Kootenai Health Breaks Ground on Prairie Medical Campus, Expanding Access to Care for a Growing Region
Post Falls, Idaho — Kootenai Health, in partnership with MultiCare Health System, marked a major milestone in regional health care with the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Prairie Medical Campus, a transformative, multiphase medical development designed to expand access to high-quality care for Post Falls and surrounding communities.
The Prairie Medical Campus is a 30-acre development that will be built in phases to meet both the current and future health care needs of the region. Phase one includes a micro-hospital with a 12-room emergency department, advanced imaging services, and rooms for overnight stays, along with a three-story medical office building featuring clinic offices and lab services. Future expansion, including an eventual full-service hospital, is planned as the region continues to grow.
“This campus represents our responsibility to plan ahead and serve our community; not after the need outpaces us, but now, when we can meet the need as it arises,” said Jameson Smith, CEO of Kootenai Health. “We exist to serve our community and advance medical care in our region. The Prairie Medical Campus is a direct reflection of that
commitment.”
Population growth across Kootenai County and eastern Spokane County is expected to increase dramatically over the coming decades, intensifying demand for
convenient, accessible health care. The Prairie Medical Campus is designed to meet that demand, bringing essential services closer to where people live, work, and raise families.
“This project builds on Kootenai Health’s multi-decade commitment to serving the Post Falls community by creating a premier medical campus with the latest technology and advanced healthcare close to home,” said Duke Walker, Chief Operations Officer of Kootenai Health. “This project exemplifies healthcare collaboration at its best.”
Kootenai Health has served Kootenai County for more than 60 years. Its presence in Post Falls began in 1997 with the opening of the Post Falls Health Park and has steadily expanded over the past three decades through cancer services, facility expansions, physician practices, and, most recently, the opening of Kootenai Health Pharmacy in January 2026.
The Prairie Medical Campus is made possible through a collaborative joint venture with MultiCare Health System, whose investment enables care expansion to happen now, rather than years in the future when access could become strained.
“The partnership between Kootenai and MultiCare is the perfect example of what can happen when two organizations connect in a common purpose,” said Bill Robertson, CEO of MultiCare. “Our combined skill sets and resources can more effectively create the health care capacity that this community needs than we could working alone.”
“This collaboration allows us to anticipate the needs of our communities and respond with purpose,” Smith added. “MultiCare’s investment and shared commitment to patient-centered care help ensure we’re building the right services, in the right place, at the right time.”
“MultiCare and Kootenai Health have worked together for a number of years on projects designed to expand local access to health care,” said Florence Chang, President of MultiCare. “Today, our partnership is taking a major step forward. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this important work to expand health care services for these communities.”
The project also reflects strong collaboration with construction, design, and community partners, including Bouten Construction, Parkwood Business Properties, CollinsWoerman Architects, Consertus project management, and numerous design-build consultants and trade partners. Local and regional leaders, including the City of Post Falls, the Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency, Kootenai County Commissioners, and the Post Falls Chamber, also played a key role in supporting the project.
“Our community partners, civic leaders, and health care collaborators have all contributed to making this vision a reality,” Walker said. “This campus is an investment not just in infrastructure, but in the long-term health and vitality of this region.”
Construction of phase one is expected to continue through 2027, with the Prairie Medical Campus ultimately serving more patients than Kootenai Health’s main campus does today.
