We’re Idahoans who work for St. Luke’s. The Pride flag should fly | Opinion
“The great purpose for which this hospital was begun — the helping of suffering humanity back to health and life.” – Rt. Rev. James B. Funsten, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Idaho, 1906
This is the very first line of the St. Luke’s Health System Mission Statement. As proud members of the St. Luke’s family, we view this both as a calling and a challenge. It is the core of why and how we do our job every day. And it is a broad expectation that we do so in a comprehensive nature by serving the personal, public and emotional health of our community.
This is why many of us are disappointed in the recent leadership decision not to fly the Inclusive Progress Pride flag this month. We acknowledge the stated justification for not wanting to use a symbol to allow discourse to distract from dedication. We appreciate St. Luke’s remains committed to inclusivity and supporting all members of our community, to include sponsoring events and refocusing our efforts into a newly formed LGBTQIA+ resource group.
But doing these things and raising the Pride flag should not be mutually exclusive. They should go hand in hand to further inclusiveness.
We don’t approach this viewpoint from a political or personal value system. We approach it from the lens through which we healthcare workers view every patient encounter, with deep empathy for their vulnerability.
Seeking medical care, whether routine or emergent is among the most personal moments in someone’s life. At the core of every single interaction is trust in a stranger with what may or may not be needed to make each tomorrow as good, or better than today.
Many of these decisions are made swiftly in moments of crisis, or dramatically in response to overwhelming disease. In order to quickly develop that essential trust, we incorporate our greatest skill. More important than our knowledge is our ability to not judge. We are committed to blocking out any belief, behavior or lifestyle decision that may contribute to disease. In doing so, we meet people exactly where they are and walk alongside them, often carrying them at times.
There are many marginalized patient populations we care for. We acknowledge, there isn’t a flag for every single one. But having a symbol that helps immediately establish trust and a sense of security is never contentious.
That is why many healthcare workers have an Inclusive Progress Pride sticker or pin somewhere on display. It is not to identify with a political ideology or to demonstrate dissent of cultural shifts in opinion or values. It is to set someone at ease and encourage their trust when they are in need.
There is no dispute that mental and emotional health is deeply affected by lack of inclusion or acceptance. The fear of this being exposed or exacerbated in moments of vulnerability can have disastrous and life-altering effects. Flying the Inclusive Progress Pride flag in June was part of our demonstration as an organization that we are a place of safety.
Reading further into the St. Luke’s Mission Statement, you will see the ICARE values: Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect and Excellence. Flying the Pride flag embodies all of these values and shows the community we remain committed to Reverend Funsten’s great purpose.
Even if it doesn’t hang from our buildings, it always hangs in many of our hearts.
Signed (232 employees of St. Luke’s):
Gregory Adams, MD
Grace Adamson, MD
Tiahna Ahlrich, PAS
Nicki Aitchison, PAS
Saadia Akhtar, MD
Michelle Andrysiak, OT
Carla Apezzato, MD
Todd Arndt, MD
Caroline Arthur, MD
Ainoa Autele-Douglass, RN
Kristen Ayers, RN
Maryse “Reese” Barker, RN
Allison Beaman, NP
Tricia Beveridge-Choo, FNP
Michael Biddle, PharmD
Madalen Bieter Lete, PT, DPT, MPH
Sarah Birtch, OT
Ronald Blair, DO
Clarence Blea, MD
Eric Bluemn, MD
Seth Branahl, MD
Allison Brookins, PT
Abbie Brooks, FNP-S
Mykala Brown
Zoe Butler, RN
Paige Casteix, RN
Alex Chamberlain, Chaplain
Eugenia Chang, MD
Jaime Church, PAS
