Bonner General Health

01/30/2026

01/29/2026

Rock Steady Boxing at Performance Therapy Services -Ridley Village is helping individuals with Parkinson’s disease build strength, confidence, and resilience one punch at a time. This non-contact boxing program is designed to improve balance, coordination, and overall quality of life, all within a supportive and encouraging environment.

We’re proud to offer programs like Rock Steady Boxing that empower our patients to keep moving forward. Learn more at https://bonnergeneral.org/services/physical-therapy/ or call (208) 255-3676.🥊💙

01/27/2026

Surgical Services Update:

At Bonner General Health, patient safety has always been, and will always be, our top priority. Recently, we experienced an unexpected equipment failure that required us to temporarily pause a portion of our surgical services. This pause allows our team to complete necessary upgrades and ensures that we continue providing the highest level of safe, reliable care.

We want to reassure our community that this is a temporary interruption, not a long-term change. Many services, including GI procedures, endoscopies, and colonoscopies, are still being performed without interruption. Our clinical teams remain fully committed to meeting the healthcare needs of the Sandpoint and greater Bonner County community.

We deeply appreciate the understanding, patience, and support you’ve shown during this brief pause. Your trust means everything to us, and we remain here, every day, to care for you and your families with the compassion and commitment you expect from Bonner General Health.

Thank you for being part of our community and for allowing us to be part of yours.

01/26/2026

One simple act can make a life-saving impact. Did you know Bonner General Health and Vitalant host a blood drive every other month? Our next drive is coming up February 20 in the Monarch Room at the Health Services Building.

Thank you to everyone who donates and helps make a life-saving difference in our community. Your generosity truly matters! ❤️

01/23/2026

Heart Ball Impact, and More to Come! ✨

Last year’s Heart Ball was full of joy, generosity, and plenty of dancing! Thanks to our generous donors, the 17th Annual Heart Ball raised over $315,000, supporting the launch of our Transitional Care, Swing Bed Program. The funds raised purchased a new call light system which has strengthened patient communication and rehabilitation care at Bonner General Health. Thank you to our donors! Your support continues to help quality care stay close to home.

We’re so grateful for the impact made in 2025 and we’re looking forward to doing it again this year. We can’t wait to dance with you at the 18th Annual Heart Ball! 💙

01/22/2026

Congratulations to our January Employee of the Month, Stephen Whitehead!

"Yesterday I was in the hallway and talking to Steve about the Amazon package that staff had brought into my office thinking I had ordered it. He immediately offered to come and get it from my office. A little later he was helping with another issue; someone was locked out of their office. Seeing Steve in the hallway is a breath of fresh air.

He is hard working but always takes a few seconds to help or greet people. He has a “can do” attitude and much like Lupe, he is a friendly face seen all over the hospital as he goes about his daily business. I appreciate Steve and am thankful for his contributions to BGH.”

Submitted by: Marian Martin

Congrats, Steve! Thanks for all that you do!

01/22/2026

Tune in to North Idaho's Radio today at 12:30 PM for our BGH monthly segment. Bonner General Health's Kate McAlister will join host David Keyes to discuss the BGH Foundation and the upcoming Heart Ball. 💙

Listen live at: http://www.northidahoradio.com/

01/19/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Volunteer of the Year, Paula Dunn!

Paula has been volunteering at BGH since January 2017. She serves as a sign language interpreter and is very helpful and involved throughout BGH and our community. Thank you, Paula, for all that you do! Council Chair Magro Johnson wrote this heartfelt poem of gratitude to honor Paula and her outstanding contributions.

"She is honest, dedicated and very wise,
A volunteer with abilities others seldom achieve.
Has true dedication in what she believes.
Volunteering in post op, being a service chair,
She is precise, does her work with special care.
Improving our group with suggestions she may bring
Co-workers say, she's on top of everything.
Helping volunteers find this work to be fun.
She knows what is needed and what's to be done.
Her training is exact and always sincere,
Just one more reason we find her so dear.
It is my honor to present this certificate from all
and posting your picture on our special wall."

01/16/2026

We’re counting down to the 18th Annual Heart Ball on February 21st and loving this fun throwback from last year! 💙

This year’s Heart Ball will support important surgical upgrades at Bonner General Health. With 3,000+ surgeries performed each year, these upgrades help ensure our community can receive high-quality surgical care close to home, right here in Sandpoint.

We’re so grateful to everyone who supports BGH through the Heart Ball: our donors, community members, and the dedicated Foundation Board working hard to bring this special night together. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

01/14/2026

Looking for clarity, tools, and support when it comes to ADHD?

Bonner General Behavioral Health is offering ADHD 101: How to Support Your Loved One, a three-week class designed to build understanding, confidence, and practical tools.

Topics include:
🔹Understanding ADHD, myths vs. facts
🔹Diagnosis and treatment across the lifespan
🔹Parenting tools, strategies, and interventions

Led by: Megan Fox, PhD, MS, Clinical Psychologist
Tuesdays: January 27, February 3 & February 10
5:30 – 6:45 pm
Bonner General Health Services Building (Monarch Room, 1st floor)

Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/mLJfCswVaY

Bonner General Behavioral Health offers outpatient mental health services for adult and pediatric patients. Learn more about our providers below.

01/12/2026

Bundle up and embrace the snow with your pup! Stay active this winter by making the most of those snowy strolls. Winter walks are a great way to boost your mood, reduce stress, and enjoy some fresh air together. ❄️🐾

01/09/2026

Please join us in welcoming Mercedes Dirks, FNP, to Bonner General Family Practice!

Mercedes is a Family Nurse Practitioner who is deeply committed to caring for individuals and families at every stage of life. Inspired at a young age by the nurses who supported her family during a loved one’s cancer journey, Mercedes brings both heart and experience to her work.

With a background in emergency, medical-surgical, and postpartum care, and a strong passion for rural medicine, Mercedes is excited to continue serving the community she calls home. Her clinical interests include pediatrics, women’s health, and comprehensive family care, with a focus on building trusted, long-term relationships with her patients.

When she’s not in the clinic, you’ll find Mercedes enjoying the outdoors, cooking and baking, or spending time with her husband and baby girl here in the Idaho mountains.

Welcome to the team, Mercedes!