Official Discussion on the Mormon/LDS influence in Idaho (Boise: chapel, safe)

[norcalmom101]

No doubt about it! Doesn't mean it won't be a positive move though...

[Mtn. States Resident]

Sage,

I certainly believe your experience. However, with the Provo-Orem Metro reaching over 500,000-700,000 mark (larger than Boise's MSA), in an area who #1 employer was Brigham Young University, I don't find your comment hard to believe at all.

Norcalmom, I'm having a little difficulty understanding your persistence about the abortion issue in Idaho. You've asked in more than one thread. You may want to post in other Intermountain States and see what the answers are.

Not so many years ago, there was a private GYN in Pocatello well known for doing abortions. That being said, one must have hospitals/surgical centers or private clinics who want pregnancy termination to be a major source of income.

No hospital in eastern or southeastern ID wants that right now. And to the best of my knowledge, no OB/GYN, wants to focus his/her career on terminations. Quite the reverse currently, bringing MFM's in, neonatologists in Idaho Falls as the first city outside of the Boise area to have f/t perinatologist/neonatologists. EIRMC is scheduled to break ground this fall on a new state of the art NICU and high risk OB addition.

If you check in Salt Lake City at the Utah Women's Center, Terminations are done. Interestingly, most of the OB/GYNs leave after a few years and start delivering babies again.

You may want to research the OB/GYN residency at the University of Utah School of Medicine. The number of pregnancy terminations is cited as a "negative" by some residents, although they know the numbers of procedures they will be experience prior to their residency. Still, most find it difficult to beat the training in actual hands on deliveries, complicated MFM procedures being taught in several states now by U. of U. MFM Faculty, InVitro Program, GYN Oncology etc. to prefer to do a residency elsewhere.

So contrary to what most have suggested here, I would look at the University of Utah School of Medicine as setting a "tone" for pregnancy terminations vs. attracting physicians to the area who manage the complicated pregnancies, infertility etc.

Twinprism is correct though, the smaller towns in Southeast ID (and I'm willing to beat WY and MT too) won't have termination services. Usually FPs staff those hospitals. You may be surprised how many are or aren't LDS, but prefer not to provide abortions, so they have located in a corrider where many are not done.

You may feel better knowing an abortion can be obtained in Jackson Hole, WY, which is less than 2 hours away from Idaho Falls.

Sage and Twinprism are correct about Salt Lake County, with over a million residents, not even being 50% Mormon. That being said, there is a significant Catholic population in both UT and ID. My understanding is both Catholics and Mormons have the same teachings about abortion.

jufrbo, when you wrote, " And SLC's mayor is one of the most liberal in the country," what is your source? I wasn't aware Mayor Ralph Becker was consider as liberal as Rocky Anderson, the FORMER SLC Mayor. Everyone who has endured Rocky, in any capacity, knows he is staging (he hopes) his launch into national politics. He just doesn't get it that besides his attorney buddies, and a few other grassroots organizations he pressures to back him, few are interested in him. Otherwise, he'd be running for a Congressional Seat.

I will be interested in your source about Mayor Ralph Becker, especially given a statement he made less than 6 weeks ago.

Norcalmom, I understand you are getting what you are getting in your housing arrangement, not necessarily as your ideal selection. However, if someone in your family or a neighbor had to have a cardiac, kidney, pancreas etc. transplant, they would have to drive to SLC as well. The same is true for the Intermountain Burn Unit - there is ONE to serve the entire Intermountain West's population. There are many procedures that don't have the volume anywhere in the Intermountain west as SLC.

You are leaving the area that has had the transformation of UCSF Schoolf of Medicine and Stanford Medical School combine programs to stay afloat in their respective medical schools. People throught the country, if not internationally, travel to the SF/Palo Alto area for sub-specialized care. You won't find the same anywhere in Idaho.

You may want to remain connected to medical providers in your current area so you have a choice when it comes to a variety of medical conditions. That would allow you, family members, neighbors, work colleagues or others you might want to refer to some of the sub-specialized programs, which are provided at fewer than 20 hospitals in the U.S., for the medical care you've addressed in various posts.

