Across the entire country, there are fewer than 8,000 geriatricians caring for more than 58 million Americans over the age of 65. By 2030, that demand is expected to be more than double. In Idaho, where the physician shortage is already the worst in the nation, that gap is even more acute.
“We simply do not have enough geriatricians or dementia specialists to meet the growing need,” says Dr. Kara Kuntz, a Geriatric Medicine Specialist at Saint Alphonsus who also serves as a physician preceptor for Idaho WWAMI students. “At the same time, there are exciting advances in diagnostic testing and new disease-modifying treatments, but it can be difficult for providers to stay current and for patients to access specialized care.”
That is what makes her role as a preceptor so significant. Once a WWAMI student herself, Dr. Kuntz now opens her clinic to the students following in her footsteps, giving them a clinical experience that is increasingly hard to find anywhere in the country and one that Idaho’s aging population urgently needs more physicians to have.
A career shaped by family
Dr. Kuntz has practiced as a geriatrician at Saint Alphonsus for the past 10 years. During that time, she helped establish the health system’s multidisciplinary geriatric consult clinic, and three years ago she worked with colleagues to launch the Saint Alphonsus Memory Center.
“Caring for older adults, particularly those living with dementia, has become the most meaningful part of my career,” she says.
Her path to the specialty began long before medical training. “I was drawn to geriatrics because I’ve always had a passion for caring for older adults. Looking back, I also realize that my interest in dementia care was deeply influenced by my family’s experience. My mother was the primary caregiver for my grandfather, who lived with Alzheimer’s disease. Although I didn’t fully recognize it at the time, that experience profoundly shaped my career.”
That history informs how she practices today. “My greatest passion within geriatrics is dementia care, with a particular focus on caregiver education and support,” she says. “Caring for someone with dementia affects the entire family, and equipping caregivers with knowledge, resources, and support is just as important as caring for the patient.”
Beyond the clinic walls
Some of the work Dr. Kuntz is proudest of is happening outside the exam room, through community partnerships that expand dementia education and support across Idaho.
In collaboration with Boise Contemporary Theater and Janice’s Aging Strong Program, she and her colleagues developed an “Improv to Improve Dementia Care” workshop, which uses improvisational techniques to strengthen communication and care-giving skills. They have also partnered with the YMCA to offer a free virtual dementia education series for the community, and the annual Brain Health Symposium will celebrate its sixth year this October. A monthly Memory Café, hosted with the Aging Strong Program, provides a welcoming place for individuals living with dementia and their care partners to connect with others.
Dr. Kuntz also serves on the Idaho Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Task Force. “We work collaboratively to improve education, expand access to care, and strengthen support for caregivers across the state,” she says. “It’s encouraging to be part of a statewide effort focused on developing innovative solutions to meet the growing needs of Idaho’s aging population.”
Teaching the physicians Idaho will need
For Dr. Kuntz, precepting is not an add-on to her clinical work; it is central to it.
“Teaching the next generation of healthcare providers is another passion of mine,” she says. “I strongly believe geriatrics should be a fundamental part of medical education.”
Her clinic regularly hosts a wide range of learners: WWAMI medical students, residents from Full Circle Health, the Boise VA Residency Program, and the new Saint Alphonsus Nampa Family Medicine Residency, as well as the geriatrics fellow from Full Circle Health. Several of the residents she teaches are WWAMI graduates.
“On average, I have at least one learner with me each week, and I truly enjoy mentoring them as they develop confidence in caring for older adults,” she says.
Her teaching extends throughout the region. She frequently lectures on geriatric topics across the Treasure Valley, including presentations for Full Circle Health didactics, St. Alphonsus Grand Rounds, and the Ada County Medical Society Winter Clinics. For the past three years, she has also served on the University of Idaho Project ECHO Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias expert panel, helping provide education and support to healthcare professionals throughout the state.
The challenges facing dementia care in Idaho mirror those across the country, Dr. Kuntz notes: too few specialists, rapidly evolving treatments, and family caregivers who need far more support. “Social workers play a vital role by connecting families with community resources, education, and ongoing support,” she says.
But in her clinic, week after week, the long-term solution is already taking shape: one learner at a time, gaining the confidence to care for the patients Idaho’s future will hold more of.