At Intermountain Health, we help people live their healthiest lives beyond the reach of our physical walls. While a lot of work happens with patients at care sites, we also serve our members and communities as part of our Fundamentals. A good example is in Spanish-speaking communities. We work with Telemundo and Univision, nationally known Spanish television stations, to talk about important health topics relevant to the community. Dr. Maria Borrero, medical oncologist, is a key part of our efforts.
Intermountain Cedar City Hospital in Cedar City, Utah hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking last week to mark the expansion of the hospital’s emergency department that will increase access to emergency medicine and enhance care for the growing Southwest Utah community. The new emergency department will add more emergency rooms, including those dedicated to behavioral health needs. Intermountain Cedar City Hospital's emergency department treated more than 20,000 patients in 2024. As the Southern Utah community continues to grow, this 5,000-square foot expansion is a needed addition, addressing the growing needs of the community and the millions of tourists and outdoor enthusiasts who visit nearby national parks and outdoor recreational areas. “We are looking forward to this major milestone for Intermountain Cedar City Hospital and our community as we continue to focus on the growing health needs for this area,” said Jamison Robinett, president of Intermountain Cedar City Hospital. “This is our first major expansion since 2006, and we are excited to expand emergency access for the Southwest Utah community.”
When the new Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital opened in August 2024 in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, it closed a 120-year chapter on the legacy Lutheran Medical Center care site. However, parts of that old hospital have gone on to provide crucial community support that exemplifies the Intermountain Health mission.
Four-year-old Sienna works out at Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah like she’s training for something big. She really is: a new heart. Despite her young age, Sienna is already making history. Sienna is one of the first pediatric patients in the world to undergo structured cardiac rehabilitation workouts at Primary Children’s Hospital while connected to a ventricular assistive device (VAD) that helps keep her heart beating. The workouts have helped her go from a 3-year-old who could barely move while in the intensive care unit (ICU), to an energetic child who likes to run through the hospital halls and push a toy shopping cart filled with weights. “As parents, some of our hardest days were when Sienna was so sick and weak that she had no desire to play,” said her mom, Francesca Barton. “Now you’d never even guess she has half of a heart. She is so strong and energetic that she wears all of us adults out.” For the pediatric cardiac team at Primary Children’s Hospital, Sienna’s progress is another example of the medical advances at the hospital that is helping young heart patients survive and thrive. “Cardiac rehab without a doubt has helped our VAD patients go into heart transplant stronger and healthier than ever before,” said Lindsay May, MD, pediatric cardiologist at University of Utah Health who helps oversee the VAD program at Primary Children’s Hospital.
How do caregivers find strength to serve our patients? For Sholom Nadler, NP, he relies not only on his medical knowledge but his faith. Prior to becoming an advanced practice provider, Sholom was ordained as a rabbi. Through secular collegiate studies, Sholom became more interested in healthcare and switched career paths, eventually moving from New York to Nevada. He currently sees patients at the Pecos Senior Clinic in Henderson, Nevada. But although he shifted his focus, Sholom harnesses those values to treat his patients, from his time as a rabbi and his outreach growing up in a tightly knit Orthodox community in Brooklyn. Sholom supports his evidence-based care with a faith that gives him more confidence to do the right thing.
Susan Dahl is one of the first patients in Colorado whose life changed for the better as the result of a minimally invasive heart procedure to repair her damaged tricuspid heart valves.
Congratulations to the following Intermountain Health hospitals for being recognized with Healthgrades' Patient Safety Excellence Award™ in 2025! ⭐ Cedar City Hospital - Cedar City, Utah ⭐ Platte Valley Hospital - Brighton, Colorado ⭐ The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) - Murray, Utah ⭐ Utah Valley Hospital - Provo, Utah The Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recognizes hospitals in the top 10% in the nation for patient safety, with the lowest occurrences of 14 preventable patient safety events. You can read more about the methodology and see the full list of 2025 winners below.
Kristy Veale, MSN, RN, was an ICU bedside nurse when she saw firsthand what a difference clinical best practices could make for patients. The experience instilled a passion that eventually led to her current role as executive director of the Neurosciences Clinical Program. In her 40-year career at Intermountain Health, she’s seen a lot of changes, but that passion hasn’t changed.
Shaun Brown still remembers when Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, Colorado was just a flat dirt field with a giant hole in the ground. That was back in 2001, when he was first hired as a third-party commercial electrician to help build what would eventually become the beautiful Good Samaritan care site we know today. Now over 20 years later, Brown has worked his way up to serve as the lead facilities manager at Good Samaritan, where he oversees a team of 14 caregivers who handle all aspects of facility operations. From maintaining the building’s water, electrical, and HVAC utility systems to managing operational safety and maintenance, Brown ensures Good Samaritan is positioned to provide a safe and welcoming care environment that meets joint commission compliance standards.
Before DAX came along, Justin Jones, MD, was seriously considering quitting medicine. Typing notes while talking to patients felt like it sacrificed something important in his care, but typing notes later, often late into evenings and weekends, was burning him out. Since Intermountain Health rolled out DAX, the AI-powered ambient notetaking scribe for all physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs), the tool has only become more accurate and user-friendly. Soon it will get even better, with functionality in Spanish and access for Android users set to roll out in 2025. Dr. Jones is one of the organization’s top users. Here’s why.
