Freshmen prioritized

With an enrollment increase dorms may be pushing upper classmen out for Fall 2023

A projected 8-10% increase in incoming freshmen could reduce room availability for returning University of Idaho students.

Housing and Residence Life has created 171 more beds to accommodate more freshmen and those returning students who wish to live on campus. The projected growth follows the largest freshmen class in UI history, which left over 100 students without on-campus housing. Most overflow students were temporarily housed at the FairBridge Inn, but some never made it into the dorms, living in Sigma Alpha Epsilon instead.

Housing is guaranteeing that every first-year student enrolled this fall will have an on-campus living space, according to John Kosh, the director of marketing and communications for UI Auxiliary Services.

Options for overflow housing are being explored, including Targhee Hall and local hotels that housed students last semester.

Housing has made additional bed space in existing residence halls, with limited single rooms. LLCs may open up to first-year students and have more beds per suite. Some currently unoccupied rooms will be renovated and made available for the next semester.

These changes have increased availability from 1,398 bed spaces in Fall 2022 to 1,569 bed spaces in Fall 2023, but this may not be enough.

Housing available to upperclassmen is decreasing from 642 bed spaces to 527, according to Kosh, with plans still being made.

Returning students who are unable to secure rooms can join a waiting list that Housing will use to determine overflow needs. Students on the waiting list “will be communicated every two weeks where you are on that (list) and where we are in numbers,” Kosh said.

This follows complaints of last fall, where overflow students cited difficulties in speaking with Housing and were not updated on how many overflow residents remained.

Kosh said students on the waiting list can expect communications regarding alternate housing options, including the Greek system and off-campus apartments.

In the past month, two hospitals in Idaho have announced they will soon stop providing labor and delivery services.

The closures for both hospitals cite difficulties leading to the decision, including a declining birth rate in the state of Idaho and in their respective regions.

Bonner General Health in Northern Idaho announced it will close its labor and delivery services on May 19, depending on staff availability. This closure will primarily affect Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.

“We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services,” Ford Elsaesser, Bonner General Health’s board president, stated. “We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now.”

BGH cited that its hospitals only delivered 265 babies in 2022, a decrease relative to the past few years.

The hospital will also stop accepting new obstetrics patients and has made a referral list of other hospitals.

Erin Binnall, public information officer for BGH, said

“Bonner General Sandpoint Women’s Health is working with each OB patient one-onone to assist in coordinating and transitioning their obstetrical care,”

Binnall said. “In addition, we are working closely with Kootenai Health and other entities of the patient’s choice to ensure a smooth transition.”

BGH plans to refer patients wishing to continue receiving obstetric services to Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene. This may be problematic due to the hospital’s distance from individuals living in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.

“Kootenai Health, Coeur d’Alene is 44.5 miles south of Sandpoint and 76 miles from Bonners Ferry,” Binnall said. “Kootenai in the future plans to provide prenatal and postnatal services somewhere in Sandpoint.”

Another hospital BGH recommended in its referral is Newport Hospital in Washington. This hospital is closer to Sandpoint, but the same distance from Bonners Ferry.

However, labor and delivery services will begin at Newport in June and it is considered as an in- state hospital.

“Newport Hospital is deemed an in-state hospital and can accept Idaho Medicaid and is also contracted with Blue Cross of Idaho,” Binnall said.

Valor Health in Emmett, Idaho announced it will close labor and delivery services on June 1.

Valor cited similar reasons to BGH, noting a decrease in 50 deliveries from the year before.

Both hospitals also said that staffing was the main issue in providing obstetric care, with problems both recruiting and retaining staff.

BGH is the only hospital that has cited Idaho’s legal climate creating an issue of maintaining highly trained physicians in the state.

Last August, following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Idaho’s trigger law took effect and criminalized the administering of abortion care. The only exceptions to the law include cases of reported incest or rape or care necessary to save the life of the mother.

Sarah Dixit, public affairs manager for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho, said that the closure of BGH is heartbreaking.