Terry Reilly Celebrates 53 Years

It’s birthday month at TRHS, a wonderful time to reflect on our origin story, which stretches back 50+ years.

Meet John O’Hagan, who worked as a nurse at Terry Reilly in the late '70s and early '80s. John is writing a book about Idaho “difference makers” that will include a chapter about our founder Terry Reilly and his pioneering work to make healthcare available for everyone.

John knew Terry and Rosie Reilly personally as members of the same Catholic parish. He’s been combing through our archives for details about Terry’s vision and the early years.

John O'Hagan obtaining a blood sample from a baby, circa 1970 (TRHS archives)

“Terry had a sign in his office. It said something like,

‘If you want something done, do it yourself.’ That’s the kind of guy he was. He knew people were going without healthcare and he wanted to change that.” 



John remembers working alongside Mary O’Malley, NP. “In those days, there weren’t very many male nurses. We had fun explaining to the children that I was just assisting Mary.” 

After working at Terry Reilly, which was then known as Community Health Centers, Inc., John went on to an 18-year career with the Idaho Hospital Association.

He’s now 83 years young, and in retirement keeps his mind active with historical research. He’s written several books about Catholic missions in the Western United States, which you can find on Amazon. 

Giving children a chance for a healthier start sets them up for a thriving future. Through patient health tracking, we have seen an increasing need to create a more robust childhood development program.

This program will help us ensure each child's physical, cognitive, and social development is on track so that they are ready for success when they enter kindergarten.

TRHS Birthday Bash -- Mint Chocolate Chip

Bob LeBow Day - June 10th

June 10th for our organization is very special to us as it is a day marked in honor and memory of Dr. Bob LeBow, Terry Reilly's first Medical Director.

Dr. Bob LeBow spent 30 years of his career advocating for health equity and providing compassionate care in Nampa and our rural clinics. His passion and vocation led him to write a book called "Health Care Meltdown" to help draw awareness of America's healthcare system, which he felt only benefited insurance companies and failed to meet the needs of its people. He emphasized the importance of preventive medicine, expanding access to care, and treating patients with dignity and respect. 

The funds from the book helped establish the Zero Pay Fund here at Terry Reilly. Today, this fund is now known as the Bob LeBow Patient Assistance Fund. It is made accessible to patients who are experiencing a financial crisis and have no means to cover their needed health care. 

Away from the clinic, Dr. LeBow worked as a health program consultant in more than 20 developing countries and rode his bicycle over 200,000 miles on six continents.

Dr. Jonathan Bowman, Terry Reilly's former assistant medical director, worked with Dr. Lebow and recalls LeBow telling doctors:

"You're actually part of the therapeutic process. You're helping people get better by showing them you care."

In Dr. Bowman's words, "He practiced what he preached, and patients adored him. He was sensitive to the mind, body, and spirit. He was a careful listener."

Dr. Bob LeBow died in 2003 from complications related to a serious bike accident in 2002. Even though he is not here to celebrate the milestones made for health equity in Idaho, as well as in his missional service around the globe, the ripple effect of his work continues to remove health barriers today for our neighbors in need. 

Thank you Dr. Bob LeBow. 

(1940-2003)

Thanks to the support of the Idaho Food Bank, we are able to distribute 50 boxes of shelf-stable food to our senior patients each month.

Qualifying patients with food insecurity needs are identified by our Social Determinants of Health Screenings. These patients at high risk for food insecurity are placed on our food box list and notified by email and phone. Every 3rd Thursday of the month these seniors drop by our Boise 23rd clinic where Patient Navigators greet them with a smile while loading their cars with food.

Everyone Deserves to Smile

Our Patient Navigators organize regular mobile dental clinics in Parma to serve those who may be denied care due to their insurance status. After appointments, we assist patients in applying for insurance or finding other resources.

At one of these clinics, a father brought his daughter in who needed extensive dental treatment. After treating her in our mobile van she was referred for further care at our Terry Reilly Clinic. In addition, since she didn't qualify for Medicaid, a Patient Navigator helped her apply for a Delta Dental GrinWell grant to cover the other half of her dental costs.

Thanks to support from people like you, we can relieve a little girl of her mouth pain and give back her smile.

A Bright Start for Babies at Terry Reilly Health Services

How reassuring for expecting mothers to receive this baby box in their third trimester! It's part of Terry Reilly's Early Childhood Development program.

