Idaho State University opens clinics and renovates facilities to provide accessible health care treatment 

Idaho State University (ISU) has made noticeable strides in providing accessible health care treatment and giving its students the opportunities to succeed in the industry.  

Pocatello’s Dental Hygiene Clinic 

Among these recent developments is the renovated Dental Hygiene Clinic in Pocatello that had its ribbon cutting ceremony on April 15. The renovations were possible through a $500,000 donation from Delta Dental of Idaho in 2020, according to a recent press release. The money received from the donation was used to update and upgrade the clinic’s equipment to meet modern standards. 

Lee Ann Waldron, senior director of marketing and communications at ISU Kasiska Division of Health Sciences, said, “Portions of that clinic had not received any updates for about 30 years…it was really exciting to receive funding from Delta Dental of Idaho.”  

Such upgrades include 17 new dental chairs that will be retrofitted with delivery systems and lights. Waldron also noted that Delta Dental previously provided funds to upgrade the clinic, and this recent donation allows the rest of the clinic to meet those same standards.  

Now that the Pocatello Dental Hygiene Clinic has finished its renovations, ISU cements itself as an invaluable partner in improving the oral health of all Idahoans, said Greg Donaca, chief executive officer of Delta Dental of Idaho: “This donation reinforces our commitment to supporting the education of the next generation of health care professionals and increasing access to high-quality dental care for more Idaho residents.” 

The College of Pharmacy 

Another way ISU is helping the next generation of health care professionals is its renovation of the College of Pharmacy’s 80-year-old Leonard Hall. The project intends to replace current equipment with “state-of-the-art labs…and provide space for research that betters our communities,” said Dean of ISU’s College of Pharmacy Walter Fitzgerald Jr.  

“The new space will house faculty from both pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy practice departments, and it sets the stage for continuing a program where discoveries in the lab translate into better health care for our communities,” Fitzgerald added.  

Renovations will cost approximately $21 million — the majority of which is funded from a $14 million gift from the ALSAM Foundation — and are expected to begin in spring of 2023, with a scheduled completion in 2025, according to a press release.  

In honor of the university’s largest one-time donation ever, the building will be renamed to the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy.  

Meridian’s clinics 

ISU still has more to offer for those seeking health care and prospecting students alike. Residents of Meridian, Boise and other cities in Treasure Valley have access to several new and existing health care clinics as part of the ISU-Meridian clinics, according to a recent press release. A celebration dedicated to the new clinics was held on May 10.  

The Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic offers services to those with emotional and physical disabilities to help them achieve their personal, career and independent living goals.  

The newly integrated Mental Health Clinic will provide evaluation and medication management for patients suffering from a variety of mental health conditions requiring psychiatric medication.

A Nutrition Services Outpatient Clinic will provide individual and group wellness alongside medical nutrition therapy counseling for adults, children and families. This clinic will also be a rotation site for ISU student dietetic interns. Students who have an internship, particularly those in the master’s program, will have the opportunity to work first-hand at several of the clinics.  

Waldron said, “They’ve had to do those internships at various places before we had the clinic here, and now some of those students can get their clinical hours right there on campus.” They have also had to work at other places to get the required hours for the internship, like assisted living facilities, hospitals and the Idaho Foodbank. 

“With the help of licensed faculty supervisors, students are able to receive hands-on real world training in the clinics,” said Waldron. Students at the counseling clinic are seeing clients, and students at the dental clinic have completed dental school and are practicing dentists. 

ISU Meridian Health Care is a nurse practitioner faculty-run clinic that offers preventative health care for all ages in surrounding communities. “They’re taking time to really get to know patients and figure out what sort of care they might need and…how they can prevent illness and disease before they have to treat it,” Waldron added. “It’s a great opportunity for folks who maybe have only been utilizing urgent care facilities or don’t have an established relationship with (a) primary health care provider.” 

Last but not least is the Physical and Occupational Therapy Clinic that is planned to begin providing services in the fall of 2022. The facilities will include innovative faculty research and therapy services for the underserved and underinsured populations of Treasure Valley.  

In fiscal year 2021, total patient visits for Pocatello and Meridian clinics was over 44,000. There were 6,200 visits for the counseling and dental clinics in Meridian and 38,000 for all other Pocatello clinics. 

Many of the clinics operate on a sliding scale based on the patient’s income, according to Waldron. That option, when paired with the ability to receive telecounseling, allows for many to get the care they need.