News & Announcements

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho, St. Luke’s long partnership helping families overcome distance as barrier to care

Mother and daughter stand before Ronald McDonald house

By Alexis BennettLast Updated September 25, 2026

When a child needs specialized medical care, that location may not be nearby. For many Idaho families, that distance can be a barrier to care — one that Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho and St. Luke’s are working together to close.

Access to care continues to be a high-priority health need across Idaho, as one of three identified in the 2026 Community Health Needs Assessments. The number of providers available and other social drivers of health, such as transportation and insurance coverage, contribute to the need.

Compounding this, the number of available providers per 100,000 people is 74.1 in Idaho, much lower than the national average of 90.8. Uninsured rates in Canyon, Twin Falls and Jerome counties also fall below state and national rates.

Many families are left to negotiate the cost of care, with the costs and logistics of getting specialty services or care that requires extended stays.

RMHC of Idaho removes some of those barriers by providing free lodging, meals and support for families whose children are hospitalized.

In 2025, the organization served 2,494 families at its Boise house and its family room at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, providing 9,370 nights of lodging and saved families more than $1.25 million in lodging and meal expenses. It served families from 39 of Idaho’s 44 counties, reflecting how far people travel for care in a state where medical providers are concentrated in just a few population centers.

Hospitality cart pictured with two volunteers standing on either side. — Volunteers visit St. Luke’s Children’s with a Ronald McDonald House Charities hospitality cart.

The Searle family, which hails from Kimberly, is an example of one served by RMHC that understands the challenges of distance firsthand. Daughter Gracyn was born in Twin Falls in June 2021 and began having seizures within seconds of birth. She was flown to the NICU in Boise, where doctors diagnosed her with Ohtahara Syndrome, a rare, drug-resistant form of infant epilepsy. The Searles spent 58 nights at RMHC during Gracyn’s care.

“The House was more than a roof over my head. It was my safe place in a time when every corner I turned, hurt was tracking me down,” a family member said in a story shared at a recent event hosted by St. Luke’s.

With three other daughters back home, the family relied on the House to stay connected, using day passes to visit Zoo Boise, the World Center for Birds of Prey and the Discovery Center as a family on weekends when Gracyn’s father brought the girls to Boise. Gracyn fought for eight months before she passed away in March 2022. The Searles have continued to support the House in her memory.

“Our goal is to remove barriers and reduce burdens so families can focus on what matters most, which is the health and well-being of their child,” said Nancee Bakken, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho.

News & Announcements

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho, St. Luke’s long partnership helping families overcome distance as barrier to care

By Alexis BennettLast Updated September 25, 2026

Many families are left to negotiate the cost of care, with the costs and logistics of getting specialty services or care that requires extended stays.

RMHC of Idaho removes some of those barriers by providing free lodging, meals and support for families whose children are hospitalized.

Volunteer helping a girl on the course — A team of St. Luke’s volunteers visited the Ronald McDonald House in Boise and helped cook meals for families.

St. Luke’s has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho for 38 years and is responsible for referring approximately 80% of the families RMHC of Idaho serves. St. Luke’s staff also serve on its board and committees and volunteer at the house and its hospitality carts.

“Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho offers families so much more than a place to stay; it provides a warm and welcoming environment for families as they navigate the uncertainty and stress of a child’s medical journey,” said Katie Lamansky, St. Luke’s director of Community Engagement.

“St. Luke’s is honored to support the mission of RMHC, enabling families who often travel far from home to focus their energy on healing and being present with their child, rather than worrying about where they’ll sleep or how they will afford meals.”

In 1988, RMHC started in Boise with a simple four-room house and was the organization’s smallest house in the world at the time. It’s since grown into a 48-room facility, supplemented by day-use services and hospitality carts that bring support directly to pediatric patients’ bedsides. There are no financial requirements to use its services; families simply need a child in need of medical care.