Hundreds of Doctors Withdraw from Idaho Health Care Network

December 10, 2013

An Idaho health care network has lost influence and bargaining-power in the wake of Coeur d'Alene-based Kootenai Health Medical Center pulling all of its physicians out of the plan.

The Coeur d'Alene Press reports that when Kootenai Health withdrew its 80 doctors, the North Idaho Health Network was diminished to approximately 220 doctors. Other North Idaho hospitals in Bonners Ferry, Kellogg, St. Maries and Sandpoint have also pulled their doctors out of the plan, according to the Press, and are expected to create their own network through mergers and acquisitions.

Dr. Michael Dixon, North Idaho Health Network's executive director, said the departing hospitals "want to control referrals, and keep patients within their smaller individual networks.

"Instead of working collaboratively with everybody, they feel that they have to have more control than that by actually controlling everything," Dixon told the Press.

Meanwhile, the North Idaho Health Network changed its name to Convergence Health Partners, effective this week.

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