implant.

“It was really fun, and we had an amazing turn out!” said Michelle Stierstorfer, director of Surgical Services, who brought her children and grandchildren to the event.

“Leon and his team did a wonderful job of organizing this family day — we hope to make it an annual event here at St. Luke’s Magic Valley.”

Kirsten Grunzke named new Surgical Services administrator.

Accountable for development, design and ex*****on of the Surgical Services operational strategy for St. Luke's, Kirsten Grunzke will maintain leadership responsibilities for the Surgical Services Community of Practice and will align and work collaboratively with providers, service lines, acute care, ambulatory, post-acute care, nursing and anesthesia services to promote and develop optimal services and continuous improvement.

As we stand up this new role, Kirsten will report to Sandee Gehrke, system chief operating officer.

Grunzke joined St. Luke's in 2012 and has 18 years of experience in surgical service lines. She has overseen 32 clinics and nine surgical specialties, including general surgery, urology, GI, ENT and plastics, as well as anesthesia.

She has also been the Surgical Community of Practice co-chair with Dr. Bob Korn. Kirsten is proud of her achievements, which include enhancing the effectiveness of the Surgical Community of Practice, improving communication between administration, surgeons and operational teams, and partnering with Supply Chain leadership to establish better systems for standardization initiatives.

The best way to beat the heat 🫠 is to go to Dairy Queen on Thursday and buy a BLIZZARD Treat 🥶

Thursday is Miracle Treat Day!

On July 25 stop by a participating Dairy Queen and purchase a BLIZZARD Treat. $1 or more of each sale is donated to St. Luke’s Children's through . We encourage you to bring your friends and family to stop by your local DQ on July 25. You can enjoy a sweet treat while contributing to an incredible cause!

Five Nampa RNs who are key members of the Emergency Department — Tony Naccarato, Michael Williams, Hanna Asumendi, Elsbeth Warren and John Zaklan — have been accepted to fill five of only 25 slots available within Northwest Nazarene University's upcoming Master of Science in Nursing program.

Nampa leaders said, “We have been blessed over the years by the dedication, knowledge and commitment to excellence each has displayed and offer our support as they pursue the path forward in their nursing careers!”

Meet Michael A. Norsk, his art was recently featured at the St. Luke's Nampa gallery.

"I am an abstract expressionist painter working with acrylic on canvas. Originally from Denmark, I relocated with my family from Chicago to Boise in 2017. Thereafter, I have been an active member of the Boise art community.

"Each of my abstract expressionism paintings begin with an emotional foundation tied to a momentary experience. Painting provides an opportunity to connect to, express, and process my emotions, feelings, and thoughts. It is my intention that each painting evoke a personal connection to emotion within the viewer.

"My paintings represent a window into the layers of the journey along my path on the mental health continuum. Painting assists with daily mental health management. Creating allows me to free and focus my mind. For me, painting is therapeutic and provides a creative and productive outlet from an often busy and distracted world.

"The external focal points of my creations are depth, detail, pattern, texture, and vibrant color. The variable physical character of acrylics allows me to evoke highly expressive qualities. The style of pointillism, among others, allows the freedom to create without restriction. Each dot, or stroke, that I apply to the canvas represents a thought or the space between my thoughts.

"My work has been shown in galleries throughout the Treasure Valley, Idaho Falls, and Twin Falls. My work has been featured four times as the Boise Weekly cover artist. I am an engaged member of the Treasure Valley Artist Alliance."

The Surgical Services team at St. Luke's Wood River recently took to the trails to assist in clearing them, making them safer for all to use.

The Wood River Trails Coalition, which works to create, maintain and sustain our trail network for all users, has a program called BYOC (bring your own crew) and the St. Luke's team spent a day making a difference in the community.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alison Kinsler is a frequent trail user and has been on the board of the Wood River Trails Coalition for multiple years and recently became board chair.

St. Luke’s Security and Information Station team members work to keep our staff, patients, visitors and communities safe each day.

