Dr. Shoemaker, an Occupational Medicine Physician, has been at Saltzer Medical Group for over 2 months now. He is very happy to be back in the Treasure Valley working with his “Team”. His “Team” consists of 3 key people.

The Director of Occ Med, Tom, who he met while working in Oregon, chose to move to Idaho to continue working for Dr. Shoemaker. Tom has 20 years experience in various Health Care related positions.
His assistant, Lynn, who had previously worked with Dr. Shoemaker, was delighted to come back to work for him. Lynn has worked in Occupational Medicine for 4 1/2 years and is currently working towards an Associate degree in Health Sciences.
And last but not least, me, Lynda. I also had previously worked with Dr. Shoemaker. I returned to nursing to work for Dr. Shoemaker at Saltzer Medical Group after a short hiatus. I have 20 years of nursing experience and 5 of those years were spent in Occupational Medicine.

Dr. Shoemaker and his “Team” come together with many years of experience. With the combined knowledge of the “Team”, it’s by far one of the best in the Valley.
If you or anyone you know could benefit from a Board Certified Occupational Medicine Physician, get on the phone and call us at 884-2965.

Dr. Howard Shoemaker is now with Saltzer Medical Group in both Meridain and Nampa, Idaho! I can’t tell you what a relief this is for me personnally as well as professionally.

I first started working with Dr. Shoemaker and his nurse Lynda some four years ago. That was when I discovered that I had a passion for this line of work. Through Dr. Shoemakers indirect influence and Lynda’s direct influence, I made the decision to go back to school (after 20+ years) to obtain an Associates Degree in Health Sciences. I felt that through this degree and a certification as a Medical Assistant I would be able to give more of myself to the area of work comp and the injured worker. I can’t begin to tell you how they both have influenced me; both professionally and spiritually and how good it is to be a part of his Occupational Medicine team again.

Dr. Shoemaker has over thrity years of experience in the world of Occupational Medicine. His willingness to treat injured workers and to assist them in their rehabilitation process is commendable. Dr. Shoemaker prides himself on his specific protocols which help him to return the injured worker back to a full duty status sooner.

I value Dr. Shoemakers’ experience and the knowlege that both he and Lynda posses and am truely blessed to be a part of the Occupational Medicine team here at Saltzer Medical Group. If you have experienced a work related injury, I would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Shoemaker and his staff to you. So if the occasion should arise, we would be glad to see you and to help serve your needs as a work comp patient.

Beginning in May, 2008, Saltzer Medical Group rededicated itself to developing a quality Occupational Medicine program in the greater Boise area. With clinics in both Meridian and Nampa, their hope is to offer quality care and service to both the employers and employees of the Treasure Valley. The first move was to find a board certified and residency trained Occupational Medicine physician. This was accomplished when Dr. Howard Shoemaker took the position with Saltzer Medical Group. Doctor Shoemaker, who had been a part of the Primary Health Occupational Medicine group, left for the rains of Oregon in 2005. During his time in Oregon his wife had continued to operate as a real-estate agent with the Tamarack development in Donnelly, Idaho. Because of this business interest, when Saltzer Medical Group offered Dr. Shoemaker the opportunity to return to Boise he decided that it was time to return to Idaho.

For the past thirty years, Dr. Shoemaker has practiced exclusively occupational medicine. Why is this important to area employers? The reasons are way too numerous for one short blog. However, some of the primary reasons include an aging workforce, getting your workers back to work as quickly as possible, and finally to provide the highest quality of care for the injured worker.

Lets first address the aging workforce. As we age, there is a natural amount of deterioration which occurs within the body. Whether it is cartilage between our bones, or the natural de-calcification of our bones, it is important to have a skilled specialist who can identify between what is a work related injury and what is just a part of being a baby-boomer. As any claims adjuster, safety manager or HR manager will attest to, a miss-diagnosed injury can become a financial nightmare within the Workers Comp system. As Dr. Shoemaker frequently states, “it is 10% of the cases that creates 90% of the expenses”.

Second, getting workers back to work is extremely important to the company’s bottom line. In a study conducted by Lilly Ramphal, MD, MPH, she states that companies pay $62 billion dollars in lost productivity or “lost time”. This translates into approximately 42% of work related injuries expenses in the United States ($140 billion). Without the proper diagnosis of the work-related injury, or the granting of excessive time off due to injury, this number would escalate even further out of control. As Dr. Shoemaker has frequently stated, “you always want to do what is best for the patient, and in virtually every instance what is best for the patient is to get them back to work”. Dr. Shoemaker has told me many times, he believes that a worker is like an athlete and it is his job to get them “back in the game”. By doing so, the employee will heal faster.

Finally, everyone wants the employee to receive a high level of care. By properly identifying the injury, the employee can begin an aggressive regimen of treatment. In doing so, they can get back to work and continue to do what they were trained to do. By having a specialist monitor the worker’s progress, success is more likely to occur.
Because of the above reasons, we welcome Dr. Shoemaker back to the Treasure Valley.

As a pediatrician I am concerned about the impact Micron’s new insurance system will have on some of the Treasure Valley’s most vulnerable citizens, children.

