Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics officially becomes part of Heritage Health this spring.
“We’ve been talking about it for about a year,” Heritage Health CEO Mike Baker said. “We spent time trying to figure this out what makes sense for the community and really protect what Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics has been doing forever.”
Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics Administrator Cari Warren said joining Heritage Health meant ensuring access, quality and compassion for patients.
“This transition is exciting as it ensures we can continue caring for every child in our community, regardless of insurance, while staying true to who we are,” Warren said.
The change to add Coeur d’Alene Pediatics is slated to go into effect May 1.
Brandon Fowler said he went to Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics when he was a kid. Today, as a parent, it was easy to return to the practice for the second generation.
“The care has always been good and the doctors have always seemed like they have a good rapport with their patients. I became a parent myself and gained more appreciation for it,” Fowler said. “They’ve always taken care of us really well with our three kids through sicknesses and wellness checks.”
The values of the practices have always meant Fowler and his family felt at home and comfortable even while going through rocky medical episodes with the children.
“With our newborn, they’ve always been willing to squeeze us in when there’s a sick kid and with specialty visits,” Fowler said.
One of the children has condition called PFAPA and fevers often erupt out of the blue.
“The doctors that we’ve seen have always been very knowledgeable about the topic and have helped us navigate through some of the difficulties of that condition,” Fowler said. “They’re willing always to answer questions and be with you during the process of raising children when there’s something going on that as a parent, we don’t understand, but as a doctor, they have a better perspective.”
Since the family lives in Oldtown, they use all three locations depending on availability.
Baker said with major changes to Medicaid affecting pediatrics, Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics and other private offices felt the pinch.
“You’re losing funding and you want to take care of your patients, but when funding stops, that makes things really hard,” Baker said.
Heritage Health has had two pediatricians on staff as part of their services for the last few years.
“That group has been taking care of complex patients. We frequently refer to them as teen-iatrics, teenagers because they’ve been really focused on that space,” Baker said.
Baker said the expansion will allow families who are connected with Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics to become a part of care system, their pharmacy and make it an easier experience for parents who also have health concerns to have those needs addressed as part of an integrated model that supports the whole family.
“It really opens the door. We’ve got a big network now of providers and we want it to be easy for patients to be seen,” Baker said. “They have opened back up to new Medicaid patients.”
Heritage health has a sliding fee scale if patients don’t have insurance.
“Care is always going to be affordable here, we’re not going to turn you away.” Baker said. “Just show up, we’re going to take care of you.”
Other than small things like formatting on statements coming from Heritage Health on bills, not much should shift during the change.
“Patients shouldn’t notice a difference. They’re going to see the same doctors at the same locations, it’s going to be the same team,” Baker said. “We’re cut from the same cloth. We want to give it a good home and let it grow.”
Dr. Duane Craddock said that Coeur d’Alene Pediatrics has been serving the area for 40 years.