As I reflect on all that we have accomplished, it is hard for me to believe that we are only eight years old as a health system. Amazing! 

We became a health system in 2006 due to the foresight and vision of the then-President and CEO Ed Dahlberg, the community representatives on the St. Luke’s and Magic Valley Regional Medical Center boards of directors, physicians, and colleagues. I wonder whether even they could imagine how much we would evolve and all we would accomplish in just these eight short years. 

In that time, we have by invitation extended to us added St. Luke’s McCall, St. Luke’s Jerome, and St. Luke’s Elmore to the original parts of the System: St. Luke’s Boise and Meridian Medical Centers, MSTI, St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Wood River, and St. Luke’s Magic Valley. 

We have also built St. Luke’s Clinic, a key component that will enable us to transform health care the only way truly possible – with aligned physicians.  

And we have worked closely with SELECT Medical Network, which encompasses not only St. Luke’s Clinic, but creates the vehicle for aligned independent physicians and facilities to work with us as we design new care and business models to achieve the Triple Aim of better health, better care, and lower costs. SELECT is rebranding, and you will hear more about this in the weeks to come.

Growth has not been our strategy. It has occurred because of the relationships we have forged, the success we have achieved, and the vision we hold for the future. These relationships, successes, and vision attract the best of the best, and physicians and boards of local hospitals have asked to be part of St. Luke’s Health System as a result. 

The growth that we have experienced as a byproduct of our relationships, successes, and vision has been necessary to prepare us for our future – providing population health management. Population health was the subject of our annual St. Luke’s Health System Summit, held earlier this year. Our keynote speaker, Dr. David Nash, a noted national expert on the topic, indicated that St. Luke’s is already one of the leaders in the country when it comes to population health.

At the root of all we do is a focus on our patients – providing the care and caring that distinguish us and that have contributed to our brand and consumer preference in the markets we serve. And for the benefit of all those we are privileged to serve, we celebrate being recognized as not only the quality leader in the markets we serve, but also a national quality leader, as evidenced by our recognitions from HealthGrades as the only Distinguished Hospital for Clinical Excellence in our markets and by Truven Health Analytics as one of the Top 15 Health Systems in the country!

We have accomplished a lot in a few short years, and we are well prepared to not only weather healthcare reform and the multitude of changes coming the healthcare industry’s way, but to thrive and to be a national leader not only in quality, but in fixing health care so that we improve the health of the people we serve and are successful in making health care more affordable for Idahoans and those who seek our services from surrounding states.

Happy eighth birthday, St. Luke’s Health System. I cannot wait to see what you look like and have accomplished by your next birthday!