Community partners celebrated by St. Luke's for improving health across southern Idaho. At St. Luke's, the mission is "to improve the health of people in the communities we serve." That means more than just outstanding care inside clinical spaces. St. Luke's recently hosted nonprofit leaders and community partners from across southern Idaho for its annual Community Impact Celebration, recognizing organizations that are improving health and well-being in their communities throughout the Treasure Valley, Wood River Valley, plus Adams, Elmore and Valley counties. The event celebrates recipients of St. Luke's Community Health Improvement Fund, which supports nonprofit organizations addressing a wide range of community needs, from access to health care and behavioral health services to youth development, family support and basic needs. "Community partners are essential to improving health beyond the walls of our hospitals," said Theresa McLeod, St. Luke's administrator of community health and engagement. "Together, we are addressing the unique needs of our communities and creating healthy impacts for the people we serve." In addition to celebrating community impact, attendees also participated in a learning session led by Kevin Bailey with the Nonprofit Center for the Idaho Community Foundation focused on community advocacy and elevating a nonprofit's voice and impact. Five community organizations shared stories about the impact their programs are having in their communities. Speakers included Nancee Baaken of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho in Boise, Aleshea Boals of Camp Hope Idaho in Nampa, Nicole Cruser of West Elementary School in Mountain Home, Sonya Wilander of Men's Second Chance Living in Hailey and Mayor Julie Good of New Meadows Youth Center. Their stories reflected the many ways community partners are addressing health and well-being, including supporting children and families during medical crises and expanding access to childcare, to helping individuals overcome adversity and build brighter futures. Supporting families through challenging medical journeys. For nearly four decades, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho has helped ease the burden on families with ill or injured children receiving medical care away from home. What began in 1988 as a four-room facility has grown into a 48-room house near St. Luke's Boise and a family room in Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center serving families from across Idaho and beyond. Today, the organization provides lodging, meals, day-use services and other resources designed to help families focus on their child's care rather than the financial and logistical challenges that often accompany a medical crisis. In 2025 alone, Ronald McDonald House served nearly 2,500 families through the house and family room, provided more than 9,300 nights of lodging and served more than 4,700 individuals through the day-use program. "Our goal is to remove barriers and reduce burdens so families can focus on what matters most, which is the health and wellbeing of their child," said Baaken, executive director. Baaken highlighted the organization's longstanding partnership with St. Luke's, which helps connect families to needed resources and support when they need it most. "The generous funding we receive through the CHIF program fuels our growth and ensures every family that walks through our doors is feeling welcomed and supported," she said. Helping men rebuild their lives and restore hope. In the Wood River Valley, Men's Second Chance Living is providing men in recovery from substance use disorders with the support they need to rebuild their lives and create lasting change for their future. Since opening its first sober living home in 2018, the organization has expanded to four homes serving men in the Wood River Valley through a combination of recovery housing, behavioral health support, education assistance, financial literacy programming and employment resources. "Most of the men who come through our doors have lost everything to their drug or alcohol addiction. They've lost their homes, their families, their finances, their jobs, their confidence," said Wilander, founder and executive director. "We're trying to give them their hope back and a second chance in their lives." "Recovery requires more than just helping someone stop using drugs," she said. "It's learning how to manage stress, repair relationships, build healthy routines, discover purpose and make the changes possible and have hope in themselves." Wilander emphasized the importance of community partnerships in this work, including support from St. Luke's, in helping residents access critical health and behavioral health resources that support long-term recovery. Among the services at Men's Second Chance Living, residents receive preventative and restorative dental care. Part of the CHIF funding helped provide 15 medical and dental appointments for residents. One resident said: "Having new teeth has helped me gain the confidence and self-esteem to socialize and get better employment." The organization recently celebrated several resident milestones, including individuals who completed college degrees and professional certifications while participating in the program, helping pave the way toward stable employment, stronger families and healthier futures. Strengthening communities through partnership. Like the organizations above, the 113 CHIF recipients for 2026 are addressing the social, economic and environmental factors that influence health. Their work also aligns with findings from the recently completed 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment, which identified access