Recently, amid the triple-digit temperatures, those efforts have included cruising St. Luke’s medical center parking lots, like in Meridian, offering water and ensuring patients are aware of free valet services when visiting.

Thanks to these team members for all they do!

Looking for cooling station info? Call Idaho Careline at 2-1-1
With triple digit heat across the region, many communities and organizations have set up cooling stations.

To find information and resources, call the Idaho Careline at 2-1-1, which is managed by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Congratulations to Magic Valley's Dr. Dan Alder, world traveler, former Navy, on his retirement!

In his career, Dr. Dan Alder has been many places but found home in Twin Falls.

After serving a church mission in Sweden after high school, he taught Swedish at BYU in Provo, Utah, where he also excelled as a folk dancer. He attended medical school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., then upon completion, served in the United States Navy. He served aboard the USS Ranger for 26 months, living in San Diego as well as Okinawa, Japan.

His work as a radiologist also sent him to Guam, Italy and other naval bases to assist as needed while his family lived in San Diego. Alder retired from the Navy in 2006 and moved to Twin Falls in January 2007, joining the St. Luke's team.

Dr. Alder's last day seeing patients was June 30.

July 4 fun at Magic Valley Physician Center and Wood River Family Medicine

St. Luke's Nampa celebrated two award winners recently, CNA Tracey Griffin and RN Marissa Putman, who received Sunshine and DAISY awards.

Griffin was recognized by a patient’s mom, who shared: “Tracey is out of this world, extraordinary, above and beyond. She makes you feel like family and helps you heal with laughter … She’s a blessing.”

The patient’s sister added: “Tracey was more than amazing with my brother. She truly is a breath of fresh air. She made us laugh and just brightened the mood …"

Putman was recognized by members of a patient’s family for her commitment and devotion to caring for their loved one.

The patient's mother said “You are a gift from GOD!!! Thank you so much for being my son’s Guardian Angel!!!”

The patient’s sister noted that Putman was amazing in the care of her brother and went the extra mile to make sure that he was comfortable and well cared for and uplifted and encouraged him daily.

“There’s always been a great connection, obviously with how it was founded, but also through a shared mission of wanting to help people, whether they could afford it or not,” said Missy Swajkoski, the chairperson for the 160th anniversary planning committee.

St. Michael's 160th anniversary an opportunity to celebrate St. Luke’s connection For life-threatening medical emergencies, call 911 without delay. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free and confidential crisis support.

Nonprofit organizations are a critical resource to help support, educate and foster health throughout our communities. St. Luke’s helps to support partnerships with local nonprofits each year through Community Health Improvement Fund grants.

In 2024, 85 nonprofit organizations across the Treasure Valley, West Treasure Valley, Elmore, Valley, Adams and Valley counties received CHIF grants from St. Luke's to support specific efforts that benefit our communities. (Additional grants are also awarded in the Magic Valley area.)

In June, the St. Luke’s Community Health and Engagement team hosted an event to celebrate this year’s CHIF grant recipients at JUMP in downtown Boise.

“We are all better because of St. Luke’s,” said Crystal Kuhn, director of philanthropy for the Nampa Family Justice Center Foundation. The Nampa-based organization provides wrap-around services for those affected by abuse.

Kuhn says the grant from St. Luke’s has been instrumental in allowing them to support those in the community who need safety, hope and healing. The center applied grant dollars to grow its own fundraising efforts.

“The money provided by St. Luke’s provided seed money so we would have our expenses met, so when we actually had the gala, we were able to use all of that money to directly back to client services,” Kuhn shared.

Boise RN Emily Scheideler was presented with the DAISY Award on June 26. Boise CNO Marle Hoff, director Liz Jorgensen and Scheideler's team joined in celebrating.

A patient’s daughter who was impressed with the care her mother received nominated Scheideler, noting the following.

