Post-pandemic life, a tale of two cities
By Eric Valentine
‘It’s easy—and legit—to look around the Valley these days and wonder if this idyllic resort area’s best days have come and gone. According to USAfacts.org, the population of Blaine County, Idaho, in 2021 was 24,766, 16.3% up from the 21,296 who lived there in 2010. For comparison, the U.S. population grew 7.3% and Idaho’s population grew 21% during that period, the nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization said.
And it has taken its toll on everything from finding a place to live to getting a seat at your favorite restaurant. The impacts of the pandemic and the lockdown are also still being felt in surreal ways. For instance, as a gallon of gas was approaching $5, vehicles became living places for the working class.
It’d be dismissive to overlook the struggles happening everywhere along the Big Wood River, north to south. But amongst the crowds and confusion, key areas of the Valley experience are producing a number of kudos for organizations and individuals here.
Resorting to Success
Last week, Sun Valley Resort learned of its three-peat as North America’s No.1 ski resort, as named by SKI Magazine’s Annual Ski Resort Awards. The annual Resort Guide is based on the results of the Reader Resort Survey, the most comprehensive and longest-running rankings in the industry. The year-round destination resort was able to claim the title for the third consecutive year thanks to it being ranked No. 1 in the West for Overall Satisfaction, Lifts, Dining, and Local Flavor. The resort also ranked highly in the categories of Grooming, Guest Services, Lodging, Après, Nightlife, and Family Friendly.
“We’re thrilled to have captured the hearts of so many skiers, riders and visitors to the resort, and to be honored with this incredible award three years running,” said Pete Sonntag, general manager and VP of Sun Valley Resort. “It’s truly a testament to our team’s dedication to the guest experience, and to our wider community for making Sun Valley a place everyone feels welcome.”
As a thank you to the community, Sun Valley Resort will be hosting a Pray for Snow party on Nov. 12 from 4-8 p.m. to celebrate the honor and to cheer on the coming of winter. Additionally, the resort is embarking on a multi-year improvement plan focused on an enhanced guest experience. The proposed projects in the first phase will benefit the recreational experience on Bald Mountain by improving skier circulation, increasing the accessible skiable terrain and improving both lift and snow quality.
As part of the base area improvement, Sun Valley Resort will also be expanding the patio area of Warm Spring Lodge for efficient guest flow and improved “après-scene” accessibility. With exemplary guest experience at the heart of the resort’s multi-faceted development and evolution plan, a partnership with land and environmental agencies, National Forest Foundation, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service is under way. Designed to improve overall forest health and decrease fire risk on Bald Mountain, the initiative benefits skiers by opening up 79 acres of new gladed terrain this season alone. In its commencement year, the Bald Mountain Stewardship Project is a first-of-its-kind innovation in resort development and environmental protection that is slated to continue for 5-7 years on and around Bald Mountain.
The Warm Springs area of Bald Mountain will also see a lot of action going into the 2023-24 season with U.S. Ski & Snowboard having recently announced a two-year deal with Sun Valley Resort to host the Alpine Skiing National Championships for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.
Swell Wellness
Quality of life is not only determined by how well people can play. It’s also determined by wellness itself. In the health and wellness arenas, Valley organizations and individuals also received honors and acclaim.
Gathering after a three-year pause during the height of COVID, the Idaho Hospital Association met last week to educate, encourage, and energize Idaho hospital leadership with renewed purpose and focus. Part of that meeting was to recognize the outstanding contributions of key individuals during the most challenging time in modern healthcare memory. And St. Luke’s reeled in a whole bunch. The honorees were:
2021 Award of Excellence in Medicine: Laura McGeorge, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System
For the past 25 years, Laura McGeorge, M.D., FACP, has dedicated herself to advancing primary care and internal medicine at St. Luke’s Health System. Recently retiring as the medical director for St. Luke’s Primary Care service line, Dr. McGeorge’s responsibilities included strategy, outcomes, quality, safety, patient experience and population health. Also a practicing internist in Boise, her leadership role over the past year expanded exponentially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, as she has led St. Luke’s clinical response.