It includes some essential items and education on things like breastfeeding, safe sleep, immunizations, the importance of play for brain development, and well-baby visits.

Once the baby is born, a series of pediatric visits ensures the child meets important developmental milestones. An early visit includes a free book from “Reach Out and Read” to encourage literacy and language development.

We also participate in the “Prescription 4 Play” program, which provides a Lego kit to emphasize that play is a crucial part of brain development.

A new Outdoor Play Kit given at 36 months further extends this program to encourage outdoor exercise and activity.

When we address education through early childhood development, we are setting the foundation for better health throughout life.

Your donations support our work to ensure that children get the best possible start!

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition that impacts an individual’s social and communication abilities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 44 children living in the United States have an ASD diagnosis.

Early diagnosis and early intervention lead to significantly better outcomes for children. To combat these disparities, we have contracted two specialists from Northwest Neurobehavioral Health, Dr. Jeff Hall and Jami Pifer. Their mission is to improve the quality of life and accessibility to services for children with ASD and their families. 

Jeff is a licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Jami is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist. Their special services and expertise will be available to our patients who have received an internal referral from their TRHS primary care provider. Their on-site Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) testing is made available for kids ages 2-15.

Sixty children received care during Give Kids A Smile at our Caldwell Cleveland clinic on April 6th. That's a record!

Children without dental insurance or Medicaid received screenings, cleanings, and treatment - along with oral health education and face-painting fun while waiting in the lobby.

Within the last year, we have welcomed six new Terry Reilly board members. Be sure to check out next quarter's newsletters to meet more of our new members.

​To ensure we are meeting the needs of our patients and communities, a majority of Terry Reilly’s Board of Directors is made up of Terry Reilly patients. To that end, more than half of our board members are active consumers of our services.

Meet Suzanne Johnson

I grew up in Shelley, Idaho, where I graduated from high school. Pursuing a degree in secondary education, I attended the University of Montana and Idaho State University. I married and moved around the state of Idaho to support my husband’s career with the state. When we settled in Middleton, I filled the role of secretary and bookkeeper, where I made my career of 28 years before retiring.

When a bout of pneumonia landed me at the Terry Reilly clinic in Middleton, I found out what a special place TR is and transferred my care to Terry Reilly. Soon, I began seeing the dentist there too, and realized the advantages of comprehensive healthcare (services all under one roof). I love the Terry Reilly mission and am excited to be a part of an organization that had the vision all those years ago to make life easier for those who can’t do it for themselves.

Outside of volunteering for my church and enjoying my grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I love quilting. I am a project-oriented person, and transforming chaos into order and creating something beautiful is extremely gratifying to me.

I look forward to contributing to this great organization!

Thanks to the United Way of Treasure Valley and donations received during the Children's Book Drive, reading nooks in our lobbies have been re-stocked and made available to take home for our young patients.

Reading to children is an important part of early childhood development, and we offer free books for infants through grade school.

Books are also provided to families during well-child visits at Terry Reilly through the Reach Out and Read Program.

The Caldwell Housing Authority team expressed to our Terry Reilly Patient Navigators their deep concern for seniors and disabled residents. Many residents at Farmway Village experience loneliness, isolation, lack of access to healthy food and medical follow-through. We know that access to care, transportation, and health literacy are the main contributors.

Our Patient Navigators organized a Loteria Night (Hispanic bingo game) for the residents to help foster a spirit of fellowship, relieve their loneliness, and educate them about our services.

In addition to our advocacy and education, we partnered with the City of Good to provide these identified seniors with fresh produce twice a month.

Our Terry Reilly Patient Navigators look forward to having an activity once a month where seniors can come together and socialize, identify other needs, and engage about their health care.

Idaho Gives 2024 Outcome!

A big thank you to everyone who supported us during Idaho Gives! With your generosity, our mission is carried further, and more people in need are served. You help us create a community we all want to be a part of.

The donations made during this campaign go towards our Bob LeBow Patient Assistance Fund and will help patients in crisis receive the care they need to be well.

Hello! My name is Savannah, and I am your Terry Reilly Foundation contact. If you have any questions regarding our programs, your previous donation(s),

or a future donation, please do not hesitate to

contact me. I would love to speak with you and

get to know you.

Savannah D'Orazio

Marketing and Development Specialist

sdorazio@trhs.org

(208) 649-2708

If I look at the mass, I will never act.

If I look at the one, I will.

--Mother Teresa