Idaho isn't the Bay Area. And it isn't all due to LDS people. Certain trauma services in the Intermountain West surpass the numbers residents/fellows in the Bay Area will ever see. The total population served, over the hundreds of miles has something to do with all medical services in the region.

MSR

[norcalmom101]

Thank you MSR. Pretty sure my son will be able to get braces in IF!

[norcalmom101]

Getting back on track, does anyone care to address how the LDS religion (topic of this thread) impacts the quality and availability of sex education, Middle, High School, and beyond, birth control, and STD/AIDS prevention in Idaho?

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Sage,

I certainly believe your experience. However, with the Provo-Orem Metro reaching over 500,000-700,000 mark (larger than Boise's MSA), in an area who #1 employer was Brigham Young University, I don't find your comment hard to believe at all.

Norcalmom, I'm having a little difficulty understanding your persistence about the abortion issue in Idaho. You've asked in more than one thread. You may want to post in other Intermountain States and see what the answers are.

Not so many years ago, there was a private GYN in Pocatello well known for doing abortions. That being said, one must have hospitals/surgical centers or private clinics who want pregnancy termination to be a major source of income.

No hospital in eastern or southeastern ID wants that right now. And to the best of my knowledge, no OB/GYN, wants to focus his/her career on terminations. Quite the reverse currently, bringing MFM's in, neonatologists in Idaho Falls as the first city outside of the Boise area to have f/t perinatologist/neonatologists. EIRMC is scheduled to break ground this fall on a new state of the art NICU and high risk OB addition.

If you check in Salt Lake City at the Utah Women's Center, Terminations are done. Interestingly, most of the OB/GYNs leave after a few years and start delivering babies again.

You may want to research the OB/GYN residency at the University of Utah School of Medicine. The number of pregnancy terminations is cited as a "negative" by some residents, although they know the numbers of procedures they will be experience prior to their residency. Still, most find it difficult to beat the training in actual hands on deliveries, complicated MFM procedures being taught in several states now by U. of U. MFM Faculty, InVitro Program, GYN Oncology etc. to prefer to do a residency elsewhere.

So contrary to what most have suggested here, I would look at the University of Utah School of Medicine as setting a "tone" for pregnancy terminations vs. attracting physicians to the area who manage the complicated pregnancies, infertility etc.

Twinprism is correct though, the smaller towns in Southeast ID (and I'm willing to beat WY and MT too) won't have termination services. Usually FPs staff those hospitals. You may be surprised how many are or aren't LDS, but prefer not to provide abortions, so they have located in a corrider where many are not done.

You may feel better knowing an abortion can be obtained in Jackson Hole, WY, which is less than 2 hours away from Idaho Falls.

Sage and Twinprism are correct about Salt Lake County, with over a million residents, not even being 50% Mormon. That being said, there is a significant Catholic population in both UT and ID. My understanding is both Catholics and Mormons have the same teachings about abortion.

jufrbo, when you wrote, " And SLC's mayor is one of the most liberal in the country," what is your source? I wasn't aware Mayor Ralph Becker was consider as liberal as Rocky Anderson, the FORMER SLC Mayor. Everyone who has endured Rocky, in any capacity, knows he is staging (he hopes) his launch into national politics. He just doesn't get it that besides his attorney buddies, and a few other grassroots organizations he pressures to back him, few are interested in him. Otherwise, he'd be running for a Congressional Seat.

I will be interested in your source about Mayor Ralph Becker, especially given a statement he made less than 6 weeks ago.

Norcalmom, I understand you are getting what you are getting in your housing arrangement, not necessarily as your ideal selection. However, if someone in your family or a neighbor had to have a cardiac, kidney, pancreas etc. transplant, they would have to drive to SLC as well. The same is true for the Intermountain Burn Unit - there is ONE to serve the entire Intermountain West's population. There are many procedures that don't have the volume anywhere in the Intermountain west as SLC.

You are leaving the area that has had the transformation of UCSF Schoolf of Medicine and Stanford Medical School combine programs to stay afloat in their respective medical schools. People throught the country, if not internationally, travel to the SF/Palo Alto area for sub-specialized care. You won't find the same anywhere in Idaho.

You may want to remain connected to medical providers in your current area so you have a choice when it comes to a variety of medical conditions. That would allow you, family members, neighbors, work colleagues or others you might want to refer to some of the sub-specialized programs, which are provided at fewer than 20 hospitals in the U.S., for the medical care you've addressed in various posts.