“From our first interaction with her you could tell that my mom was in the safest hands possible. The attention to detail Emily provided my mom was next level and the genuine concern she had for her, no other RN has displayed that.

"We were fortunate to have Emily for two nights during my mom’s stay. Unfortunately, after being released from the hospital, we found ourselves back in the ED waiting to be admitted again. When we were told that Emily would be our nurse, we were all ecstatic. When we arrived, Emily was eagerly awaiting my mom with a warm smile. She had flowers in the room since my mom loves flowers and even pronounced her name correctly.

“She was beyond thorough with checking my mom in and addressing any concerns. Emily is the nicest, sweetest, nurse ever and we are so thankful for her. The care and love she has shown my mom during her time in the hospital is something that any family hopes for.”

Vivian Smith, an occupational therapist at St. Luke's Nampa, was recently recognized by a patient for the excellent care she provided.

The patient was admitted following a su***de attempt and was on a hold with 1:1 supervision. As a result of the patient's medical course, she was unable to perform activities of daily living independently.

The patient commented to Dr. Alok Desh that she felt significantly better, “like a real person,” after working with Smith one day. Smith assisted the patient with activities of daily living, such as being able to bathe herself, clean her face and brush her hair. She also provided a delirium journal and behavioral activation techniques.

Smith is less than two years into her position as an occupational therapist, and, according to her team and leaders, she has a bright future, frequently going the extra mile for her patients and demonstrating unmatched kindness and compassion working with those who have behavioral or mental health challenges.

St. Luke's Wood River recently hosted a group of high school students from the nonprofit group Far + Wise, which provides educational and enrichment programs in Blaine County.

Over three days, they learned about dieticians, nursing, surgery, lab, family medicine physicians, medical imaging, building services/security and more. They also had a resume workshop with the Talent Acquisition team.

Sarah Seppa, Wood River director of community engagement, and CNO/COO Almita Nunnelee were pivotal in helping organize the unique opportunity.

Many of the students have been in the program for years, so the same group gets to experience the same learning opportunities as they grow from elementary school into high school.

St. Luke's team honors newest citizen by gifting a special flag.

On the last day of April, Berenice Crowder passed her exam to become an official citizen of the United States. The bilingual outreach coordinator for the St. Luke's Center for Community Health in the Wood River Valley first fell in love with the area working at Sun Valley on a student work visa during her summers attending college in Peru.

Last week, following the St. Luke's Wood River Community Board meeting, Community Health and Engagement leader Theresa McLeod presented Crowder with an American flag that had been flown over the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Along with the flag, Crowder was given a certificate authenticating that the flag was flown over the Capitol, along with a note that it was flown in her honor of becoming a citizen, a request aided by Sen. Mike Crapo.

“When I had the flag in my hands, my maternal instinct kicked in and thought ‘I will protect you!’” Crowder said. “I am a proud American, I worked hard to become one and I am working even harder to honor the philosophical principles this country was created on: natural rights, liberty, equality and justice for all.”

Congratulations, Berenice! We are proud to have you on the St. Luke's team!

Wishing you a happy and safe Fourth of July!

The opening of the Twin Falls clinic marks a significant milestone in St. Luke’s mission to improve access to high-quality mental health care to our communities.

Addressing a key need, St. Luke's expands behavioral health access in Magic Valley For life-threatening medical emergencies, call 911 without delay. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free and confidential crisis support.

‘Kindest’ Nampa ICU RN Bland earns DAISY.

Hailey Bland, an RN with the St. Luke's Nampa ICU team, received a DAISY Award on June 19 after a nomination from one of her patients who praised her unwavering positive attitude and rationale, plus expressed his appreciation for her anticipation of his health care needs.

Zachary Carter, assistant nurse manager, added: “Hailey is one of the kindest people I know. She recently has been recognized by leadership for great safety callouts regarding patient care and always having a positive attitude and smile. One of Hailey’s most recognizable traits is her positive mentality, positive outlook at work and overall positive influence on people. Whether at work or at home, Hailey has a gift for helping others live healthier and happier — a trait that makes her recognized by patients for representing the DAISY Award!”

