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For George Hinderliter, healthcare is familiar. As a former Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and employee at a rural hospital, he has experienced the good and, unfortunately, the bad that sometimes accompany it. As a patient, George has dealt with regularly occurring kidney stones for over 20 years, and he has experienced the same “good and bad” when dealing with the doctors, clinics, and surgeries that have followed. That is, until his visit to TriState Health. George’s experience was overwhelmingly positive, and when asked to describe his journey in three words, he responded, “really caring people!”

George lives in Kamiah, Idaho, about 75 miles away from TriState Health. When his VA doctor recommended that he visit TriState Urology, he was hopeful that the drive to town would be worth his time. George started seeing TriState Urologist, Duncan Harris, MD, in early 2025. He recently had several stubborn kidney stones that required surgery to be removed. “My friends call me ‘old gravel pit,’ because I’ve been through this quite a few times,” joked George.

Before George’s scheduled kidney stone removal surgery, the pain was too much to bear, and he had to visit the TriState Emergency (ER) the night before. Before driving all the way from Kamiah, George called to check on the wait time at the ER. He appreciated that the nurse reassured him he would be seen quickly. “When I arrived, they got right to work, checking me in and getting me into a room. They took great care of me, and helped manage my pain until I had surgery the following day,” explained George.

George spoke of how grateful he was for his experience at TriState Surgery. His surgery was successful, and his recovery was quick. “I had a quick and seamless experience,” exclaimed George. He went on to convey that, yet again, he was taken care of in what he considered to be “a proper amount of time,” and the compassion that he received on his surgery day made him even more confident in Dr. Harris and the surgery team that surrounded him. “I was impressed with everyone’s positive attitude and level of genuine kindness. It’s not just painted on people,” said George.
During his follow-up appointment at TriState Urology, George was incredibly thankful for Dr. Harris and the clinic staff. “The front desk asked me all the right questions and I liked that they kid around with me,” said George. “I appreciated that Dr. Harris took the time to talk to me. I’ve had a lot of kidney stones through the years and he was the first doctor to take the time to help me understand why they keep happening.” George expressed that he planned to take his medical recommendations seriously and that he would “keep powering down the H20,” at least until he saw Dr. Harris at this six-month follow-up appointment.

From start to finish, George was impressed with his experience at TriState Health. “I’ve seen several parts of the hospital now, and I have never felt like I was being processed through a meat shop,” joked George. “But seriously, TriState has great, professional people and they do things right!” George’s confidence in the healthcare that he received at TriState Health is a testament to the teamwork of each employee, and our commitment to our mission that, “Your Health Is Our First Priority!”