Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced a consent decree on Thursday that requires the separation of Kootenai Health and Syringa Hospital and Clinics as part of a broader antitrust push to prevent hospital system consolidation. This trend has been widespread across the nation for decades.
The roots of this decree can be traced back to multiple acquisitions and agreements made by Kootenai Health in recent years. In 2020, Kootenai Health expanded by purchasing Clearwater Valley Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. Prior to these acquisitions, Kootenai Health had entered into a management agreement with Syringa Hospital in 2017. This agreement resulted in Syringa’s CEO becoming an employee of Kootenai Health.
The Attorney General’s office raised concerns about antitrust issues stemming from this arrangement, as Kootenai Health gained access to competitively sensitive non-public information from Syringa. This prompted the intervention and issuance of the consent decree.
The decree requires Kootenai Health to terminate all existing contracts with Syringa Hospital, and any future agreements between the two entities will need prior approval from the Attorney General for stricter oversight. However, the decree does not address Kootenai Health’s ownership of St. Mary’s Hospital and Clearwater Valley Hospital, which remains unconfirmed at this time.
NonStop Local reached out to the Idaho Attorney General’s Office for clarification on Kootenai Health’s ownership of these hospitals post-consent decree. The status of these ownerships is still pending confirmation.
