Amanda Cleveland, MD, was prepping a particularly anxious adult patient for surgery when she noticed that the patient had brought a stuffed toy for emotional support and saw that it had a rip in the back. To make the patient feel as cared for as possible, Dr. Cleveland volunteered to patch up the stuffed broccoli sprout, a.k.a. Broccoli Bob. The operating room team immediately caught the spirit, and — after the human surgery was safely completed — a “sterile field” was assembled out of leftover materials. Matthew Fowler, MD, the anesthesiologist, donated the patient’s pre-op oxygen mask for the extra case. Sharoll Ayala, RN and others on the OR nursing team printed a wristband and wrote Bob’s info on the patient board. A scrub tech set out instruments and fine-tuned the lighting in the operating room. Chelsea Mutscheller, MD, OB-GYN, offered to act as “first assist” for the first-ever stuffed vegetable surgery at LDS Hospital. While the patient was waking up from anesthesia, Dr. Cleveland “beautifully repaired the stuffie,” according to Dr. Mutscheller, who added that this unplanned case did not generate any extra charges. “The reception by the patient and her family was over the top,” she said. “They were thrilled. All of her anxiety was eased, and she returned home to heal.” “The group here truly goes the extra mile,” Dr. Mutscheller said, “and we all love each other while doing meaningful work every single day. This one definitely goes in my scrapbook.”
An innovative new program based at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah is easing staffing shortages in our operating rooms and helping caregivers move forward in their careers. In 2023, we launched our own surgical technologist training program. The intensive, 9-month paid program starts with coursework in a classroom or laboratory, and ends with a stint in an operating room. Classes are taught at LDS Hospital and St. George Regional Hospital in St. George, Utah, and are being made available remotely. In the next cohort, two students will join the training from Billings, Montana. Students finish the class with a national certification and credentials as surgical technologists. Many students have been Intermountain caregivers seeking a new career opportunity. M.J. Moreno is a recent graduate. Having worked at Intermountain for 20 years, most recently as an endoscopy technician, M.J. applied for surgical tech training. M.J. said the program was “very interesting and very challenging,” requiring her to learn new technologies and medical terminology. She considered the course demanding but manageable. “In the end, I feel like I have benefitted from doing this program,” she said. “I understand so much more about the human body and my new role in healthcare. It has helped me grow as a person and also given me the opportunity to continue growing my career.”
Our new Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital Day Treatment Center in St. George, Utah is opening its doors this week to address a critical need in pediatric behavioral health care, thanks to community support given to the annual Jubilee of Trees fundraiser. The Partial Hospitalization Program offers intensive care and skill building to kids five days a week, each day for the length of a typical school day. At the end of each day, participants go home to use the skills they learned with their family. The course of treatment is up to 15 days, with the length of stay determined by the youth, their parents, and the program team. “This new center fills an important need in mental health care and will bring hope to kids and families in the St. George area,” said Natalie Ashby, president of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “Thank you to our caregivers, providers and external partners who helped to build this clinic. It takes many, many people to make this happen, and we are grateful for your contributions and dedication to helping children and families.”
How do we give each patient a voice to help us continually improve? Through a strategic, simple survey of around a dozen questions. After almost every visit to an Intermountain Health care site or provider, patients receive an email or text survey about their experience. Questions range from how much a patient trusts a facility to care for their needs to whether caregivers explained things thoroughly. Sending patient surveys isn’t just a formality — it’s a well-thought-out process to gather valuable data without overwhelming patients. The shorter, digital approach is a huge improvement over the previous, 65-plus question surveys that were physically mailed to every patient. “We try to simplify the survey and lean into analytics,” said Katie Boemecke, senior director of Patient Experience. “Instead of having the patients answer questions on every facet of their experience, we trust that what’s most important to the patient is going to come through in the survey.” The collected data is not just for show. We use it to implement best practices across our facilities, ensuring consistent and high-quality care. At a high level, survey data highlights overall systemwide trends in our experience and care. “Every caregiver plays a part in how the patients perceive their care," said Katie. “Everybody can positively or negatively impact a patient's perception. Survey data is where we can learn from our patients to evolve and elevat
When people who are homeless are admitted to the hospital, what happens when they are healthy enough to be discharged but still have post-acute care needs? How can they safely recover when they don't have a home? These are questions that had long vexed Denver-area hospitals amid rising homelessness. A 75-bed recuperative care and medical respite facility that the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless opened in Denver in early 2023 is providing an answer. Hospitals that lease beds in the coalition's John Parvensky Stout Street Recuperative Care Center can discharge qualified patients who are homeless to those beds. Once there, patients receive help meeting post-acute care needs, accessing social services and securing housing. We are proud to be one of the health care partners that has been discharging unhoused patients to the center. Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver leases 10 beds, while the remaining Intermountain hospitals in the Denver area together lease 6 beds, including Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, Lutheran Hospital in Wheat Ridge, and Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton. This partnership has reduced readmission rates and led to improved health outcomes. Since the center's opening, our hospitals have discharged 170 patients to the facility, with about one-third achieving stable housing or substance abuse treatment.