The new insurance is structured so that only one hospital in the Boise area is covered by the premium coverage. Use of any other hospital results in higher co-pays, and deductibles, resulting in significantly increased health care costs for Micron families.

St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center is not a part of the premium network. St. Luke’s is the only children’s hospital in the area. St. Luke’s has the only pediatric ICU and is the only hospital in the area that provides coverage by all of the pediatric subspecialists such as gastroenterology, neurology, infectious disease, oncology, etc.

With Micron’s new insurance plan families can only access services at the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital by paying a much higher deductible and receiving lower reimbursements. This results in much higher medical bills for Micron families seeking proper, high quality medical care for their children.

In addition, many physicians that were previously preferred providers are no longer part of the premium network. Imagine the emotional toll on children and their families who are forced to leave a doctor they have grown to trust.

My partners and I at Saltzer Medical Group have seen many children of Micron employees for years, several with chronic and ongoing medical conditions. The change in insurance plan structure will result in worse outcomes for these children.

I am hoping that Micron will rethink their insurance structure, and put these children before the bottom line.

Katie Copeland, MD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Saltzer Medical Group, P.A.

I want to highly recommend Dr. Shane Andrew, an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Saltzer Medical Group. In February of this year I broke my back in a horse riding accident. I was very impressed right from my first visit with Dr. Andrew. His extensive education and training on backs and spine gave me the confidence I needed to help in my recovery. He explained all of my options in a manner that was easy to understand. I thought for sure my recovery would require surgery, but Dr. Andrew instead suggested I try alternate treatment first. He recommended surgery only as a last resort if alternate treatment was not successful. After speaking with him and reviewing my options, I decided to try wearing a brace for awhile in order to avoid any surgery. While healing from my injury, I saw Dr. Andrew on a regular basis where he monitored my recovery and progress. I was afraid my accident would permanently limit my activities; however, I’m happy to report that it has been 4 months since my accident and I’m already back to riding horses and ATVs. All of this was accomplished without surgery. It was so easy to talk with Dr. Andrew…he has a kind nature and a great “bedside manner.” I am glad to see that we have doctors in our area that are more concerned about the patient’s well-being rather than “lining their pockets” through costly surgeries that are not necessary. I will definitely refer all of my family and friends to him without hesitation!

What a way to loose weight, and quick! Dr. Rick Roberts an Internal Medicine Physican at Saltzer’s main clinic is helping people lose weight quickly with diet and exercise, all physician supervised. The Dr. Ted Weight Loss program is designed to help people lose weight rapidly, and it works! Dr. Roberts should know, he lost 40 pounds using the program himself! He also has one patient that was non-ambulatory who is now out of her wheel chair. How can you top that testimonial? If you are interested in rapid weight loss, supervised by a physician, this may be the right program for you. To learn more go to www.drteddiet.com, or call Dr. Roberts at 463-3031

Here is an interview with Drew Taylor, Director of Saltzer Imaging. The interview was conducted by Justin Foster of Tricycle.

Check out this video interview with Bill Savage, CEO of Saltzer Medical Group. The interview was conducted by Justin Foster, formerly of BlueLine and now one third of Tricycle.

Saltzer Medical Group is ramping up their Workman Compensation program, with the return of Dr. Howard Shoemaker.

I worked with Dr. Shoemaker as his nurse for several years and when he decided to return to the Treasure Valley, he called me and requested that I come back to work with him. Of course it didn’t take long to answer him.

I’ve been at Saltzer Medical Group for just a few weeks and have met so many nice people. I wanted to get to know as many people as I could before I started woking in the clinic.So far everyone has been great to work with. Saltzer seems to have picked the cream of the crop of employees. The public is so fortunate.

I am looking forward to working with Dr. Shoemaker again and working as a team. Most importantly working with the public and giving them the best care that they deserve.

I’ve been working here for a few years now, and in so doing, have gotten to know some of the great minds that work here. One of the things that I have grown to love about this clinic is the diversity of passions in practice - from conservative medicine, to the progressive introduction of alternative medicines; from the involvement in cutting edge research, to the determined involvement in building a better community. Different physicians are different people, and Saltzer Medical Group gives a platform for each of these unique minds to practice medicine in a way that expresses that identity.

Where the true beauty of all this diversity lies is the unified mission of these physicians and their staff: to serve our patients in a manner worthy of their trust.

So what does that mean for you (and me)? It means you can find a physician who will compliment you own philosophy of medicine, who has the knowledge and ability to expand your own horizons, and you can trust that their decisions are dictated by the passion to provide the most comprehensive and excellent medical care available.

I know, I know, I work here. How can I be trusted? I see Dr. Dee in Internal Medicine. My baby was delivered by Dr. John Kaiser, who provided exemplary care for my wife during the pregnancy. My son’s pediatrician, Dr. Jeannette Marvasti, was on hand from the get-go to provide support, care and treatment for us as a family. Post-partum, Sarah (my wife) required surgery to remove her gallbladder. Whilst the stones were small, her Primary Care Physician, Dr. Elaine Davidson recommended a surgical consult and Dr. Steven Williams performed that surgery yesterday at Mercy Ambucare. I trust these doctors not just with my self, but with my most precious gift - my family. That’s how I feel confident in expressing my trust in these men and women who are dedicated to health care in our community.