Permits issued for oncology, surgical center remodeling

Plans for Idaho Falls Oncology at the Idaho Falls Building Department office.

Work is set to begin in earnest on a new place for Idaho Falls cancer patients to get chemotherapy in relative comfort.

IFSC Partners, a Portland, Ore.-based company, had building permits issued earlier this month for the remodel of the Idaho Falls Surgical Center building at 1945 East 17th Street. The building to the north that used to be the Idaho Falls Recovery Center is being remodeled into Idaho Falls Oncology. Valuation of the first remodel is estimated at $1.31 million and the second is $1.47 million.

When finished the two buildings will be connected by a common corridor. Overall, the project will cover 175,767 square feet, with parking for 98 vehicles. Idaho Falls Oncology will be given a new address, 1957 East 17th Street.

The architect on the project is Ankrom Moisan Associated, a Portland firm. The contractor is Bateman-Hall of Idaho Falls.

Cortney Liddiard, CEO of Ball Ventures, and James Adamson, president and CEO of Mountain View Hospital, are listed on the building plans as the principals involved in IFSC Partners.

Memorial Drive to be completely closed starting Friday

Memorial Drive will be closed completely to traffic Friday, to allow for final grading and paving and completion of a roundabout.

The project, which started July 8, is expected to be completely open to traffic by Nov. 5. In the last few weeks of construction, the road will be completely closed between Broadway and F Street, including the intersection with Riverside Drive.

With winter at hand and the road construction season coming to an end, the expanded construction schedule and brief closing ought to allow for the work to be finished before the ground freezes, Idaho Falls City Engineer Kent Fugal said.

When finished, traffic on Memorial will be one lane each way, with landscaping designed to make foot traffic easier between downtown and the Idaho Falls Greenbelt. "We are very excited to see this project finished," Fugal said.

I.F. insurance rep named finalist for national award

Kandace Kepler

Kandace Kepler of Premier Insurance's Idaho Falls office has been named a national finalist for the 2012 Outstanding Customer Service Representative of the Year award. The award is sponsored by the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research, and recognizes the contributions and commitment of those who serve clients within the insurance industry.

Kepler began her insurance career as a customer service representative in 1987 and has been associated with Premier Insurance of Idaho Falls since 1997, serving as a commercial account executive. She earned a certified insurance service representative designation in 2001, construction risk and insurance specialist in 2011, and most recently, certified insurance counselor. She is currently working towards the designation of certified risk manager.

Idaho ranked best place in America to practice medicine

Idaho's low cost of living and culture of physician independence make it the best place in America to be a practicing physician for the second straight year, according to Physicians Practice's 2012 Best States to Practice project.

Physicians Practice is a magazine that provides practice-management advice to more than 150,000 physicians and practice administrators across the United States.

The Idaho medical board's low rate of disciplinary actions against physicians; its low density of practicing physicians per capita; and its relatively friendly malpractice climate are among the reasons.
"Along with its low cost of living, Idaho has a climate of physician independence that makes working there great for doctors," said editorial director Bob Keaveney.

Since 2003, the Best States to Practice project has ranked the states and the District of Columbia using six metrics that are important to physicians, including cost of living, tax burden, and the climate for malpractice litigation.

In addition to its annual article, published in the October issue, and its detailed survey results, Physicians Practice has created a clickable map of the United States where users can find specific data on each state, and an interactive My Best States to Practice tool, where users can manipulate the weights assigned to each metric. The tool recalculates the list based on the weights assigned by the user.

http://www.physicianspractice.com/best-states-practice

Teton Toyota negotiating for VW dealership rights

'Big Buddy,' Teton Toyota's newest addition

Teton Toyota is negotiating with Volkswagen for the right to sell its cars in Idaho Falls, and should know by the end of next week whether they have a deal, General Manager Mario Hernandez said Friday.

As for Audi, they have pulled out of the Idaho Falls market and are not showing any interest in returning. "I would love to have Audi, and I know a lot of Audi owners who aren't pleased they have to take their cars to Utah to get them serviced under warranty," Hernandez said.

Idaho Falls has been without a VW or Audi dealer since the German carmakers pulled out of Wackerli Auto Center, their longtime location on North Holmes Avenue. Wackerli continues to sell Subaru and GMC.

Whether or not a VW sign goes up at Teton Toyota's Sunnyside Road dealership, passers-by are bound to notice the new "Big Buddy." Buddy is Hernandez's 9-year-old black Labrador, who appears in all the dealership's advertising.

The statue measures 9 by 15 feet, and was made by F.A.S.T Corp. of Sparta, Wis., a manufacturer of fiberglass statues and water park attractions since 1983.