Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ron and Joanne McIntire donate $1 million to hospital expansion

Longtime North Idaho business owners Ron and Joanne McIntire have donated $1 million to Kootenai Health’s building expansion.

The donation was designated for women’s and children’s services, and the hospital’s birth center will be named for them.

“We know that the McIntire Family Birth Center will positively impact the lives of families,” Ron McIntire said in a news release. “If the child is at risk the neonatal intensive care unit will address their needs.”

The couple was recognized at the Kootenai Health Foundation’s Festival of Trees Gala last weekend. They are longtime supporters of the hospital’s fund-raising efforts. Ron McIntire, who is also the Hayden city mayor, was the first person to undergo open-heart surgery at the hospital.

Ron and Joanne McIntire moved to Hayden in 1970, opening their first supermarket, Ron’s Thrift Store, the following year. Their company, Super 1 Foods, has stores in Idaho, Washington and Montana.