In 2009, Dr. <a href="mailto:travis.riddell@wyo.gov">Travis Riddell</a> started practicing pediatrics in Jackson similarly to many of his peers: both in a private office and as a member of St. John’s Health. He closed the shop in 2025. The old-school model was no longer sustainable. It’s part of a trend he sees locally and nationally, where the share of physicians practicing independently has steadily declined over the past decade, according to the <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-examines-decade-change-physician-practice-ownership-and">American Medical Association</a>. With <a href="https://891khol.org/healthcare-on-the-dual-seasonal-grind-find-a-new-insurer/">rising costs of insurance</a> premiums on the horizon, Congress <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/12/g-s1-82221/medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-uninsured">slashing Medicaid support</a> and St. John’s Health looking to <a href="https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/health/st-johns-health-seeks-to-prevent-acquisition/article_69863df8-4741-4358-aace-3991bd6fd8f0.html">prevent acquisition</a>, community health is facing more major challenges. That means it's time for a serious community conversation, said Riddell, now the leader of the county’s health department. He sits down with State of Jackson co-host Pete Muldoon to talk about health access: both the barriers and what services in Teton County are available to help. Referenced in this episode: <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-09/61734-Health.pdf">Premium tax credit costs estimates memo</a>, Congressional Budget Office, 2025. <a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/why-vip-services-are-ethically-indefensible-health-care/2023-01">“Why VIP Services are Ethically Indispensable in Health Care,"</a> AMA Journal of Ethics, 2023.<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/concierge-medicine-physician-practices-hospitals-private-equity/">“Hospitals Cash In on a Private Equity-Backed Trend: Concierge Physician Care,” </a>KFF Health News, 2024.

<description>
 &lt;p&gt;In 2009, Dr. &lt;a href="mailto:travis.riddell@wyo.gov"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Travis Riddell&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; started practicing pediatrics in Jackson similarly to many of his peers: both in a private office and as a member of St. John’s Health. He closed the shop in 2025. The old-school model was no longer sustainable. It’s part of a trend he sees locally and nationally, where the share of physicians practicing independently has steadily declined over the past decade, according to the &lt;a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-examines-decade-change-physician-practice-ownership-and"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;American Medical Association&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;With &lt;a href="https://891khol.org/healthcare-on-the-dual-seasonal-grind-find-a-new-insurer/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;rising costs of insurance&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; premiums on the horizon, Congress &lt;a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/12/g-s1-82221/medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-uninsured"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;slashing Medicaid support&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; and St. John’s Health looking to &lt;a href="https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/health/st-johns-health-seeks-to-prevent-acquisition/article_69863df8-4741-4358-aace-3991bd6fd8f0.html"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;prevent acquisition&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, community health is facing more major challenges. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That means it's time for a serious community conversation, said Riddell, now the leader of the county’s health department. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He sits down with State of Jackson co-host Pete Muldoon to talk about health access: both the barriers and what services in Teton County are available to help. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Referenced in this episode: &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-09/61734-Health.pdf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Premium tax credit costs estimates memo&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, Congressional Budget Office, 2025. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/why-vip-services-are-ethically-indefensible-health-care/2023-01"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Why VIP Services are Ethically Indispensable in Health Care,"&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; AMA Journal of Ethics, 2023.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/concierge-medicine-physician-practices-hospitals-private-equity/"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Hospitals Cash In on a Private Equity-Backed Trend: Concierge Physician Care,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;KFF Health News, 2024. &lt;/p&gt;
 </description>

Teton County’s health department leader explains why pricing health is increasingly complicated and what’s being done about it.

In 2009, Dr. <a href="mailto:travis.riddell@wyo.gov">Travis Riddell</a> started practicing pediatrics in Jackson similarly to many of his peers: both in a private office and as a member of St. John’s Health. He closed the shop in 2025. The old-school model was no longer sustainable. It’s part of a trend he sees locally and nationally, where the share of physicians practicing independently has steadily declined over the past decade, according to the <a href="https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/ama-press-releases/ama-examines-decade-change-physician-practice-ownership-and">American Medical Association</a>. 

With <a href="https://891khol.org/healthcare-on-the-dual-seasonal-grind-find-a-new-insurer/">rising costs of insurance</a> premiums on the horizon, Congress <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/12/g-s1-82221/medicaid-cuts-big-beautiful-bill-uninsured">slashing Medicaid support</a> and St. John’s Health looking to <a href="https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/health/st-johns-health-seeks-to-prevent-acquisition/article_69863df8-4741-4358-aace-3991bd6fd8f0.html">prevent acquisition</a>, community health is facing more major challenges. 

That means it's time for a serious community conversation, said Riddell, now the leader of the county’s health department. 

He sits down with State of Jackson co-host Pete Muldoon to talk about health access: both the barriers and what services in Teton County are available to help. 

Referenced in this episode: 

<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-09/61734-Health.pdf">Premium tax credit costs estimates memo</a>, Congressional Budget Office, 2025. 

<a href="https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/why-vip-services-are-ethically-indefensible-health-care/2023-01">“Why VIP Services are Ethically Indispensable in Health Care,"</a> AMA Journal of Ethics, 2023.

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/concierge-medicine-physician-practices-hospitals-private-equity/">“Hospitals Cash In on a Private Equity-Backed Trend: Concierge Physician Care,” </a>KFF Health News, 2024.

State of Jackson: Dr. Travis Riddell on the forces behind our healthcare headwinds

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<description>
 &lt;p&gt;Listen every weekday for a local newscast featuring town, county, state and regional headlines. It's the daily dose of news you need on Wyoming, Idaho and the Mountain West — all in four minutes or less. &lt;/p&gt;
 </description>


        Listen every weekday for a local newscast featuring town, county, state and regional headlines. It's the daily dose of news you need on Wyoming, Idaho and the Mountain West — all in four minutes or less. 
      

Open enrollment, overnight parking ban, road closures begin this weekend


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<description>
 Second round of federal worker stipends, high school trunk-or-treat makes a comeback
 </description>

Second round of federal worker stipends, high school trunk-or-treat makes a comeback

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Affordable housing impropriety allegations, wildfire-resistant construction costs

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