BOISE, Idaho — Intermountain Healthcare will close or sell all Saltzer Health locations this spring after 63 years of serving the southwest Idaho community.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the health group cited financial and economic difficulties for its decision to end operations by March 29, 2024. Saltzer leaders said costs have increased, while contracts and marketing partnerships have not since COVID-19.
Saltzer Health has more than 400 employees and serves just under 80,000 patients annually. Saltzer also has around 80 physicians across 11 facilities in Ada and Canyon counties.
Jesse Chlebeck, orthopedic surgeon and Saltzer associate medical director, called the decision disheartening and frustrating. Already, he said Idahoans wait too long to see a doctor and thinks Intermountain's decision will only make matters worse.
"We care for very sick people," Chlebeck said. "There are people with appointment schedules, labs, pending surgeries that have been scheduled for months that are either going to be canceled or do not have a good mechanism for follow-up care. We, as the providers, are really, really worried about it."
John Freeman, an internal medicine pediatrics physician, agrees. He said 10 weeks is simply not enough time for patients to find other health care or employees to line up another job.
"People have lives; they've lost family members recently; they are looking at not having a job," Freeman said, "and not having a job in 10 weeks, that is difficult to say the least for them to try to manage. I am concerned about those individuals that may not have [a] safety net."
Saltzer Health said it is "optimistic" another healthcare company will buy some of its assets.
"Saltzer is in active negotiations with other healthcare companies that may be interested in purchasing some operations to preserve access to high-quality care for patients in the Treasure Valley and is optimistic that a sale can be achieved," a spokesperson said in a statement. "If those discussions are successful, employees at medical operations included in any sale may have the opportunity to continue their employment with the new organization."
The organization – founded by Dr. Joseph Saltzer in 1961 – was purchased in 2020 by Intermountain Healthcare, a large Salt Lake City-based health system. Ball Ventures Ahlquist previously acquired it in April 2019, and its name was changed from Saltzer Medical Group to Saltzer Health.
CEO Tommy Ahlquist called Thursday's announcement "surprising."
"I just got to believe that there's going to be a solution or something good will come out of this because of the legacy and history and providers," Ahlquist said. "I go back to how well those providers take care of patients and how much they love their patients and this area, and we need it."
The Saltzer Surgery Center at the Ten Mile Medical Campus opened in June 2021. The major medical campus at the Ten Mile Crossing in Meridian consists of two four-story buildings totaling about 270,000 square feet.
Its Boise, Caldwell and Meridian clinics offering urgent and family medical care opened in 2020 and 2021. The primary care group said its patients will be contacted and will receive information on their options moving forward. Saltzer Health patients can learn more information via email at SZ_info@imail.org or by clicking here.
Chlebeck said some physicians are already considering opening their own practices or moving to a large health system like St. Luke's or Saint Alphonsus.
"We want to let the people know that we are all dedicated to caring for them," Chlebeck said. "We're all going to try and find a spot to land here in the valley and hopefully be able to continue their care, but it's going to be a rocky few months."
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