2021 Award of Excellence in Patient Care: Sky Blue, M.D., Sawtooth Epidemiology and Infectious Disease
Serving as one of Idaho’s preeminent leaders in infectious diseases, Sky Blue, M.D., has had a busy schedule since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Blue has acted as one of the state’s go-to experts on the novel coronavirus, treatments and vaccines. Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Blue has supported the State of Idaho’s testing taskforce. He’s been a regular contributor to the physician forum on the popular ‘Idaho Matters’ radio program.
Dr. Blue has also provided guidance and expertise to numerous school boards and health departments. He even raised his hand to serve on the Central District Health Board when a position came open. Dr. Blue has embraced opportunities to share his deep and robust professional knowledge of infectious diseases.
2022 Award of Excellence in Medicine: James ‘Jim’ Souza, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System
From managing patients in person or virtually in the intensive care unit or pulmonary clinic as a board-certified pulmonologist and critical care provider, to serving as chief physician executive for St. Luke’s Health System, James ‘Jim’ Souza, M.D., has embodied excellence in everything he does. In his current role, Dr. Souza oversees and leads the health system’s innovative delivery models of patient care; he has also treated patients with serious illnesses and continues to do so on a part-time basis. For decades, he’s been driven to make life better — and healthier — for his fellow Idahoans. Throughout the pandemic years, he has been a champion for the frontline clinicians who provided evidence-based care and saved thousands of lives.
Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Dr. Souza spent time as the director of emergency services at the Boise VA Medical Center. Dr. Souza’s career at St. Luke’s has spanned two decades, starting as the medical director for respiratory care in 2000, before focusing on transforming and advancing care models in the intensive care units in 2004. He has served in a variety of leadership roles at St. Luke’s, including as vice president of medical affairs, since 2012. Along with staff and partner physicians, he has worked to establish an effective physician/provider organization across the health system with an eye toward succeeding in the emerging value-based healthcare environment and achieving the safety standards of a high-reliability organization.
Dr. Souza is also the 2022 award winner of the Ada County Medical Society’s Physician of the Year Award.
2022 Award of Excellence in Patient Care: Dr. Terry O’Connor, M.D., St. Luke’s Health System
Known for his leadership, patient-focused nature and passion for his community, Dr. Terry O’Connor plays a critical role for St. Luke’s Health System and in the Wood River area. He has served as both an emergency department physician at St. Luke’s Wood River and Blaine County’s Ambulance District as medical director. Dr. O’Connor’s exceptional leadership and acumen as a healthcare provider could have been reserved for his patients; instead, Dr. O’Connor has sought opportunities to share his expertise so people across his community could benefit and thrive. This was apparent when Dr. O’Connor went beyond the call of duty to be a leading voice in the medical community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a medical leader in one of the first communities in Idaho to be hit hard by the then-novel coronavirus, Dr. O’Connor stayed steady and consistent, providing the highest level of care for his patients and a strong leadership presence in his community. Both an outstanding physician and accomplished adventurer — he’s summited Mount Everest.
When Blaine County experienced one of the highest per-capita COVID-19 case rates in the nation in the pandemic’s early days, Dr. O’Connor sought solutions by contributing to a COVID-19 study on new variants and immune responses to the virus as a principal investigator — all with his patients and community in mind.
2022 Award of Trustee of the Year: Skip Oppenheimer, St. Luke’s Health System Board of Directors
Advancing healthcare and working to ensure access to care for children, individuals and families in his home state led Skip Oppenheimer to join the St. Luke’s Health System board of directors. Oppenheimer was appointed to the board in 2006, serving as St. Luke’s first system board chair, helping lead the effort to formulate a comprehensive, integrated health system across southern Idaho.
A devoted and visionary leader, Oppenheimer has played an instrumental role in St. Luke’s strategy over the years, moving the health system forward in engaging communities, earning trust among health partners and evolving healthcare—all with a focus on patient needs. Oppenheimer has worked closely with fellow board members to provide leadership in St. Luke’s efforts to increase access to care in more rural areas. More recently, he has retired from the St. Luke’s Health System Board of Directors and joined the board as chair for St. Luke’s Health Plan.