Amy Wuest’s Remarkable Journey and Warm Farewell Wishes

Last week we said goodbye to our Director of Health, Dr. Amy Wuest. As the Director of Health at the United Way of Southeastern Idaho, Amy worked with a diverse group of collaborators to study and identify the health challenges facing our community. Within this multidisciplinary team, she won multiyear grants to improve the system-wide conditions that drive local health disparities. During her four-year tenure at the United Way, Amy worked with community partners to launch Ride United. This transit solution helps uninsured and underinsured patients access life-saving care, preventing the accumulation of hundreds of thousands of dollars of medical debt, and strengthening the nonprofit sector as a whole. Ride United combines point-to-point transportation solutions with increasing access to public transportation and delivery services. Last year Ride United received national recognition from the National Disability Resource Center, which identified the project as part of their 2023 innovation showcase. A recent financial analysis found that for every dollar invested into the delivery arm of Ride United, $20 of economic impact reaches community members. The benefits of Ride United are not just monetary. Last year, a social worker at the Pocatello Free Clinic referred to Ride United as a “game changer” for them and their clients. In support of this, a patient said that Ride United “has been a godsend to me. They have helped me in so many ways with my health, my health wouldn’t be where it is, if it wasn’t for them…They have nothing but kindness towards me and I love it.” 

Prior to launching Ride United, Amy co-developed and scaled findhelpidaho.org, a digital resource referral software. Through community collaboration and support, findhelpidaho.org works to improve health and social outcomes throughout Idaho. During its first year, findhelpidaho.org saw an 84% growth in search traffic and a 240% growth in referrals. This system is the first statewide effort to increase the security and efficiency of communications between Idaho's nonprofit entities and is integrated within Idaho's health information exchange. In 2023, the United Ways of Idaho became the official leaders of this project, working to ensure that this essential service continues to adapt to meet the ever-changing needs of our community.  These efforts received national recognition from KLAS, who awarded findhelpidaho.org a Points of Light recognition in October 2024. 

In addition to leading efforts to build Ride United and findhelpidaho.org, Amy developed the United Way's first data dashboard, supported data collection and reporting in health and education, served as the Chair and Vice-Chair for the Region 5 Housing and Homelessness Coalition, increased collaborative grant-funded projects, and worked hard to ensure that the United Way's impact teams worked to support campaign efforts.

Amy is leaving the United Way to become Idaho State University's first Director of Research Development.  "Working at the United Way has been an absolute privilege as it helped me to put my academic knowledge into practice in order to advance the common good," said Amy. "While I am sad to leave the United Way team, I know that we will continue to work together to bring the expertise of academics to bear on solving some of our community's most complex problems." 

As we reflect on Amy's incredible journey and the lasting impact she has made, we extend our warmest farewell wishes for her new adventures. We are excited to see how she will continue to inspire and lead in her new role!