The only urologist in Rexburg opens his own practice to help serve the community

REXBURG — A doctor with deep roots in Rexburg recently opened his own practice, offering care for things like prostate health, kidney stones, pediatric urology, and minimally invasive and robotic-assisted procedures for adults and children.

Dr. Jacob Thatcher is a board-certified urologist and serves patients throughout eastern Idaho.

According to the American Urological Association, urology is a “medical and surgical specialty that focuses on diseases and conditions of the urinary tract in both men and women, as well as the male reproductive system.”

In August, Thatcher opened Mountain West Urology in Rexburg and Idaho Falls. The Rexburg location is at 30 Madison Professional Park, and the Idaho Falls location is at 3155 Channing Way. The Rexburg Area Chamber of Commerce recently supported a ribbon-cutting at the new Rexburg location.

He provides full, comprehensive urologic care.

“Urologists cover 22 percent of all cancers in the body, and we offer medical and surgical treatment for those cancers depending on the indications, and then male and female reproductive treatments in health and urinary surgeries, robotic surgeries, (and) reconstructive surgeries,” he said.

Thatcher was raised on a potato farm. He is married and has five children. His wife is a nurse practitioner. Before medicine, he served a church mission in Brazil and speaks fluent Portuguese and conversational Spanish.

He trained in Washington for medical school, and he completed his residency in Philadelphia. He left Rexburg in 2010 and returned in 2024. A seventh-generation resident of Rexburg, he said he believes it is a special place and is proud of its heritage and community.

He felt it was important to open a practice in Rexburg.

“My roots are deep here, and that was my goal: to come back,” he said. “When I came back, I started in Idaho Falls, and also opened a small clinic in Rexburg, but it was affiliated with a hospital system, and so my ability to treat patients the way I wanted to independently and keep them closer to home was limited. I was forced to take patients to Idaho Falls for otherwise unnecessary things.”

That’s what fueled the change and led him to open his own business.

“We purchased clinics in Idaho Falls and Rexburg. I still have privileges and operate at all of the hospitals,” he said.

Patients have come from Wyoming and Montana to see him.

Madisonhealth spokesman Douglas McBride confirmed with EastIdahoNews.com that Thatcher is the only urologist in Rexburg and that they work very closely with him.

“At the age of 18, Dr. Jacob Thatcher worked at Madison Memorial Hospital as a housekeeping aide,” Madisonhealth posted on Facebook in September. “Today, we’re excited to welcome him back as a urologist and celebrate the opening of his new practice, Mountain West Urology!”

Thatcher said it’s important to have a urologist because when it comes to cancer diagnoses and cancer treatments, geography matters. Outcomes are worse when patients face barriers like driving long distances.

He’s always wanted to help people. He said he likes working with older adults and enjoys hearing their stories and wisdom. He wanted to learn from them and take care of them.

“Urology, not only did it seem like a perfect need, and I could fulfill that in Rexburg, but I appreciated the fact that you build a rapport with patients through time. Unlike formal surgery, where you see patients, operate on them, and then you’re done, we follow patients long term, whether it’s for urinary symptoms or for prostate cancer,” he said.

He wants to be the doctor that anyone can count on. He’s also made sure the staff he hired were engaging and knowledgeable, creating a good environment at his offices.

“My goal was to be the $5 doctor, the county doctor that everyone knew. Everyone had his phone number. He would go visit their house. And that’s what, in my opinion, they should expect: concierge-style medicine,” Thatcher said.

Thatcher works out of his Idaho Falls office one day a week and the other days he is either operating or in his Rexburg office. To learn more about Mountain West Urology, click here.

Thatcher is the recipient of Idaho’s Best of 2026 Gold Winner and the Best of Eastern Idaho Urologist award.

“We’re just grateful to be back in the community that gave so much to us, and that we get to give back in this unique way in a local fashion; it’s special,” Thatcher added.

Biz Bits:

Idaho Conservation League appoints Courtney Washburn as new Executive Director

The following is a news release from the Idaho Conservation League.

BOISE — The Idaho Conservation League (ICL) and its board of directors are pleased to announce the selection of Courtney Washburn as executive director. She will lead the Idaho nonprofit starting Oct. 28.

Washburn brings over 25 years of conservation leadership, strategic execution, and public policy expertise to the role. Most recently, Washburn served as a consultant for American Rivers, working to advance key conservation priorities. From 2020 to 2026, she served as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Boise, directing municipal operations, long-range planning, and climate initiatives across a $948 million budget and a workforce of over 2,200 employees.

“The Idaho Conservation League has been at the forefront of protecting Idaho’s wild places and public health for over 50 years,” said Washburn. “As we look ahead, the challenges facing our environment require bold collaboration, strong advocacy, and community-driven action. I look forward to leading ICL into this next chapter.”

Courtney is stepping into the role of executive director following Justin Hayes, who served as ICL’s executive director since 2018 and dedicated more than two decades to the organization.

“Courtney understands what has made ICL successful: bringing Idahoans together around our shared love of Idaho’s public lands, wildlife, and water. I’ve worked with her for many years, and I’ve seen firsthand her ability to build relationships, navigate difficult issues, and get things done,” said Justin Hayes, ICL’s former ICL executive director.

ICL is a not-for-profit, Idaho-based conservation organization with more than 30,000 supporters. It was founded in 1973. The staff of 28 people work out of offices in Boise, Ketchum, McCall, Sandpoint, and Washington state.

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