Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 1, 2018

By Andrea Nagel If you ask any employee what their favorite part of working at Kootenai Health is, you may get a mix of answers: helping patients, working for a community hospital, good benefits, or our co-workers. Among those responses, one may surprise you: the coffee. In 2010, Big Blue Coffee Co. opened its first location within the hospital. Originally run by volunteers and benefiting the Auxiliary, Big Blue has since grown to four locations and is a full-service, revenue-generating department in the organization. Mak- ing specialty coffee that is both locally roasted and sustainably grown has always been a priority. “We pay more for our coffee be- cause we want to do our part to keep the small farms sustained and opera- tional,” said Desi Freeman, Big Blue Coffee Co. manager. “We have to do our part even in our little community.” In recent years, Big Blue Coffee Co. partnered with Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters in Sandpoint, Idaho, to bring their coffee to all four Big Blue loca- tions. Evans Brothers prides themselves Pick up your cup In addition to Big Blue Coffee Co., you can find Evans Brothers coffee at its main location in Sandpoint and their new location in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Learn more about Big Blue Coffee Co. and see all their locations at KH.org/bigbluecoffee . Desi Freeman, Big Blue Coffee Co. manager, visited El Salvador with rep- resentatives from Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters to learn about sustainable coffee production. Kootenai’s Big Blue Coffee Co. partners with local roasters in supporting sustainable family farms in supporting organic agriculture and socially responsible sourcing, and purchasing their beans from individual coffee farms. “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Big Blue Coffee,” said Randy Evans, co-owner of Evans Brothers. “Desi and her team bring passion for preparing specialty coffee to exacting standards. It’s what we’re looking for in a partner. She wants her customers to have an amazing experi- ence over coffee. That kind of passion is what we’re about, and high quality is what we’re both striving for.” Journey to the source In 2017, Desi had the opportunity to see firsthand how a sustainable family farm works when she accompanied Randy to Ahuachapán, El Salvador. “It’s always been my dream to go on e P r CoffeeWith k s 8