Arimo
Arimo, ID · Health
Idaho State Journal
Lawsuits allege Portneuf Medical Center retaliated against whistleblowers for reporting dirty surgical tools
POCATELLO — A neurosurgeon and a local medical device distributor have filed separate lawsuits against Portneuf Medical Center, alleging they were retaliated against and defamed after raising concerns about contaminated surgical instruments. Dr. Jonathan Morgan and medical device representative Dallin Caudle filed their complaints in 6th District Court on Jan. 21 and Jan. 15, respectively, each detailing what they describe as a coordinated effort to silence their reports of sterilization failures at PMC that put patients at risk. The lawsuits connect directly to a state investigation last fall that confirmed surgical instruments were contaminated with tissue fragments. PMC officials deny the claims, describing them as meritless, and the hospital recently announced it received multiple center of excellence accreditations for its surgical practices. The lawsuits describe a culture of concealment at PMC, where administrators allegedly canceled safety tests, blocked investigations and blamed those who raised alarms rather than fix the problems. PMC, its parent company Ardent Health Partners and several hospital administrators — including CEO Nate Carter, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roger Passmore and Operating Room Manager Debra Schneider — are named as defendants in both suits. Idaho Department of Health and Welfare investigation The lawsuits come on the heels of
East Idaho News
Local lawmakers discuss budget shortfall, Medicaid at Pocatello legislative preview
POCATELLO — Idaho’s growing budget shortfall and the future of Medicaid expansion were hot topics during the League of Women Voters of Pocatello’s 2026 Legislative Preview, held Tuesday evening via Zoom. The forum brought together five local lawmakers from Districts 28 and 29 for a wide-ranging discussion moderated by Nancy Lee Hendricks. The League pre-submitted questions that addressed several of the state’s most pressing issues lawmakers will face as the 2026 legislative session begins Monday. Participating lawmakers included Sen. Jim Guthrie (R), McCammon; Rep. Rick Cheatum (R), Pocatello;...
Idaho State Journal
Grove Creek Medical Center welcomes first baby of 2026
BLACKFOOT —Grove Creek Medical Center has announced that its first baby of 2026 arrived at 4:02 a.m. on New Year’s Day. The baby’s name is Kollyns Lynn Weaver, according to a news release from Grove Creek Medical Center. She is the daughter of Sierra and Adam Weaver. Her parents arrived at the hospital just 20 minutes before little Kollyns was born. At the time of her birth, she weighed 5 pounds 8.6 ounces and had a length of 18 inches. Grove Creek Medical Center gifted the Weavers $1,000 and diapers in various sizes to celebrate Kollyns’ birth. {p class=”Paragraph SCXW210385683 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}Both Kollyns and her mother are doing well, and the Weaver family is looking forward to having a fantastic 2026. Grove Creek Medical Center congratulates the Weavers on the birth of their baby.
Idaho State Journal
Grove Creek Medical Center welcomes first baby of 2026
BLACKFOOT —Grove Creek Medical Center has announced that its first baby of 2026 arrived at 4:02 a.m. on New Year’s Day. The baby’s name is Kollyns Lynn Weaver, according to a news release from Grove Creek Medical Center. She is the daughter of Sierra and Adam Weaver. Her parents arrived at the hospital just 20 minutes before little Kollyns was born. At the time of her birth, she weighed 5 pounds 8.6 ounces and had a length of 18 inches. Grove Creek Medical Center gifted the Weavers $1,000 and diapers in various sizes to celebrate Kollyns’ birth. {p class=”Paragraph SCXW210385683 BCX0” lang=”EN-US” xml:lang=”EN-US”}Both Kollyns and her mother are doing well, and the Weaver family is looking forward to having a fantastic 2026. Grove Creek Medical Center congratulates the Weavers on the birth of their baby.
Idaho State Journal
State mental health cuts trigger emergency response in East Idaho
POCATELLO — Local officials are mobilizing emergency response plans as Idaho's elimination of specialized mental health programs takes effect, with law enforcement and service providers predicting immediate impacts on public safety and hospitals across East Idaho. The cuts, which took effect Dec. 1, eliminated or significantly reduced six evidence-based programs serving approximately 1,000 of Idaho's most severely mentally ill residents statewide — primarily individuals with schizophrenia or severe bipolar disorder — including an estimated 100 people in the Pocatello area said Ric Boyce, co-director of the Idaho Association of Community Providers and CEO of Pocatello-based Mental Health Specialists. "In a single move, the state of Idaho has just removed all of the programs to treat the most acute individuals with mental illness in the state," Boyce said. Emergency meetings convened Bannock County Emergency Management has convened two emergency planning meetings focused on responding to the mental health system changes. State Reps. Rick Cheatum, R-Pocatello, and Dan Garner, R-Clifton, attended the second meeting Thursday, "reflecting the degree to which these changes are now being treated as an emergency-planning issue at the local level," Boyce said, adding that similar meetings have also been held in Idaho Falls recently. Additionally, Pocatello Mayor Brian
beckersasc.com
Could ASCs be the disruptor that healthcare needs?
Healthcare, as an industry, is shaped by the convergence of a wide array of factors, including policy, labor and technology, to name a few. As the industry grows, ASCs have gained prominence as a way to increase surgical volumes while cutting out inefficiencies, lowering costs and meeting community health needs while offering a more convenient and comfortable environment for patients.