to care, behavioral health and affordable housing as the most pressing health needs across southern Idaho. Through CHIF investments and ongoing partnerships, St. Luke's continues to support local nonprofits that are creating opportunities, removing barriers and helping communities thrive. About Community Health Improvement Fund. CHIF supports nonprofit organizations whose work aligns with priorities identified through St. Luke's Community Health Needs Assessment. The recently released 2026 assessment, covering 13 Idaho counties and more than 1 million people, identified access to care, behavioral health and affordable housing as the region's most significant health needs. St. Luke's CHIF grant applications are open Aug. 1-31 for qualifying nonprofit organizations in the communities St. Luke's serves. CHIF funding helps community partners address these priorities and other social drivers of health by expanding access to services, strengthening community support systems and improving health outcomes across the communities St. Luke's serves. Related Tags

TriState Health welcomes new providerk, Caroline Rolofson, DO, to TriState Obstetrics & Gynecology. August 5, 2026 August 4, 2026 July 24, 2026 Connect with TriState Health. Get stories sent directly to your inbox each quarter! * August 5, 2026 CLARKSTON, WA -August 5, 2026 - TriState Health welcomes new provider, Caroline Rolofson, DO, to TriState Obstetrics & Gynecology. She is currently assisting with delivery call for TriState Health midwives and will begin seeing patients in the clinic this fall. Caroline Rolofson, DO, received her medical doctorate from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia May 2019, and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Campbell University, Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Dr. Rolofson joins TriState Obstetrics & Gynecology from St. Luke's Clinic in Boise, Idaho, where she served as Site Medical Director while providing comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology care. As an osteopathic physician, Dr. Rolofson takes a holistic, whole-person approach to healthcare, providing a comfortable, judgment-free environment where patients feel heard and empowered. Her experience spans the full spectrum of obstetrics and gynecology care, with special clinical interests in high-risk pregnancies (including twins, preeclampsia, and d IVF pregnancies), abnormal bleeding, endometriosis, and pelvic organ prolapse. Her surgical practice focuses on advanced, minimally invasive procedures. "I believe the foundation of exceptional women's healthcare is trust," said Dr. Rolofson. "My goal is to create a comfortable, judgment-free space where patients feel empowered to share their concerns, ask questions, and actively participate in their care." As a mother of two, Dr. Rolofson brings personal understanding to her practice and is passionate about supporting women through postpartum and perinatal mental health struggles. Outside of medical practice, she enjoys painting, home renovation, and exploring the outdoors with her family. She looks forward to building lasting relationships with families throughout the Lewis-Clark Valley. TriState Obstetrics & Gynecology is dedicated to providing exceptional, personalized care to women of all ages. Whether scheduling a routine exam, navigating family planning, or expecting a new baby, they are with their patients every step of the way. To learn more about TriState Obstetrics & Gynecology, please visit tsh.org/obgyn or call 509.769.2252

St. Luke's Hospital completes $25M Heart and Vascular center renovation. by D'Andre Lewis Tue, July 7, 2026 at 9:08 PM 00:00 01:44 ST LUKE 1.jpg After three years of construction, St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids has completed a $25 million renovation and expansion of its Heart and Vascular Center, including a new state-of-the-art hybrid operating room that could be available for use as soon as Monday. Hospital staff spent time Tuesday training and preparing the space for its first patient. During the three-year project, the Heart and Vascular Center added electrophysiology labs and made upgrades to its vascular and interventional radiology capabilities. The renovation also included the new hybrid operating room, which is equipped with surgical technology designed to help medical professionals reduce stress and risk during heart procedures. Justin McDonald, St. Luke's director of cardiovascular services, said the hybrid operating room is designed for minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures that rely on imaging systems. "The types of procedures that are done in this type of hybrid operating room are minimally invasive procedures, they are catheter-based procedures. So, they're using imaging systems to help guide those procedures," McDonald said. "So, they require the capabilities of an OR environment. So, like the ventilation for example, but also the space and the technology to have the imaging is how they actually perform those procedures." With the addition of the hybrid operating room, St. Luke's officials said they are confident in their ability to provide exceptional care now and into the future, particularly as the community ages. "I think it really centers around the demand for this growth and services," McDonald said. "So, obviously we have an aging population, certainly once you hit the age of 65 and thereafter the prevalence of Cardiovascular disease increases. So, maybe a patient was medically managed before, they didn't have a s many options available to them; we can provide procedures that are complex, but minimally invasive in nature and get them feeling better." SPONSORED CONTENT MORE TO EXPLORE