Lots of factors go into the costs of health care. St. Luke’s is hard at work, and collaborating with partners, to find innovative ways to bend the cost curve. Watch this short vide0 to learn more about some of the factors in the cost equation.
Dr. Brian Goltry is the first to say he was a “non-believer” in the concept of the tele-ICU a year ago, when he and a partner went to look at the technology in use at a South Dakota site. He came back a believer. And his leadership on the use of this powerful emerging technology [...]
After a very successful track and field career, trail-blazing, three-time Olympian Anne Audain wanted to ensure that women and girls of all ages would have an opportunity to stand on a start line and cross the finish line to experience their own sense of empowerment and accomplishment. So she founded the Women’s Fitness Celebration, here [...]
Note: The Idaho Statesman published the following as my Reader’s View guest column in the Aug. 26 edition of the newspaper under the headline, “St. Luke’s is motivated to keep health care costs down.” St. Luke’s has set out to transform health care. We are trying to find ways to make investments in promoting health, [...]
St. Luke’s Health System and Regence BlueShield of Idaho have launched a creative new effort to better support those with multiple health conditions. Our Healthy U CoPartner Program will tailor and coordinate care for Regence members with complicated needs who agree to take part. It’s an idea in keeping with our Triple Aim of better [...]
The comedian Rosie O’Donnell suffered a heart attack last week and wrote about it on her blog. A few hours after helping a woman out of a car, her “body hurt, I had an ache in my chest, both my arms were sore, everything felt bruised.” She went about her day, but the pain persisted. [...]
Earlier this month, I invited blog readers to take part in a two-question poll. I asked whether Idaho should implement a state-operated health insurance exchange, as opposed to deferring to the federal government’s plan for an exchange, and whether the state should expand its Medicaid program, at least for the next three years. I’m sharing [...]
I’ve asked John Kee, St. Luke’s Health System vice president of physician services, to share his experience and thoughts about how we’ve evolved and what challenges we face going forward. His perspective is presented here. I’ve introduced John in a previous post, and you’ll be hearing more from him and other members of our executive team as our journey [...]
Thanks to all the folks who took part in my two-question poll on a state health insurance exchange and a possible expansion of Medicaid, parts of the Affordable Care Act recently upheld by the Supreme Court. More than 140 people took the time to register their thoughts, and I plan to report in a few [...]
After I wrote about the possibilities of medical tourism in May, I was asked this question on my blog: Can you explain your statement, “The calculation is that even though some patients may be more costly, others can be managed under the fixed price at a profit,” in the context of St. Luke’s nonprofit, tax-exempt [...]
