February 28, 2019

LEWISTON, Idaho – Coming off a fantastic first year that featured more than $250,000 in grants distributed in the local area, the Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Community Advisors (BCA) recently elected new officers and filled all 15 members on its board, the Foundation has announced.

Retired Lewiston physician and former Idaho legislator Dr. John Rusche has been named Chairman of the BCA, while Tracy Flynn, a Lewis-Clark State College nursing professor and volunteer Family Nurse Practitioner at the Snake River Community Clinic in Lewiston, is the new Vice Chair. Sister Pat Rosholt, Vice President of Mission at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, is the new Secretary.

The three were elected at the board’s annual meeting on Feb. 20.

The board also filled three board vacancies with the addition of Beth Patzer, Director of Behavioral Health at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center; Joe Cladouhos of Grangeville and the Executive Director of Nimiipuu Health; and Nancy Chaney, co-owner of Veterinary Ophthalmic Specialties and former mayor of Moscow.

The addition of the new members takes the total board composition from 13 to 15 community advisors. Shannon Grow, Director of the Lewis-Clark Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization and outgoing Vice Chair, completed her board service term and will not be returning.

Outgoing Board Chairman, Mark Havens, a consultant in Lewiston, and outgoing Secretary Brittany Pope of the North Idaho Central Health District, are staying on the board in non-officer roles.

Rusche thanked the outgoing officers who played a big role in coordinating the Foundation’s first grant cycle as well as getting the Foundation off the ground.

“The Board of Community Advisors is extremely grateful to these people who gave back to their neighbors and our communities through hours of service,” Rusche said. “Setting up the grant process and advising the Foundation Trustee on donations was a great deal of work our first year. The Board and our area’s citizens appreciate their efforts.”

The Lewis-Clark Valley Healthcare Foundation was established in July of 2017 by the Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden in agreement with Ascension Health and RCCH Healthcare Partners after the sale of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. With the hospital moving from nonprofit to for-profit status, the LCVH Foundation was created to serve as a long-term regional resource and received $23 million from the seller and another $2 million from RCCH Healthcare Partners to fulfill its philanthropic mission.

The LCVH Foundation administers the resulting charitable endowment that benefits the health and wellness needs of the people in the nine county region the hospital once served. Those counties are Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce in northern Idaho; Asotin, Garfield and Whitman in southeastern Washington; and Wallowa in northeastern Oregon.

Last November, the Foundation awarded more than $250,000 in grants to more than 20 groups in the area that provide a variety of services related to health and wellness. Most of the Foundation’s initial grants ranged in size from $5,000 to $30,000.

The Foundation was an instant success. In all, the Foundation received over 150 letters of inquiry that asked for more than $5 million to help improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities.

The Foundation expects to more than double the amount of money it will give out in grants after the next grant application process, which is expected to begin later this year.

The Foundation is structured to provide a multi-generational benefit for the region.

Idaho Trust Bank is the Trustee of the Foundation.

For more information about the Foundation or the grant process, visit the Foundation’s website at https://lewisclarkhealth.org/