For many new mothers, a lactation consultation can become a lifeline. That's why Intermountain Cedar City Hospital in Cedar City, Utah is expanding its services for new moms with a new lactation clinic. The new Intermountain Health lactation clinic includes onsite consulting, as well as telehealth opportunities from Intermountain board-certified lactation consultants. The Intermountain Cedar City clinic is now one of ten Intermountain hospitals offering this in-person support. Kim Heaton, lacation lead for Intermountain Cedar City Hospital, chose to become a lactation consultant when she was looking for direction after she having her first baby and did not find the help she needed. “No one really came in and talked to you about lactation or how to watch your baby. They just gave you the baby.," said Heaton about when she delivered her first child. "They would have a nurse come see you but there wasn't a lot of training on breastfeeding. You just had to figure it out for yourself. It's a great bonding thing with my kids. I want to make it nicer for other moms.” Now, Heaton is leading a team of consultants who can create a better experience and provide that training and lactation support whenever a patient needs it.
When two cardiovascular nurses at Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver noticed a string of open-heart surgery patients being readmitted for sternal and pressure wounds, they identified a common thread. Find out how a new bra, along with improved patient education and pre-op processes, has led to zero readmissions.
Deven Johnson, a security officer who has been at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah for a little over a year, didn’t think much about it when he saw two dogs running around in the parking lot at McKay-Dee on a recent morning. But when the dogs found their way into the hospital, he knew he had to do something. Preferring to avoid passing the dogs to animal control, Deven decided to try finding their owner on social media. He posted photos of the doodle mix and the husky in a local Facebook group for lost pets, added a note that animal control would be picking them up soon, and waited. About a half hour later Deven received notification that two people were at the front desk to claim the dogs, which they did after verifying ownership. Although securing pets “is not something we normally do,” Deven was quick to step in and reunite these dogs with their owners. The entire episode was wrapped up within a couple of hours, and the owners were “absolutely appreciate” of Deven’s efforts. “What I appreciate most about Deven is the compassion that he shows and has not only for our furry friends but the people that we deal with daily,” said Tim Contos, the security supervisor at McKay-Dee, noting that Deven’s background as a teacher gives him the ability to relate to visitors with compassion.
At Intermountain Health, we are better together. But for thousands of Intermountain flexworkers, together looks a little different. Flexwork is Intermountain’s remote work strategy — a hybrid model that allows caregivers to work in the office, at home, or a combination of the two as their roles and duties allow. See how remote and hybrid caregivers around Intermountain stay connected to their teams.
We are proud to have 12 Intermountain Health hospitals make Becker's Healthcare's list of the top recommended hospitals in every state in 2024! ✨ Alta View Hospital - Sandy, Utah ✨ Cedar City Hospital - Cedar City, Utah ✨ Good Samaritan Hospital - Lafayette, Colorado ✨ Heber Valley Hospital - Heber City, Utah ✨ Layton Hospital - Layton, Utah ✨ Park City Hospital - Park City, Utah ✨ Saint Joseph Hospital - Denver, Colorado ✨ Spanish Fork Hospital - Spanish Fork, Utah ✨ St. George Regional Hospital - St. George, Utah ✨ The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital (TOSH) - Murray, Utah ✨ St. Vincent Regional Hospital - Billings, Montana ✨ Utah Valley Hospital - Provo, Utah Becker's compiled this list using Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems data from CMS. The hospitals above received five stars for patient recommendations.
Intermountain Health Heart and Vascular – Delta Cardiology has expanded access to specialty medical care for the community by moving to a larger clinic in Delta, Colorado, located across from Delta Health. The new clinic has more than 2,000 square feet, four exam rooms, a procedure room, and office space and is close to many healthcare services in Delta. The new space also accommodates rotating specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation, who will provide clinic appointments for patients twice a month. “We are proud to offer more access to specialty care for patients in rural areas of Colorado,” said Joya Boyd, executive director for Intermountain Western Colorado Medical Group. “These providers partner with St. Mary’s Regional Hospital which serves a 250-mile radius and is the only system to offer many of these specialized services.”
When Jared Phillips was diagnosed with stage 4 bladder cancer, he was living in his car and it leaked gasoline. When he went to start it one day, the vehicle burned to the ground. Tammy White, oncology nurse navigator at Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, wasn't going to let it be a barrier to his care, so she worked with her mechanic to help secure a vehicle for him.
Our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible begins with our caregivers and their families. At Intermountain Health, we are proud to support the personal, work-related, and community well-being needs of our caregivers through a variety of programs and resources, including our Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Program. Learn more about how our Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care Program helps support our caregivers below.
An obstetrician and gynecologist at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, Terri Kurtz, MD, spent time with pregnant patients who were being treated for substance disorders during her residency. “I just have a soft spot for this population,” Terri said. “They’re really socially complex patients, often suffering from trauma, unsheltered or have been incarcerated. I was drawn to this work.” Following her residency, Kurtz went on to be board certified in addiction medicine. When Intermountain Health applied and was awarded a Utah-funded grant to treat expectant mothers with substance use disorders, she was a natural fit to lead the work. The program is called Peripartum Addiction Treatment and Healing, or PATH, which launched in March 2024 to patients treated in Weber County, Utah. Drug-related deaths are the most common cause of death in the pregnant and postpartum population in Utah. PATH offers a collaborative approach to change the trajectory for pregnant mothers with substance use disorders. A team of Intermountain caregivers work together to treat these patients—caregivers from neonatology, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, and community health. The community health team also established relationships outside Intermountain so patients could receive support from peer support specialists and social workers through a program called Empowered at Roseman University of Health Sciences.
During one of the hottest summers in St. George, Utah, the caregivers at the new Hurricane Emergency Room faced an unexpected challenge. The HVAC system went out. Five words you never want to hear when working in the triple-digit desert heat. As temperatures rose, our caregivers quickly formed a strategic response to ensure the safety and comfort of our patients. With swift coordination, ED, lab, imaging, and emergency response teams mobilized to implement immediate solutions. Portable cooling units were brought in, fans were strategically placed, and hydration stations were set up throughout the facility to help keep everyone cool and hydrated. To further support the staff, cooling vests were distributed, providing an extra measure of safety and relief. Additionally, labs were moved around to promote better airflow and optimize the cooling measures in place. After hearing of the problem, facilities teams immediately jumped to action to get the system back up and running. These crews worked tirelessly throughout the night to fix the air conditioning system. Their hard work and dedication ensured that the HVAC system was restored in less than a day, allowing us to avoid taking any major measures or disrupting patient care. "Our caregivers are truly remarkable," Braydon Bird, the ED manager working through the incident, shared. "Their ability to adapt and respond to such a challenging situation is a testament to their commitment to our patients and each other.”