Every week, the serene sounds of shaman seeds, wave drums, rain sticks, and chimes fill the tranquil space of Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. These sessions, led by chaplain Terresa Newport, MDiv, BCCi, the spiritual care coordinator, are known as sound bathing classes. A sound bath is a unique approach to mental and physical wellness that has been gaining popularity and recognition. Terresa passionately introduces this modality to caregivers and patients alike, emphasizing its profound benefits. “I have found, and heard from our caregivers, that this modality of decompression is a convenient and effective way of taking a mental health break for however long the caregiver has time to take a break,” she said. These words encapsulate the essence of sound bathing: a practice designed to offer a moment of peace and relaxation amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. As Terresa put it, “Sound bathing is an excellent way to 'zone out' for even a brief moment, become present, and let go of the day's stress.” The benefits are clear, and the growing popularity of these sessions speaks to their profound impact.
You may know our geographic footprint here at Intermountain Health — meaning how many states and which states we’re in. And yes, that’s important information. But how much do you know about the different types of care sites in each of those states? What does it mean when someone says they work at an ASC or that we have two quaternary hospitals in Utah? How does each care site complement the system? Whether you’re looking to understand more about our organization or you want to be a more informed healthcare consumer for yourself or a loved one, we’ve got the answers.
High quality health care doesn't have to exist solely in the clinic. Intermountain Health's traveling APP (Advanced Practice Provider) team in Nevada answers the call for patient needs by visiting them where they live. Traveling APPs regularly care for patients in their own homes (or skilled nursing facilities), conducting annual wellness checks, comprehensive health screenings, medication refills, and testing and lab work orders. Traveling APPs can also support the patient in reconnecting with their PCP and refer to specialists if needed. The team doesn't just focus on physical condition; they look at a thorough, all-encompassing view of the patient's life, including mental health, social wellness, home safety evaluation, and family relationships and support. All become visible during the home visits. They can refer the patient to care management or social support teams if complex needs were identified. The team is comprised of four full-time nurse practitioners and one part-time practitioner. They each see about six to seven patients a day. “Some patients I visited have valid reasons why they can’t see their doctor at the office," said APP Asbel Caligagan. "Just by refilling their maintenance medicines, they don’t have to worry about running out, by helping them sort their transportation problems, then I know that they can see their doctors on time."
For the sixth consecutive year, our adult transplant program is celebrating a record-breaking year in 2024! Our Adult Transplant program, located at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, successfully transplanted 489 organs in 2024, a significant increase from the 414 transplants performed in 2023. This also represents a growth of over 200% over the last five years and with this more than twice as many lives in the Mountain West have been saved. “Intermountain Health is one of very few programs operating in the Mountain West, making the expansion of services to underserved areas as the primary focus of our efforts,” said JoAnna Stephens, Intermountain Health adult transplant director. “Our mission is to provide access to transplantation for patients, no matter where they live, ensuring they receive the life-saving care they need.”
High school teacher Quentin Unsworth loves his community in Logan, Utah, but didn’t think owning a home was financially possible for his family. With help from the Rocky Mountain Homes Fund (RMHF), the Unsworths are now in their dream home. At Intermountain Health, we are proud to support community organizations and initiatives like RMHF that contribute to proactive health and improved well-being.