Pat Burton, manager of nursing and patient care at St. Luke’s Eagle, will retire July 1 after 32 years of leading at St. Luke’s.

Pat led the Boise Emergency Department for her first 16 years at St. Luke’s. This included redesigning the workflows and staffing processes, as well as implementing the ED’s first electronic medical record in 2001, one of the biggest challenges in her career. She served on the Emergency Medical Services board and help initiate the EMS breakfast held during EMS week each year.

In 2008, she was ready to take on a new challenge and helped open Eagle Medical Plaza. She’s seen it grow from 20 patients a day in Urgent Care to more than 80, while the Medical Imaging Department has grown to more than 100 exams a day and expanded CT and MRI hours to evenings and weekends.

“Eagle has been amazing, a great team, we have risen to many challenges,” Pat said. “Our clinics at Eagle continue to see more patients as we meet the challenges of our growing community. All the above, without a physical expansion.”

Pat worked with American Red Cross blood drives at Eagle and on many of our United Way Workplace campaigns, organizing some successful auctions. She serves on the Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School Advisory Board.

Pat said she appreciates the way teammates cared for her and her family in times of need as well.

“I have felt incredibly supported as I lost my husband to cancer almost five years ago,” she said. “Due to the generosity of a co-worker, my youngest daughter received a kidney transplant almost three years ago after developing a rare autoimmune disease.”

Though she will miss St. Luke’s team members, she hopes they’ll remember how much she cared about them.

“I truly believe if we choose great staff and care for them, they will deliver outstanding care to our patients and each other.”

A retirement celebration was held last week. Thank you, Pat!

Staff travel to cover ED shifts, allowing Wood River team to attend O'Connor funeral services.

St. Luke’s team members are driven to care for the people in the communities we serve — and that includes each other.

On June 20, a group of St. Luke’s emergency department team members from the greater Treasure Valley arrived at St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center to help cover the shifts of local staff, enabling them to attend the public memorial service for the late Dr. Terry O’Connor, St. Luke’s emergency department physician.

The supportive crew included Kelli Winward, assistant nurse manager, and Shawna LaFollette, nurse manager, from the St. Luke's Fruitland Emergency Department and Aldo Rivas, RN from the Boise ED.

"We're a team across the health system, and I’m proud of these team members for stepping up and being there for each other," said St. Luke’s Nampa COO/CNO Misty Robertson.

Dr. O’Connor, a beloved and respected member of the Wood River community, died in an avalanche on May 10. The public service included a procession of emergency service vehicles traveling from St. Luke’s Wood River to River Run Lodge.

Caring Heart Awards spotlight: St. Luke's Security team.

The St. Luke’s Security team is recognized across the health system for their expertise, professionalism and unwavering commitment to keeping staff, patients and visitors safe.

Among many responsibilities, team members are often found assisting visitors, escorting team members, deescalating challenging situations and completing training exercises to be prepared for wide-ranging events such as natural disasters.
In 2023, the Security team was honored with the Excellence in Teamwork award — part of St. Luke’s Caring Heart Awards program.

This award recognizes a team or workgroup that demonstrates St. Luke’s ICARE values and behaviors and works together to advance the health system’s mission to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve.

The team also includes St. Luke’s Threat Assessment Team and Emergency Management team. They are always ready to help, leading with compassion, skill and precision to ensure the safety of all.

The recognized team included: Ginger McCabe, Abbey Abbondandolo, James Maxson, Chad Huff, Karen Thomas, Craig Prescott, Pete Gray, Davie Turnbough, David Thornton, Susan Bass, Scott Smith, Lonnie Menges, Eric Banasiak and Dr. Katherine Stevens.

St. Luke's Magic Valley turns into a carnival to educate, entertain.