Caitlyn Conrad, CCMA
Cypress Cooper, NP
Christina Crow Cruz, DSW,LCSW
Kevin D’Agostino
Catherine Dale
Kristen Dalton, MD
Caroline Defrang, MD
Brayden Demko, RN
Eric Deutsch, MD
Mary Dittrich, MD
William Dittrich, MD
Matthew DiVietro, DO
Graham Donald, MD
Erica Donelson, RN
Jodie Donovan, MD
Michelle Doran, NPC
Amelia Doty-Jones, LCSW
Amy Drumm, MD
Dixie Durham
Shannon Durkee
Karen East, MD
Kayla Earnheart, CCMA
Camille Evans, LCSW
Erin Fennern, MD
Maureen Ferguson, MD
Sara Fine, PA-C
Codi Fitzgerald, MD
Megan Fitzmaurice, FNP
Miller Fonteyne, RN
Carrie Ford, SLP
Angela Fritz, PT, DPT
Morgan Frothinger, CNA
Cristina Gabutti, MD
Hayley Gardiner, RN
Emily Getlein-Marques, NP
Sara Gibbons, PhD, MSN, RN
Jeffrey Gilbertson, MD
Brian Goltry, MD
Marie Gonsar, OT
Joshua Goyden, PA-C
Gretchen Gudmundsen, PhD
Noah Gunn, RN
Caitlin Gustafson, MD
Marissa Gustaves, RN
Erin Hagen, PA-C
Christian Hamlat, MD
Juliann Hanson, OT
Amanda Harrington, PT, DPT
Jessica Hazard
Rebecca Headley, LCSW
Michael Hedemark, MD
John Hickey, RN
Amy Hicks, LCSW
Mary Hill, PAS
Jennifer Holland, RN
Jennifer Holliday, MD
Katherine Holmen, RN
Emily Howe, MPH
Tiffani Hunter, PA-C
Jasmine Hurd, RN
Cary Imeson, LCSW
Michael Jacobson, MD
Jocelyn Johns, NP
Claire Johnson, OT
Frank Johnson, MD
Amber Jones, PAS
Wendy Jones, PA-C
Megan Jones, PA-C
Carrie Jones, LCSW
Kristine Kampe, CCMA
Rick Kerr, Chaplain
Kathryn Kiernan, OT
Jack Kingsley, RN
Kade Klippenstein, MD
Kristen Knowles, PT, DPT
Julia Koch, RN
Allyson Komori, DO
Zane Kreikemeier, PAS
Alicia Lachiondo, MD
Dane Larson, RN
Amanda Lee, DO
Jennifer Lee, MD
Bryce Leonard, PA-C
Derek Linderman, MD
Norman Litchfield, MD
Mackenzie Loman, PAS
Gina Lopez, PAS
Carlos Luna, CCMA
Sophia Lynch, PA-C
Shelby Mader, PT, DPT
Marina Madsen, PAS
Gabrielle Hope Marchese, PharmD
Andre Marques, RN
Shelby Marshall, RN
Sarah Mather, RN
Joel Mathews, PA-C
Brittany Matthews, NP
Ryann Mcclennen, DO
Thom McGarry
Madison McLean, RN
Mary Mebane, PA-C
Alexandra Meier, MD
Breanne Mikolajczyk, RN
Alexandra Miller, MD
Meghan Minshall, LCPC
Lynn Mohn
Jessica Morales, DO
Ashley Morgan, MD
Michael Morris, MD
Allison Mounts, CCMA
Rachel Mueller, RN
Jenn Mura, SLP
Alejandro Necochea MD
Aurelia Nelson, MD
Ashlyn Nelson, RN
Don Ness, RN
Wendi Norris, MD
Margaret Nunley, MD
Kathleen O’Dell
Jennifer O’Hara
Brenden Oguin, RN
Danielle Orchard, MD
Jeanette Papadakis, CCMA
Mechele Pedersen, CCMA
Batina Peer, NP
Lee Penchansky, LCSW
Carissa Pereda, MD
Darian Perez, CCMA
Carly Petrie, PA-C
Amy Plagge, MD
Inaya Poteri, PAS
Andrea Prasch, MD
Daniel Preucil, MD
Shelby Prochnow, RRT
Frank Quijano, MD
Colton Ray
Jaimee Reed, PAS
Christina Reed, OT
Jen Rider, Chaplain
Nathan Roach, MD
Clare Ross
Josie Ross
Michael Ross, MD
Madeline Sage, PT
Ariel Sandifer, RN
David Sasso, MD
Kim Saxton, LCSW
Sueine Scheffer Almeida, RN
Katie Schmidt, SLP
Amber Schwehr, RN
Chance Schwehr, CNA
Andi Scrivner, RN
Aly Seeberger, PAS
Rosemarie Serrone, MD
Stacy Seyb, MD
Brenna Shackelford, MD
Stephanie Shawver, AGACNP-BC
Sabrina Sherwood
Emily Short, RN
Jami Silflow, DO
Taylor Simmons, MD
Margo Simon, DO
Bella Simon, RN
April Smith
Elynn Smith, MD
Samantha Smith, PA-C
Neeraj Soni, MD
Margi Soni, NP
Shannon Stamper, RD
Mari Beth Stein, NP
Amanda Stinger, MD
Leslie Stubbs, MD
Jonathan Swerdloff, MD
Sara Swoboda, MD
Alex Tanabe, MD
Stephanie Taylor, PT, DPT
Brent Taylor, PA-C
Jake Taylor, RN
Emily Thomas, DPT
Pamela Trapp
Gregory Trapp, MD
Roger Turcotte, MD
Bryce Turnbull, CRNA
Kristen Tuttle, RN
Cortney Vandenburgh, DO
Gail Vasquez, LCSW
Janet Vaughn, PharmD
Jennifer Visnaw, RN
Emma Wade
Sharene Watsen, PA-C
Nani Weiss, SLP
Tara Whitaker, MD
Andrew White, RN
Brandon Wickstrom, Chaplain
Joe Wilbanks, MD
Halie Wilsey, LCSW
Tina Winn, PAS
Mollie Woods, PAS
Dillon Wright, RN
Phyllis You, MD
Susan Young, RN
Sarah Zarchin, RN
Dan Zuckerman, MD
Signatories added post-publication:
Katherine Andrews, PA-C
Jesse Cavalieri, RN
Katherine Holmen, RN
Angie Mayo, RN
Gregory Thompson, MD
Hilary Warren, MD
This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:00 AM.