Idaho isn't the Bay Area. And it isn't all due to LDS people. Certain trauma services in the Intermountain West surpass the numbers residents/fellows in the Bay Area will ever see. The total population served, over the hundreds of miles has something to do with all medical services in the region.

MSR

Excellent points MSR.
But, I don't really understand why you commented about the population between Provo/Orem and Boise metropolitan areas considering Sage lives in Sagle in North Idaho.
I just checked the US census website and the 2007 Metro population of Boise is almost 100,000 more than Provo/Orems metro and the Boise metro is growing at a faster rate, even in a troubled economy Boise is pumping along and growing with new building taking place all over this valley.
Boise = 587,689 (2007)
Provo/Orem = 493-306 (2007)

It is also interesting that the local census tracking authority here in Boise actually has the metro population at around 650,000- which is obviously higher than the US bureau estimates.
One aspect I think is important for people to realize--people who might not be familier with Boise and Provo/Orem is that Boise is a capitol city and the largest city for 400 miles in any direction. Boise is a self supporting metro area with a strong independent business climate.
Provo on the other hand is directly south of the heavily populated Salt Lake Valley and Provo is a rather smallish city which isn't a bad thing at all.
I have heard comments that downtown Idaho Falls is larger than downtown Provo, not necessarily comparing tall buildings, but the size of the actual downtown. And, because Provo is so close to Salt Lake City, it creates a stigma that Provo is more of a huge southern suburb for Salt Lake County, espcially since the city of Provo is smaller and very suburban in nature.
I have been in Provo/Orem many times to visit friends and I have relatives who moved there 5 years ago, and the two towns just don't have a city feel at all. The whole area feels like a burb, whereas Boise and Salt Lake have the city feel.
Sorry if I have rambled, but I just wanted to understand your comment you threw in about population between the two areas and how that was significant to Sage's comment.
But population does not matter for everything. Look at Boise, since we are so isolated Boise has more city offerings than many other similar and larger populated areas.



But I agree with you about the abortion issue on this board. You are a wells spoken forumer and I respect your views.
I have also heard Jackson Hole is a rather easy place to get an abortion if one is required to make the soon to be motherless mother happy.

[norcalmom101]

Getting back on track, does anyone care to address how the LDS religion (topic of this thread) impacts the quality and availability of sex education, Middle, High School, and beyond, birth control, and STD/AIDS prevention in Idaho?

[Sage of Sagle]

Norcalmom101,

I think you should narrow the scope of your question to SE Idaho. Here in North Idaho (the whole Panhandle) Mormonism is just another religion, with maybe 5% of the populace. So it would have little or no measurable effect on the items you mention. I don't think it's significant enough in the Boise metro area to affect state-level politics in these areas, beyond being a further "red state" voting block that anyone at the state level would have to consider from our state's populace as a whole.

But I defer to MSR in this regard. You will find that MSR is a wellspring of good information...

[norcalmom101]

Thank you, Sage. So would it then be fair to say that abortion restrictions at the State level (for example pertaining to insurance reimbursement, mandatory counseling, etc.) are a function of political factors not stemming from LDS doctrine or influence in State politics?

[twinprism]

I'll jump in here.

Idaho is definitely a red state with or without the LDS influence, perhaps one of the most Red in the nation andvery conservative so I'd say while the LDS influence contributes it is not the determining factor in statewide politics. Many state legislators are from rural and conservative areas regardless of their religious background. They are also very conservative on other areas, such as education funding. I live in Bannock county which I believe may be the only county in Idaho with a democrats being the majority of it's legislators. From Wikipedia, "The 59th Idaho Senate consists of 28 Republicans and 7 Democrats, with the Idaho House of Representatives to consist of 51 Republicans and 19 Democrats"

As Sage mentions, LDS influence is a much larger factor in local governments and culture in SE Idaho than the rest of the state. In North Idaho where Sage is at, religion is a non-issue but there is still a majority of conservatives maybe due to the large ag, timber, and mining industries which are still a significant portion of the economy.

[norcalmom101]

I thought the LDS religion did not forbid (or condemn?) abortion. Is this erroneous?