Health Care

Over the weekend, folks gathered at the Idaho Statehouse steps to hold a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. But this protest had a very specific angle: health care and its connection to systemic racismc. 

On Saturday in Boise, a group of health care workers are planning to gather at the capitol steps for a rally in support of Black Lives Matter. Speakers are set to address the connection between systemic racism and medical care in the United States. 

Americans are divided on lots of issues. But a new national survey finds that people across the political spectrum agree on at least one thing: Our health care system needs fixing.

Rural communities across America struggle to find adequate dental care nearby, which means oral health can be neglected until it manifests into an urgent medical issue. Some doctors gear their practices and pro-bono work to helping underprivledged and speical needs patients. We talk with one dentist based in Jerome and another in rural Adams County to get a sense for how folks get treatment in these locations. 

A new national report from Georgetown University shows children in the U.S. lost health insurance at a rapid rate during the past two years. The researchers say this trend emerged as states started dismantling and repealing segments of the Affordable Care Act.

Scleroderma is a chronic connective tissue disease. Folks who have it often suffer in silence without the support they need to cope. The Southern Idaho Scleroderma Support Group was created to help raise awareness about the disease and provide a network for those diagnosed with it.

It’s not easy to go to the doctor if you speak a different language. But, what if you’re deaf? How do you communicate? What barriers must be overcome for a simple doctor’s visit? Saint Alphonsus is working with the Idaho Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on programs to help.

How would you like to lower your cholesterol, your blood pressure, your blood sugar — and lose some weight? Sound too good to be true? St. Luke’s is trying to do all of that with the “Complete Health Improvement Program” or “CHIP.” It’s not a diet. It’s an 18-session lifestyle enrichment program. The goal is to change habits and lifestyles to reduce disease risk factors.  

The state of Idaho is still working to implement voter-approved Medicaid Expansion. The debate over expansion has been front and center in the public eye this year. But behind the scenes, health care providers around the state are preparing for the influx of patients, once thousands of more people are eligible for Medicaid. We find out how one hospital system is getting ready.

The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation says one of every three children in Idaho is overweight or obese, which can lead to health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. To help stop those risks, the Foundation gives out Community Transformation Grants to Idaho communities to provide access to physical activity and healthy, affordable foods. Gemma Gaudette takes a look at the program.

Children with special needs in the Magic Valley have a place to turn when they need special equipment, therapy, travel assistance or family counseling. Since 2006, St. Luke’s Magic Valley Health Foundation has helped more than 400 kids with speech therapy, physical therapy, equipment and hippotherapy. Idaho Matters finds out more about this special program.

Pancreatic cancer is hard to find and to treat. We take a look at the Purple Stride Walk which fosters awareness and education about the warning signs.

This July marks the anniversary of when supporters turned in their gathered signatures for Medicaid expansion. Though the expansion was approved by Idaho voters last fall, Medicaid Expansion has yet to take place in the Gem State.

Stress affects all of us, but for those who work in healthcare, the risks of stress can be hazardous. In a job that is inherently stressful, it is important that medical providers have strategies to combat and cope with the physical, mental and emotional stresses of their occupation. We talk with a nurse practitioner about the techniques she and others can use to maintain a balanced work and personal life.

Officials in Gooding County are looking to upgrade the quality of medical service its residents get. That improvement also necessitates a new facility.

After receiving letters announcing an end to primary care services, some Boise residents were worried about the state of Planned Parenthood in Idaho. It turns out that the change does not impact any of the group’s reproductive health services.

Officials who provide services to homeless people in the Treasure Valley say folks are falling into a crack in the system. People can’t stay at a shelter if they have a contagious illness. But there may be a solution.

St. Luke’s has opened the region’s first “virtual hospital” to help people in remote communities get health care without traveling to Boise.

One of the Treasure Valley’s largest health care providers, Saint Alphonsus, sued a private prison contractor in a federal court this week. The medical group says it’s owed millions for procedures on inmates.

Idaho’s doing better than in previous years when it comes to emergency preparedness. That's according to a new national study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.