With a putting green, a plastic axe throwing game, cotton candy, popcorn, pretzels and more, the hospital patio at St. Luke’s Magic Valley transformed into a carnival on June 12 for a day of food, fun and education!

The “Care Always Carnival” was led by Arlen Blaylock, chief nursing officer of St. Luke’s Magic Valley.

“We’re using a carnival setting to learn about four ‘universal behaviors’ that have been proven to enhance our patient care and experience,” said Blaylock, who dressed as a ringmaster for his carnival role. “We’re focusing on connection, curiosity, emotional safety and kindness.”

Each employee was tasked with stopping by carnival booths to learn about humanizing health care from local leaders. Then they put what they learned into action — making connections and showing curiosity to get full credit.

You’re invited to St. Luke's Elmore Golf Classic and Silent Auction!
Saturday, July 20, 2024.
Desert Canyon Golf - Mountain Home, ID
Silent Auction donations welcome. Items due by July 9, 2024.
Sponsorship opportunities and perks available!

Learn more at https://stlukesonline.ejoinme.org/2024GolfandSA

Earlier this month, St. Luke's Wood River supported the annual Girls on the Run Color Me Fearless 5K in Hailey.

Girls on the Run of the Wood River Valley is a 10-week afterschool program for third, fourth and fifth grade girls. They meet twice a week and use running to strengthen the way girls see themselves and their opportunities. Volunteers mentor the girls through an organized curriculum of lessons, discussions and workouts that culminates with the 5K.

“I always enjoy running this 5K with my sons," said Dr. Julie Lyons. "It's a great way to support girls in our community and to spend time with my own family. (The) chalk stations were a blast.”

Dr. Alejandro Necochea, a St. Luke’s hospitalist and community health advisor, recently received the advocate of the year award during the Latino’s Unidos Conference, hosted by PODER of Idaho.

Dr. Necochea, who is bilingual, was recognized for his service and advocacy for the Latino communities in Idaho. Conference officials highlighted his volunteerism, community support and leadership.

The conference, held May 31 at The College of Idaho , focused on policy advocacy.

“The aim of the conference is to build a foundation for equity, justice and economic prosperity for the Latino community in Idaho,” according to the organization’s website.

The Nampa Building Services team recently celebrated having received a 2023 Idaho Leadership in Energy Efficiency honor with a luncheon provided by the St. Luke's Environmental Sustainability department.

Build Services leader Brett Wade and his team were celebrated by Sustainability and Nampa leadership.

Over the course of four years, the Nampa Medical Center has decreased the amount of energy consumed on-site by 15%, reducing the site’s electricity related greenhouse gas emissions by 17%.

This work helps St. Luke’s reach its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with our recent commitment to the Health Sector Climate Pledge.

Magic Valley SORT takes part in ceremony to unveil new flag soon to be flown near Perrine Bridge.

For the past two Septembers, Magic Valley Paramedics Special Operations Rescue Team, or SORT, has been instrumental in helping to display a giant American flag near the Perrine Bridge in the Snake River Canyon. This year, they’ll help fly a new flag, recently unveiled at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Twin Falls.

Magic Valley 9/11 Memorial, a local nonprofit organization, has previously coordinated with Utah-based organization Follow the Flag to hang one of its huge U.S. flags in the canyon each year. But the goal has always been to raise enough money for a local Magic Valley flag to be used at community events in addition the annual display in the canyon.

“To all the community members who have helped, volunteered, donated and school children who have donated their change and lunch money, we could not do it without you.” said Magic Valley 9/11 Memorial Director Larae Saufley.

“To all the volunteers at Twin Falls City, Twin Falls County Sherriff’s Office Search and Rescue, the Magic Valley SORT team, Twin Falls Fire and Magic Valley Paramedics, thank you.”

Several members of Magic Valley Paramedics and Air St. Luke’s attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and were invited to sign the box that the 400-pound flag is stored in.

The new flag measures 150 feet by 78 feet and each star is five feet tall.