New hospital hoping to bring more opportunities to Idaho Falls

A healthier community in Idaho Falls is on the horizon. The Idaho Falls Community Hospital is set to open its doors Nov. 4.

“We meet with the contractors on a daily basis to make sure that specific milestones are being met,” said Casey Jackman, the chief operating officer for the new hospital.

Some of these milestones include meeting with doctors about how to make the hospital more efficient.

“The way that we’ve been able to collaborate with staff as we’re building this,” Jackman said. “Instead of having to make this have the staff fit the building, we’re trying to make the building fit the staff.”

The Idaho Falls Community Hospital hopes that the facility can become a great place for doctors to practice medicine.

“We want them to have the tools that they need close at hand, we want them to have quick access to the staff that they need so that they can take care of the patients,” Jackman said. “Not only quickly, but in a really good manner.”

The hospital is also bringing the area = more opportunities for people to be employed. The hospital said that it could bring people who have family in eastern Idaho or those who grew up around here to come back.

“This is a good opportunity for us to provide additional jobs for those people with the training,” Jackman.

The hospital is still looking to fill certain jobs in particular.

“We definitely need nurses,” Jackman said. “Nurses are really hard to find. There’s a nursing shortage in the nation.”

With just a few months until the hospital is up and running, the hospital is looking on the positive side that the building and staff will be ready.

“Even though 74 days is fairly aggressive and there’s a lot left to do, I feel really confident that they’re going to hit that mark,” Jackman said.