Independent ID doctors defy hospital trend

As many doctors decide to ditch their own shingle and go to big hospitals, a group of nearly 200 Idaho doctors is banding together to promote independent physicians. "Independent Doctors of Idaho" (IDID) started as a response to what the organization calls an "unprecedented number of physicians in the Treasure Valley and throughout Idaho becoming employees of large hospital systems", like Saint Alphonsus or St. Luke's. Some of the independent doctors say they're at a disadvantage from a marketing standpoint because they don't have hospital billboards, big ads, or automatic networking within a system. The organization's goal is to let patients know about alternatives in health care providers through independents.