Dr. John Tribble, right, is a physician at Heart2Heal Clinic in Meridian. (Photo by Sarah Dewey)
By Gaye Bunderson
Editor’s note: Christian Living Magazine respects the opinions of others. This article is not intended to persuade anyone one way or another on the use of vaccines or alternative health care methods. It is merely a telling of the views of the staff at Heart2Heal Clinic and some of its patients, without endorsing or criticizing the clinic, its workers, or its patients for exercising the freedom of opinion.
A group of five original founders spent a year hammering out details for a Christ-centered clinic. Heart2Heal opened in 2023 and now has six providers: a physician, a physician’s assistant, a nurse practitioner, two registered nurses, and a chiropractor. It’s not too outrageous to say that Jesus is the seventh and foremost member of the medical team.
Each person who works at Heart2Heal Clinic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has made a statement of faith and a commitment to live its principles. During the course of any given day there, patients are ministered to with the full force of faith-based service. Speak to Dr. John Tribble and ask him if he’s ever prayed for and with a patient and he will state that he ministers to people on a regular basis; he sees where they’re at with prayer and allows the Holy Spirit to open a door. He wants patients to view themselves as he does: as temples of the living God. It’s the way he and others at the clinic feel is the best pathway to a healthy life.
“I’ve seen lives impacted by chronic health issues that are relieved by medications but not cured,” he said.
The original five founders of Heart2Heal included a businessman who owns mental health clinics in the valley; he and H2H Clinic Director Amanda Cox were friends through their children. Others included a local mom with knowledge of nonprofits who connected with Cox over a graphic she posted on social media; a general surgeon; and a functional medicine provider.
When the people who would ultimately found Heart2Heal held a public meeting on January 17, 2022 about the possibility of opening such a clinic, they had to hold it at Foothills Christian Church in Boise and open up the doors for the 480 people who showed up; according to Cox, some of the people in that group represented different medical specialties, but they all wanted to, in Cox’s words, “take health care back and see it through a lens of faith.”
At this point, there was no plan, just conversation.
Much of the core-five group dispersed to different jobs, and/or even to different parts of the country. But those remaining saw a strong need to establish a health-based entity that would align with and lead to the establishment of their hoped-for clinic. “We held multiple events and did fundraising and ultimately subleased one my friend’s [mental health] buildings in May of 2024. We got patients mostly through marketing, face-to-face interactions, and referrals,” Cox said.
The interest in this kind of stand-alone medical care facility was – and still is – brisk in this area. Cox stated, “There are not enough providers in the valley, or in Idaho.” She then explained that, unlike larger practices and bigger medical facilities, Heart2Heal is “not confined to meeting a quota” and thereby not limited to what she calls a roughly nine-minute standard visitation time between patients and health care providers.
Dr. Tribble came to Idaho from California to pursue for himself and his patients “medical freedom, privacy, patient and provider autonomy, and informed consent.” A statement at h2hclinic.org reads: “Dr. Tribble believes the doctor-patient relationship is sacred and private, and every patient requires an individual approach. He feels blessed and excited to be part of a Christian, independent medical organization where he can freely use his talents to heal and minister to others.”
“I consider my patients as my friends,” he said.
Not all staff are medical practitioners. Director Cox has experience in accounting and medical billing, as well as clinic management. She agrees with Dr. Tribble’s outlook on medical care and said, “God designed our bodies to heal. … My faith in God and being created in His image shapes my approach to health and healing every day, and it is my honor to offer that hope to our patients.”
“I grew up in a Christian family in Saskatchewan, Canada,” she continued. “Most of my childhood and young adult years were centered around relationships in my home church. I accepted Christ as my savior at 10 years old when I was baptized. Until I moved to the United States for college in my early twenties, my church family shaped everything about me spiritually. This theme of community and service through my faith has carried me throughout my career. I have been blessed to work in Christ-centered health care for more than 15 years in the areas of chiropractic, physical therapy, alternative cancer treatment and now in family medicine at Heart2Heal.”
Heart2Heal Clinic is committed to addressing the root causes of illness rather than simply managing symptoms through medication alone – in other words, functional medicine.
“The clinic integrates faith, medical knowledge, and compassionate care to help patients truly heal – physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Many of the individuals who come through the doors are worn down, discouraged, or overlooked by traditional medical systems, and the clinic provides a place where they are listened to, prayed for, and treated with dignity,” according to information provided by Dr. Tribble’s wife, Maritza. “There is a clear sense of calling behind the work being done at Heart2Heal, and the clinic continually points people toward Christ as the ultimate healer.”
They serve whoever wants to walk in the front door.
Payments can be made through traditional insurance billing, but it is not the most common way at the clinic. “We’re trying to educate patients on alternative ways of paying, including cost-sharing, and we also have a direct primary care model.” That’s a health care payment system where patients pay a flat monthly or annual fee for specific services.
