The Role of Panhandle Health District (PHD)

Dr. Thomas Fletcher, from PHD, Spoke with BCRWI on March 18, 2025

Dr. Thomas Fletcher, from PHD, joined us on March 18, 2025. It was an opportunity to learn more about the role of PHD and to influence its work.

The mission of public health needs re-evaluation, especially in the wake of the catastrophic mishandling of the covid pandemic. We cannot effect change in Boise or Washington, but given the statutory parameters of the health districts in Idaho as established in 1971, the individual health districts in our state do enjoy a certain measure of independence. In effect, the Panhandle Health District has the opportunity to modify the portfolio of services as we deem appropriate in our five county region.

Dr. Thomas Fletcher currently serves as the Chairman of the northern district of the Panhandle Health District.  Dr. Fletcher is a graduate of  Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee with a degree in Philosophy.  He received his medical doctor’s degree from UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas Texas.  He did his residency in general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas.  He also completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology, at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas.  He completed a fellowship in Cardiovascular and Interventional radiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland.

His honors include Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Fellow of American College of Radiology, Gold Medal Recipient Texas Radiological Society, and was voted one of the Best Doctors in Austin, Austin Magazine 2002 – 2016.

Dr. Fletcher is retired from active medical practice and lives in Bonner County with his wife, Dee Dee.