In 2009, Dr. Travis Riddell 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 American Medical Association.

With rising costs of insurance premiums on the horizon, Congress slashing Medicaid support and St. John’s Health looking to prevent acquisition, 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:

Premium tax credit costs estimates memo, Congressional Budget Office, 2025.

“Why VIP Services are Ethically Indispensable in Health Care," AMA Journal of Ethics, 2023.

“Hospitals Cash In on a Private Equity-Backed Trend: Concierge Physician Care,” KFF Health News, 2024.

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.