Telehealth virtual services are available, broadening medical care for anyone unable to drive to appointments due to illness or age, or for patients who just want the convenience of a virtual setting.
Said Dr. Tribble, “We have a higher population over 55 than I anticipated.” But the clinic also sees lots of families, with members of all ages.
Heart2Heal offers primary care, urgent care, and family medicine. Dr. Tribble called what they do at the clinic as “look outside the box” care, providing innovative solutions to health care rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
He bucks a trend that was widespread during the COVID-19 outbreak: vaccines. He prefers that patients and parents be free to make their own choices about vaccines for themselves and their children. He claimed, “People, TV, vaccine companies, and the government operate in fear. … There’s no liability for vaccines, and no critical research. I want ALL the information.”
Other professionals – and prospective patients – are free to question his point of view, but he actually forfeited employment in California for not being willing to compromise on vaccines.
From the website: “Dr. Tribble moved to Idaho to practice medicine when California began mandating an experimental injection without informed consent and lost a job in California for not complying with the state mandate for vaccination.”
It’s a point a view he hasn’t vacillated from.
Gary and Kathy Poulin of Mountain Home started out with H2H Clinic about 2+ years ago when it first opened. Kathy worked as a volunteer at a local Christian organization and heard about H2H’s grand opening.
“I worked in health care for 30+ years. I managed all the vaccine contracts for a big medical group in California, and I didn’t like what I saw. It wasn’t health care – it was sick care,” Kathy said. “My husband and I are like-minded; and at H2H, they put people on a path of wellness.
“There’s a place for medications, but there are alternatives as well. We’ve used H2H for both wellness or when we were sicker than dogs.”
What if the staff at H2H can’t help a patient due to a complex medical diagnosis?
“They refer out to like-minded providers, and we appreciate that. The doctor has referred us to cardiologists who are like-minded – any specialist we need – and we trust them.”
On the topic of vaccines, Kathy said:
“We don’t vaccinate at all. There’s alternatives: nutrition, exercise. Dr. Tribble has worked with us in what we can take in supplements, what is good, and what is not. It’s not traditional medicine; it’s different, and it’s worked for us.”
Carol Guthmann of Boise started going to H2H in March of 2025 and heard about it through her church. She was extremely sick with diabetes and other ailments and had been going to a homeopathic doctor for wisteria poisoning, was doing a lot of lab tests, and taking a lot of medications.
She was very skinny and told herself at one point, “I can’t swallow another pill. I was on tons of pills and had been taking them since 2005.” She was drawn to H2H because she felt that, “If they’re believers, they’re not going to give up on me.”
Dr. Tribble asked her first thing, “What’s your goal?” and she replied, “I want to be out of pain.”
“They had me stop taking the medications and start eating differently,” she said. She’s gone from diabetes to pre-diabetes and continues to watch her diet and avoid foods like chocolate. She also does some fasting. She still takes hormone pills and also takes 10 units of insulin for diabetes – however, she used to be on 100 units.
She also blames her emotions for some of her physical dysfunction. But she said, “When you walk into the clinic, you feel at home, like you’ve come to the right place. They love on you.” She said at 73 her hair is no longer white because, “My body is functioning better.”
She previously couldn’t exercise because she was so weak and had no muscle tone. She couldn’t lift a jug of water but is now lifting weights for a woman of her size and age. She eats totally organic. She admitted her diet is strict – “You can never go out to eat – but said, “I feel younger and better.”
Cox said that, to initially get patients at H2H Clinic, they advertised in churches, on social media, through word-of-mouth, and at schools; at present, they have roughly 1,000 regular patients who come to the clinic at 2950 E. Magic View Dr., Suite 184, in Meridian. Anyone – even distraught moms concerned about a sick child – may call and make an appointment at (208) 845-0464 or email at info@heart2healministry.net.
Stated Cox: “The mission of Heart2Heal is to facilitate a re-imagined health care clinic founded on faith, freedom, and, of course, good health. H2H exists to restore trust, offer guidance in preventative health, and partner with patients through their medical journey with collaboration and medical choice. It embodies the principles of informed consent and patient autonomy. Care is provided through voluntary, uncoerced relationships between patients, providers, and staff.”
Other medical staff includes:
Regarding vaccines, H2H will refer people to places that give vaccines, but the clinic is not set up for giving shots, according to Cox, who stated, “The bottom line is it’s a logistical issue. We don’t have enough storage space [for vaccines, needles, and similar necessities]. We can’t tackle it at this point.”
She ended with, “We’re a landing place if you don’t want vaccines for your kids and you want freedom in medical choices.”
For more information, go to h2hclinic.org.
