Health Care

Young Gonzaga nursing program attains full accreditation

More than 130 health professionals enrolled

September 10, 2015

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, in Washington, D.C., has granted full accreditation to Gonzaga University's Doctor of Nursing Practice Program for the next five years. It's the first accreditation granted to the two-year old program.

Migrating from front-line nursing to online records at Providence

Providence's Covert sees big shifts in industry, career

September 10, 2015

Chris Street

Brenda Covert started working in the health care field as a registered nurse 30-some years ago and worked her way up in the ranks to implementation manager of Providence Health & Services' massive conversion to the Epic electronic medical records system

Prescribing independence

Sixth Avenue Medical Pharmacy grows with compounding, packaging

September 10, 2015

Mike McLean

During an era in which neighborhood pharmacies are being displaced by big chain drug stores, Erik Nelson has struck up a plan that's making the Sixth Avenue Medical Pharmacy a strong independent.

Cardiac care expansion at Sacred Heart

$19.2 million project set to wrap up next February

September 10, 2015

LeAnn Bjerken

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center is underway on the second phase of a $19.2 million redesign and expansion of its cardiac intensive care unit.

Chiropractor acquires South Hill practice

Bell also now certified in craniocervical work

September 10, 2015

Samantha Peone

CR Clearview LLC, a company owned by Spokane chiropractor Rachae Bell, has bought the assets of the Clear Chiropractic Spokane office, located at 2503 E. 27th on Spokane's South Hill. The practice will continue to do business under the Clear Chiropract

Aspen Dental-branded clinic planned in Valley

Chain says it now includes 500 practices in 31 states

August 27, 2015

LeAnn Bjerken

Aspen Dental Management Inc., a Syracuse, N.Y.-based chain that provides nonclinical, administrative and business support services to independently owned and operated dental practices, says it plans to open a clinic in Spokane Valley this fall. A yet-to-

Developer eyes hotel near Sacred Heart

Environmental application submitted for Hampton Inn

August 27, 2015

Mike McLean

Spokane Valley-based commercial real estate investor James Mulloy plans to develop a 109-room Hampton Inn & Suites Hotel in the medical district on the lower South Hill, a proposal under environmental review by the city of Spokane shows. Mulloy heads up

Rockwood Health owner set to spin off 38 hospitals

CHS facilities here aren't among those in transaction

August 13, 2015

LeAnn Bjerken

Community Health Systems, the Tennessee-based medical facilities operator that owns Rockwood Health System in Spokane, plans to spin off 38 small-market hospitals into a separate company. According to a recent press release, the new company will include

Providence Health eyes large merger

Partnership's potential impact here isn't clear

August 13, 2015

Kim Crompton

Providence Health & Services, the five-state health system that includes Spokane-based Providence Health Care, is in talks with another Catholic health system, St. Joseph Health, to combine into a single network that would reach from Anchorage, Alaska, to

Spokane-area parks departments foresee jump in ACA costs

City of Spokane reports larger surge than county

July 30, 2015

The city of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department estimates it faces a $60,000 per month increase in costs due to the Affordable Care Act. The ACA requires employers with more than 200 employees to enroll their employees automatically into the organiza