Caribou County, Idaho
March 28, 2024 | Vol. 1 No. 8
Caribou Medical Center donates to the athletic program
At the most recent city council meeting, Caribou Medical Center presented $2000 to the Recreation Department’s Rec League program, which will be used to help run the program and defray costs. The Medical Center is a community-centered facility, which means that one of its most important missions is to help support the surrounding area in as many ways as possible over the course of a year. COO Dillon Liechty was raised in Soda Springs, and spent many happy years participating in the rec league programs. He sees the donation as something he is happy to be able to facilitate. “I played on those same field when I was a kid, and I know it’s an important thing for a lot of kids out there,” he says. The CMC has been donating to the program for many years, but this year the City Council felt that it should be made more public than in the past. Caribou Medical Center is a 501 c3 organization, and serves a “critical access” function, rather than a for-profit one. “We’re interwoven within the community,” Liechty says. “We really want to be a part of what’s going on here, and we’re always open to these kinds of things that help to support the area and make people’s lives better here.” Other than the rec department donation, which the Medical Center has been making on a yearly basis for almost the last decade, CMC has also contributed to many other projects across the county, including digital signs for schools, seating at sports venues, ice machines and water fountains, and more. They are a level sponsor of the Soda Springs School District. In addition to its outward facing outreach efforts, the Medical Center is working to promote its range of services which are available to Caribou County residents, some of which may not be on people’s radars. In addition to the standard range of emergency services and specialists one expects to find at a Trauma IV hospital facility, the Medical Center also provides access to in-house chemotherapy, pain management, telehealth counseling, and many others. The community health needs assessment conducted on behalf of the hospital found that the biggest needs in the community were in the areas of Pain Management, Chronic Disease Care, and Mental Health services. The Medical Center has programs in place or on the way to directly add to its services in each of those areas, as well as others on the list. Telehealth counseling has been a growing need, especially in the area of mental health and wellness. CMC was actually a pilot program for the University of Utah’s telehealth program, and benefits from the fiber optic lines that allow for secure and fast internet connectivity. The medical center has added a number of new providers in various departments, and continues to add more. The Enterprise will try to keep the community apprised of new arrivals and services offered by CMC in the future. One of the things Liechty would like to make sure the community is aware of right now, however, is that DONATION On Page 4
Rec League baseball and softball signups are underway, with some help from the Caribou Medical Center.
Loosle welcomed as CEO of Caribou Medical Center
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NEWS IN BRIEF At least 139 killed in Russian concert attack
The investigation into an attack on a music concert in Russia has been complicated by President Vladimir Putin’s insistence that Ukraine and western backers were responsible for the attack. Radical Islamic groups in the country have claimed credit for the attack, releasing videos from the event that seem to have come from the perpetrators. The group is connected to ISIS, and has threatened just such an attack for several years. Putin eventually acknowledged that there is significant evidence of the terrorist group’s involvement, but still maintains that Ukraine is somehow involved. Outside observers speculate that the damage to Putin’s image as a “protector” of the country is behind his blaming of Ukraine, which has consumed the attention of Russian’s military intelligence services.
Kate Middleton announces cancer diagnosis
After days of feverish speculation about the location and condition of the Princess of Wales, she revealed that she was undergoing treatment for cancer following a January surgery that had resulted in the diagnosis. Middleton is not revealing the specific nature of the cancer she is being treated for, and the family has emphasized that she deserves a reasonable amount of privacy as she deals with the medical situation. The same approach was taken by King Charles, who was also recently diagnosed with an undisclosed cancer and is undergoing treatment as well. The situation has generated apologies from a number of media figures who promoted conspiracy theories about Middleton in the wake of a photoshopped image. It has also driven record numbers of visitors to UK cancer information websites.
March Madness underway
COO Dillon Liechty with new CEO Kent Loosle at the Caribou Medical Center. Loosle was hired in November.
Between the final issue of the Caribou County Sun and the first issue of the Enterprise, a number of things occurred that were missed in terms of coverage. One of them was the introduction of the new Medical Center CEO Kent Loosle. Loosle, who was briefly introduced in the Enterprise concerning the Leaders are Readers Kindness Week article several weeks ago, has been with the Medical Center since November of last year. In his first half year with the hospital, Loosle has pursued the hospital’s mission of being focused on the community and working to meet its needs. One of the projects undertaken in that time is an assessment
of the surrounding area, and the resource and service needs seen as important in the community. Loosle is committed to expanding what is available at the center, and to promoting awareness of the services already in place. The original announcement of his hiring, which would have been printed in the very next issue of the Sun, is reprinted below. "Caribou Medical Center is excited to announce the upcoming arrival of our Chief Executive Officer, Kent Loosle. He joined the Caribou Medical Center Team on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Kent brings over 25 years of exLOOSLE WELCOMED On Page 2
INSIDE Extension Office News..................................Pg.2 Obituaries ......................................................Pg. 3 Puzzles ..........................................................Pg. 6
Looking Back ...............................................Pg. 7 Legislative Updates................................Pg.10 Sports ................................................... Pg. 11-12
After two crazy rounds of March Madness action, the men’s NCAA tournament is set for Thursday’s Sweet 16. Following the departure of BYU, Boise State, Oregon, USU, WSU, and Colorado, the only real teams of local interest left are Gonzaga and the Mountain West’s San Diego State. BYU lost to Duquesne in a 71-67 upset in the first round, while BSU lost to Colorado on the first day of the tournament in the “First Four” round. On the Women’s side, the University of Utah went down to Gonzaga 66-77 to end their run, and a great season.
Softball and Baseball signup underway
Registration forms for city recreation league baseball and softball teams are being taken both online and at the City office until Friday, April 5. Softball registration costs $30 for residents and $50 for non-residents, and will host teams in the 10U (3rd and 4th grades for the 2024-2025 school year) and 12U (5th and 6th grades for the 2024-2025 school year). Baseball registration has the same cost, and will field teams 10 and under (as of 4/30), 12 or Under (as of 4/30), and 14 and under (as of 4/30). Programs are available to assist with registration fees for those who need them. A print form can be obtained from city hall, or printed from sodapsringsid.com/recreation and turned in at the building. Forms can also be completed entirely online. Extension Office seeks input from County residents