Since 2002, Kaniksu Health Services has been providing Bonner and Boundary counties high-quality comprehensive and affordable medical, pediatric, dental, behavioral health and veteran care—with more than 25,000 residents served.
“Our goal is to help our patients stay healthy or return to good health,” says Olivia Luther, director of community relations at Kaniksu Health Services. “Since our first family health center opened in 2002, Kaniksu Health Services has provided our patients with timely, affordable and quality care; because to us, they are not just people in a waiting room. They are part of our family.”
Their services are open to everyone, including those “facing barriers elsewhere,” according to Luther. From the uninsured, migrant and seasonal farmworkers to those living in rural areas and the homeless, no one is turned away. Kaniksu Health Services accepts most insurance including Medicaid and Medicare, and they offer a sliding discount program for those meeting income guidelines.
Community health centers are community based and governed by a local board that is represented by a minimum of 51 percent patient consumers, ensuring that health-center services are fit to their unique needs. Today, there are more than 1,200 health centers nationwide that provide cost-efficient care to more than 20 million individuals.
This past year, Kaniksu received the prestigious honor of earning level three—the highest level attainable—patient-centered medical home recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. This national program recognizes community health centers and primary care practices that demonstrate the highest levels of coordinated and effective patient care.
“Recognition as a patient-centered medical home offers our patients reassurance they are receiving the highest quality of care, regardless of their ability to pay, as Kaniksu Health Services strives to meet and exceed nationally recognized standards that regulate the program,” says Kevin Knepper, chief operations and financial officer of Kaniksu.
Kaniksu’s Patient-Centered Medical Home is not just a building or a place, but a team of Kaniksu health professionals who work together to provide a central point for coordinating care to help their patients become as healthy as possible. Led by the primary care provider, a Kaniksu PCMH team will: care for you as a whole; provide you with better, more personalized care; guide you through the complex health-care system and track all your health-care reports and medications; offer you better access to care through longer hours and more services; and partner with you to help you live healthier every day.
The entire staff is proud to be able to provide a health-care safety net for the residents of Bonner and Boundary counties, according to Luther.
In addition to providing care for the community’s health-care needs, employees volunteer with Angels Over Sandpoint and, over the years, have been involved with events such as the CHAFE 150, the Back to School Backpack program, Kinderhaven’s Festival of Trees and Convoy of Hope. “We also have representatives that serve on Rotary, 7B Drug Free, the Bonner County Coalition for Health, and the Sandpoint Community Resource Center,” adds Luther.
If you are looking for a health-care provider whose focus is to not only treat current health issues but focus on preventing future ailments, Kaniksu Health Services is only a phone call away. Contact them today to set up an appointment.
Kaniksu Health Services
Bonners Ferry
6615 Comanche Street
Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805
208.263.7101
Ponderay
30410 Hwy 200
Ponderay, Idaho 83852
208.263.7101
VA Clinic
420 North 2nd Avenue
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
208.263.0450
Priest River
6509 Highway 2
Priest River, Idaho 83856
208.263.7101
Sandpoint Pediatrics
420 North 2nd Avenue
Sandpoint, Idaho 83864
208.265.2242
