Biz Bits: More surgeons serving the Palouse

The three hospitals on the Palouse have hired their own surgeons after disbanding a joint practice.

The last day of Palouse Surgeons was Sept. 1, said Lindy Wells, the former executive director of the practice, which was a collaboration of Pullman Regional Hospital, Gritman Medical Center in Moscow and Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics in Colfax.

“It was a mutual decision among all three hospital CEOs to provide more focused general surgery care in each community,” said Alison Weigley, a spokeswoman for Pullman Regional Hospital.

The overall number of surgeons on the Palouse has increased with the change, said Wells, who continues to be the executive director of Palouse Specialty Physicians, another joint venture of the hospitals.

That has been possible because, in her opinion, in recent years small communities in the Northwest are getting more popular with physicians, she said.

Palouse Surgeons had three surgeons: Dr. Juan Parra, Dr. Nancy Panko and Dr. John Visger, who generally handled emergencies and trauma cases, Wells said.

Parra now is doing similar work for Whitman Hospital, which also has added Dr. Jeffrey Jones, who did gastroenterology cases for Palouse Specialty Physicians.

Pullman Regional Hospital opened Pullman Surgical Associates, which has a contract to provide general surgery for Whitman Hospital, Weigley said.

The Pullman practice hired Panko as the medical director. She and Visger do scheduled surgeries. Two more surgeons hired there, Dr. Randall Zuckerman and Dr. Ron Martin, will cover emergency surgeries.

Zuckerman most recently was chairman of surgery at Kalispell Surgical Specialists in Montana, and Martin practiced at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma.

Similarly, Gritman Medical Center opened its own surgical practice and hired two surgeons. Dr. Brian Newell recently completed a residency program as a chief resident in general surgery at Wellspan York Hospital, a Johns Hopkins affiliate in York, Pa.

Dr. Bryan Anderson worked in private practice and had privileges at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise and St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center before relocating to Moscow.

The decision to close Palouse Surgeons has no impact on Palouse Specialty Physicians, Wells said, noting it will continue to provide oncology, hematology, urology, neurology, audiology and allergy services, as well as ear, nose and throat procedures.

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Golf technology company being purchased by Vista Outdoor

Vista Outdoor has announced an agreement to acquire Foresight Sports in San Diego, Calif., for eet where the crane is located for the American Empress, the largest cruise boat that calls there.

The water depth by a dock designed for cruise boats near Clarkston’s Holiday Inn often is too shallow for the American Empress because sediment has a tendency to settle there.$474 million.

The 150-employee company is a designer and manufacturer of golf performance analysis, entertainment and game enhancement technologies, with products such as launch monitors and golf simulators used in retail stores, driving ranges and homes, according to a Vista Outdoor news release.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year.

Vista Outdoor is the parent company of Lewiston ammunition manufacturer CCI/Speer, one of the largest employers in the community.

It has more than 30 brands that manufacture bullets and recreational equipment, including Bushnell Golf, which produces rangefinders.

Cosmetology school discontinues Lewiston operations

Mr. Leon’s School of Hair Design recently closed its location at 205 10th St. in Lewiston.

The school continues to operate its original location at 618 S. Main St. in Moscow.

Leon Cover founded Mr. Leon’s in 1969 with his wife, Janice, owning, operating and teaching at the school until his death in 1995, according to Mr. Leon’s website.

Their daughter, Lisa Cover Salisbury, took over ownership of the school about one year later, according to the website.

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