Pocatello Symposium Information
What Matters to Me: Shared Decisions in Health & Healing
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
Check-In: 1:30 – 2:00 PM | Program: 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Join us for an afternoon of meaningful conversation with Idaho State University healthcare students, right here in Pocatello.
Parking & Getting There
Idaho State University Student Union Building
1080 S. 5th Street, Pocatello, ID
Free parking is available at the ICCU Dome, 550 Memorial Drive (northwest corner of the lot). A free shuttle (PRT bus) will run between the ICCU Dome and the Student Union Building. Event staff will be on-site at the Dome to help you find the shuttle and get where you're going.
We recommend using the ICCU Dome lot and shuttle, since parking directly at the Student Union Building is limited and may result in a parking ticket.
The Student Union Building has two entrances:
- 8th Street Entrance — near the movie theater. No stairs; closest to the Wood River Room.
- 5th Street Entrance — off the Student Union parking lot. Elevator available.
ICCU Arena Shuttle Schedule
Leaving the ICCU Arriving at the SUB
1:09 pm 1:32 pm
1:47 pm 1:54 pm
2:09 pm 2:16 pm
Leaving Sub Arriving at ICCU Dome
4:32 pm 4:47 pm
4:54 pm 5:09 pm
5:28 pm 5:35 pm
Pocatello Parking Map
Student Union Building Map
Accessibility
- Shuttle accessibility: The shuttle can accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, and other mobility devices
- 8th Street entrance: No stairs, direct access to the Wood River Room
- 5th Street entrance: Elevator available
- Seating includes chairs without armrests, and space is available at tables for wheelchairs and walkers
- Questions about accessibility or the shuttle? Contact us — we're happy to help you plan ahead.
Meet our Pocatello Keynote Speaker
Matthew Overocker, BSN, RN
RN Manager, Idaho State Veterans Home – Pocatello
Matthew Overocker is a BSN-prepared registered nurse and RN Manager at the Idaho State Veterans Home – Pocatello, a skilled nursing home serving Idaho veterans and their spouses. For more than eight years, he has worked in long-term and veterans care, leading nursing staff and helping residents and families make care decisions that protect safety without losing what matters most to the person. His daily work includes care planning, staff coaching, infection prevention, and supporting dignity in later life. He brings a front-line nursing view of shared decision-making with older adults living with complex health needs.
Pocatello Panelist
Tara Contreras
Director Senior Activity Center
Tara has served in this community for the bulk of her career. Mostly recently, she has filled her creative, culinary, and leadership interests as the Executive Director as the Senior Activity Center. She is passionate about the power behind making a meal that is central to empowering seniors to maintain their independence, well-being, dignity, and participation in the community.
Judy Liday
Healthy Ager
John Holmes, PharmD, MPH, BCPS
Associate Professor, ISU PHARMACY PRACTICE & ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES, Assistant Research Professor, CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER, HEALTHWEST/ISU FAMILY MEDICINE
Dr. Holmes is an Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Family Medicine at Idaho State University. Dr. Holmes graduated from Idaho State University in 2007 with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree. He completed a one-year ambulatory care residency in 2008 at the Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Pocatello, Idaho. He then completed a one-year Pharmacotherapy Residency at Pocatello Family Medicine and a two-year Clinical Research Fellowship at the Idaho State University Department of Family Medicine. He received his Master of Public Health degree from ISU in 2018.
Dr. Holmes has served as a sub-investigator on several industry- and National Institutes of Health-sponsored studies conducted at the ISU Family Medicine Clinical Research Center. His research interests include pharmacoepidemiology, quality improvement, and access to healthcare for rural residents. Dr. Holmes provides clinical pharmacy and quality improvement support to the Health West ISU clinic, a training site for medical and pharmacy residents at Idaho State University. He teaches and mentors family medicine and pharmacotherapy residents, physician assistant students, and pharmacy students on a broad spectrum of pharmacotherapy and quality improvement topics.
Kaleb Gibbs, LPN
Admissions Coordinator at Idaho State Veterans Home
Kaleb Gibbs, LPN, has worked at the Idaho State Veterans Home in Pocatello for over 20 years. He is a long-time advocate for veterans and their families. He recently traveled to Washington, DC, with the Idaho Honor Flight to support ISVH residents.
Scot Gunter, LCSW
Social Worker, Idaho Kidney Center
Cathy McDougall
AARP Idaho Director of Outreach
Cathy McDougall is the AARP Idaho Director of Outreach. She devotes herself to fraud prevention education, easing elder isolation, supporting family caregivers, and building volunteer teams. She earned a BS Utah State University and a MSW in geriatric social work from Washington University in St. Louis.