Imagine the Wood River Valley as the setting for the nation's largest rehabilitation and retreat facility for wounded veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic-stress disorder outside of a medical setting. If Higher Ground's founder and chief executive, Tom Iselin, has his way, that dream could become reality at the Knob Hill Inn in Ketchum.
The Higher Ground adaptive sports program has offered a bid of $10 million to buy the luxury hotel and has 90 days to raise the money. Iselin said he hopes to raise the money through national and family foundations.
"Sometimes you get what you asked for," Iselin said. "The idea of a facility has been around for some years, but this is the year."
Iselin said the Higher Ground program is already the nation's gold standard for its innovative approach to the healing and rehabilitation of veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic-stress disorder. He said a facility would allow Higher Ground to broaden its programming and effectiveness, and to be a beacon of hope for struggling veterans and families across the nation. In addition, Iselin said the organization plans on having doctors from trauma centers stay at the facility for extended periods.
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"What makes us different is that we have integrated sports therapy with family therapy in a magical way that no one else in the country has done," Iselin said.
Iselin said the Knob Hill Inn is a perfect facility for the Higher Ground program because it has charm and exudes a feeling of serenity along with its already functioning rooms and dining facilities.
"Higher Ground is a safehouse for veterans with brain injuries who get turned down for other programs," Iselin said. "We want to create a feeling and brand that we are not a hospital in the mountains. We will be a retreat and a safe place of hope as well as a model for other organizations because of the long-term care approach."
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
The Knob Hill Inn in Ketchum could be converted to a rehabilitation facility for veterans, if a pending offer is completed.
Photo by Willy Cook
