Health Care

Cd'A optometry practice moves to relocate to Riverstone

Ironwood Vision Center to more than double space

July 28, 2016

Daniel Garn, owner of Elite Eyecare PC, which does business as Ironwood Vision Center, has bought a 5,100-square-foot office building in the Riverstone mixed-use development in Coeur d'Alene and plans to move the practice there in September. The single

Creator of dental referral app expands network

Orthodontist here devised Refer.to to simplify process

July 28, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Spokane creator of Refer.to, a Web application that enables dentists to send referral information digitally to colleagues and patients, has begun expanding the number of dental offices within its network. Orthodontist Josh Johnson came up with the idea

Sacred Heart starts work on special pathogens unit

Unit funded by federal grant to treat infectious diseases

July 14, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital has begun a $1.3 million remodeling project for a new special pathogens unit there. Dr. Joel McCullough, Providence Health Care's medical director for community health and epidemiology, sa

Kootenai Health expands in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls

Hospital district launches projects worth $45 million

July 14, 2016

Mike McLean

Coeur d'Alene-based Kootenai Health has launched a $45 million second phase of expansion on the heels of the recently completed $57 million first phase of a master plan for its flagship hospital. The North Idaho regional health care network also has ob

Franklin Park Medical Center faces loan default

Trustee sale scheduled this week at courthouse

July 14, 2016

Mike McLean

The California-based owners of Franklin Park Medical Center, at 220 E. Rowan, have defaulted on a loan on the three-story medical office building, which is scheduled for a trustee's sale on Friday, July 15, at the Spokane County Courthouse. A notice

Providence says it won't renew Premera contract

Current agreement ends Dec. 31

July 13, 2016

Staff Report

Providence Health & Services said it notified Premera Blue Cross this afternoon that it wouldn't be renewing its commercial contracts in Washington state for 2017. Starting Jan. 1, 2017, Providence, Swedish, PacMed, and Kadlec hospitals and health ca

New simulation lab honors medical pioneer

Facility's goal said partly to attract future healers

June 30, 2016

Kim Crompton

A new clinical simulation lab that has opened on the Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children's Hospital campus will enable medical staff and students to experience lifelike medical situations through the use of robotic mannequins. The lab, de

Gonzaga set to host influx of UW medical students

Schoenberg Center gets upgrades as preparation

June 30, 2016

Treva Lind

Crews are updating Gonzaga University's Schoenberg Center to host 100 medical students starting studies Aug. 22, and that attendance includes the largest first-year class in Spokane undergoing University of Washington School of Medicine training. Augus

Rockwood Health System starts interventional stroke program at Deaconess

Rockwood launches interventional program at Deaconess

June 30, 2016

LeAnn Bjerken

Spokane-based Rockwood Health System has begun a new interventional stroke program at Deaconess Hospital. Located on the 11th floor of the hospital, at 800 W. Fifth, program employees treat patients who have or have experienced strokes, vascular malforma

Working out wellness plans

Spokane gets $1 million in grant money over four years

June 30, 2016

Some Spokane-area employers recently have started taking advantage of federal grant money made available to help them set up wellness programs for their workers. Spokane's share of the grant will amount to $1 million over the course of four years, from