May 29, 2024
ISSUE 22
50¢
IT'S IN THE CLASSIFIEDS
Hunting for a job? In the market for a new home? Have something to sell? Turn to the Classifieds in The Dispatch and at dispatchnews.com
Premera, MultiCare agreement maintains access to facilities for over 100K people By Tim Clouser The Center Square
Courtesy Northwest Trek Wildlife Park In the summer, keepers prepare around 80 pounds of food daily for all the bears, cats, gray wolves, and red foxes. In the winter, that’s cut down to about 20 pounds.
Feeding a wildlife park By Northwest Trek Wildlife Park
The keepers at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park feed nearly 200 animals a day. It takes specific science to prepare proper diets for all the different animals. Each animal’s diet is balanced based on species, age, and health-related issues. We asked the keepers for some of the most fascinating food facts that came to mind. “The black bears and grizzly bears have quite drastic changes in their diet, depending on the season,” said keeper Carly. “In the summer, they eat a wide variety of fish, fruits, and leafy greens as they prepare for their metabolisms to slow for their winter torpor naps. In the winter, they only eat a few pounds of omnivore chow daily.” In the summer, keepers prepare around 80 pounds of food daily for all the bears, cats, gray wolves, and red foxes. In the winter, that’s cut
Courtesy Northwest Trek Wildlife Park In the 435-acre Free-Roaming Area, keepers offer 5,000 pounds of chow over two weeks to 113 animals (American bison, moose, Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, mountain goats, caribou, bighorn sheep, and a trumpeter swan) down to about 20 pounds. All year round, Carly says the cougar and the bobcat boys love their fish. “The cougar prefers salmon, while
the bobcats love trout,” said keeper Carly. She added that keepers offer diluted goat milk as a training reward for all cats- and it’s a huge hit. Keeper Wendi says many guests find it interesting how many different types of chows are available for all of the different animals. WILDLIFE Page 8Æ
Premera Blue Cross and MultiCare Health Systems have agreed to the terms of a new contract, which will ensure members' access to approximately 1,000 healthcare providers statewide. "Premera Blue Cross is pleased to announce that we have reached an agreement with MultiCare Health System," Amanda Lansford, Premera's external communications manager, wrote in an email. "This new agreement ensures that our members continue to have access to quality care at an affordable price and that MultiCare is fairly compensated." The announcement came out Wednesday morning as a prior contract between the two not-for-profit organizations was set to expire at the end of the month. Premera and MultiCare had been in negotiations for months, a process that began with a termination notice, according to a statement that Premera has since removed from its website. "Effective immediately, this agreement allows patients to continue accessing highquality care without disruption," said Kevin Maloney, media relations manager for MultiCare's Inland Northwest region, in a news release. "At MultiCare, our mission is partnering for healing and a healthy future, and this new agreement reflects our commitment to the communities we serve by maintaining essential partnerships that prioritize patient welfare." Throughout negotiations, MultiCare maintained that Premera had reimbursed them far below the rate of inflation since 2019, so much so that it jeopardized members' access to roughly 1,000 healthcare providers statewide, according to previous reporting from The Center Square. However, a representative from Premera told The Center Square that while inflation is up, MultiCare agreed to those rates during the last round of negotiations. Had the process failed, around 103,000 Premera members in Washington would have lost access to MultiCare facilities, according to reporting from Spokane's KHQ-TV. "As we've always said, these negotiations are not about Premera; they are about our customers," Premera noted in its announcement. "We serve as their advocate during these discussions as we work with provider partners on practical solutions to keep healthcare affordable and accessible."