• Hospital board reviewing orthopedic care.

The North Lincoln Hospital District is finding the right balance with growth in Star Valley and how it connects with health care services.

The district oversees the hospital, called Star Valley Health and the associated care center, in addition to basic health care and digital facilities in Coke-ville and southwest Wyoming.

In January, Star Valley Health will open new surgical facilities and emergency room services at the Alpine facility, following several months new construction within the existing building.

A formal opening is planned for Jan. 10 with a ribbon cutting and tours.

In the meantime, the hospital board is studying the need for expanded orthopedic services at the hospital campus in Afton. The topic was a major part of the discussion at the November hospital board meeting.

The changes would address the need for expanded orthopedic care on a regional basis.

More recent indications of steady growth in Star Valley are exemplified with the recent announcement by Thayne for the annexation of a 113 acre, 184 lot subdivision. The addition to that community will come in stages, with phase one coming in the summer of 2025.

The Town of Star Valley Ranch has 30 new home construction permits in the process, prompting that community to create a municipal position at their November town council meeting that to deal with the building permit applications.

Still, another sign of growth in this region can be traced to the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services report, showing 303 new Lincoln County Jobs in the second quarter of 2024.