Intermountain Health failed to sell Saltzer Health before March 29th. Now, the facility is closing its doors for good.
- Saltzer Health saw 30,000+ people use them as their primary care physician
- 400+ employees
- Some doctors are beginning private practices as others join other established community health systems
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
With the bustle of morning traffic, you'd think it's business as usual. Except because of a decision by Saltzer's Utah-based parent company Saltzer employees, doctors, and patients won't be returning after the weekend.
In January, Intermountain Health announced a close-or-be-sold ultimatum, citing economic and financial challenges, and "vital contracts and other market relationships did not progress as had been hoped for," said Dr. Elaine Davidson
That deadline was Friday.
I've been covering this story for months and doctors I talked with earlier this year were optimistic they'd find a new owner in February, but that didn't happen.
Elaine Davidson, associate medical director for family practice said, "The last couple weeks have been really hard to take care of patients because our lab closed on the 15th, our imaging center closed down."
Come March, physicians started to give private practices and other options a strong look.
With moving trucks in the parking lot ready to take exam beds and equipment to their new homes, some doctors are beginning private practices as others join other established community health systems.
"I actually looked at the numbers this morning and about half of us are going into the health systems and about half are going independent," says Davidson.
Saltzer Health employed over 400 doctors and physicians and saw over 30,000 Treasure Valley patients, enough to nearly fill Albertsons Stadium.
In January I spoke with a patient whose whole team of physicians was based out of Saltzer.
Patient Devon Orr said, "Our community how it is is already under hard times, and for the healthcare system it's having a hard enough time to get people to work how it is."
