After he was born at St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings, Montana, a nurse in the newborn nursery heard a heart murmur that led to Weston Sondeno being diagnosed with a heart condition. With this condition, Weston expected to need a valve replacement in his 50s or 60s. But at age 17, during Weston's annual exam, his pediatric cardiologist noticed a change that required urgent action. Weston and his care team were now looking at options for a surgery that had gone from years to months away. Read more about Weston's story in the article below, including how he and his family joined his caregivers for a recent ribbon cutting of the $1.4 million expansion of the Intermountain Health Fortin Pediatric Specialty Clinic in Billings.
Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital in Logan, Utah recently celebrated he completion of the hospital’s new 110,000-square-foot, four-story patient tower, which will enhance care for the community. The new tower, located on the northeast corner of the Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital campus, will house medical, surgical and pediatric nursing units, a transitional care unit, a behavioral health unit, intensive care unit, imaging services, a cardiology unit, an education center, and a new kitchen and cafe. “The new patient tower represents our unwavering commitment to serving and supporting our ever-growing Cache Valley community,” said Brandon McBride, president and CEO of Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital. “This expansion ensures that we continue to meet the growing healthcare needs of our residents now and in the future.”
Intermountain Health and Black Physicians of Utah are collaborating on the 3rd annual Medicine Immersion Day, a community event focused on introducing Black and other Utahns of color to the field of medicine and empowering them to become physicians and learn more about healthcare careers. The 3rd annual Medicine Immersion Day will be hosted at Intermountain Alta View Hospital in Sandy this Saturday, September 7th, and provides the opportunity for Black and other young people, ages 16-25, to learn more to pursue a career or in various medical specialties. “Alta View Hospital is proud to partner with Black Physicians of Utah. Our hope is that this immersive Medicine Day will inspire young Black students and other students of color to consider careers in medicine,” said Scott Roberson, president of Intermountain Alta View Hospital.
🌟 Happy National Clinical Nurse Specialist Week! 🌟 From September 1st to September 7th, we celebrate the incredible contributions of our Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS). These highly-skilled nurses play an essential role in healthcare, emphasizing the nurse-patient relationship as the foundation for nursing practice.
Sandra Roberts, RN, recently celebrated 53 years of being a caregiver for Intermountain Health! Sandra graduated from Weber State College (now Weber State University) in Ogden, Utah at a time when she says not many students were applying to nursing school. She now works on the same day surgery unit at Bear River Valley Hospital in Tremonton, Utah. We sat down with Sandra to discuss her career with Intermountain and what has kept her in nursing for more than five decades in the article below.
In fatal suicide attempts, firearms are the most common method used nationwide. That's why we are launching a program throughout our Peaks Region to reduce firearm-related suicides and injuries by providing free gun safety locks and informational resources to our patients and communities.
Intermountain Health’s new Telehealth Emergency Medicine program is helping patients answer a common question: Do I really need to go to the ER? For many patients, the emergency room may not be the best choice. A consultation with an emergency medicine provider can outline options, refer people to the appropriate level of care, or even make TeleEM the focal point for their care. TeleEM focuses on fee-for-value patients and supports all InstaCares in Utah, ConnectCare, the Patient Service Center, and Health Answers. Once referred to TeleEM, patients are managed as outpatients, with a focus on prioritizing lower-cost resources such as Castell, Tellica, and Hospital Level Care at Home. “We want to be a support to patients to help them navigate the system better,” said TeleEM medical director Joel Taylor, MD. “We’re helping a lot of people access more appropriate care and lowering their costs of care while doing it.” TeleEM is currently staffed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with plans to expand soon to 24/7 care. The program is currently active only in Utah but will eventually cover Intermountain’s entire footprint. In the past year, TeleEM caregivers have recorded 1,200-plus interactions, with 550 patients admitted to TeleEM care. More than 95% of the time, they are able to avoid an ER visit.
When Brayan Mata-Neri, RN, triage nurse in electrophysiology and heart rhythm in St. George, Utah, had a patient who couldn’t afford their prescribed anticoagulant, he knew noncompliance posed a serious safety risk. See how Brayan went the extra mile by partnering with the pharmacy to ensure his patient could afford a much-needed blood thinner medication in the article below.
Buckle up for an exclusive dive into the Stanford Intermountain Health Fellowship. Whether you're curious about the program's impact on patient care, its role in shaping healthcare policy, or if you're hearing about it for the very first time, you'll find answers and inspiration right here. Hear from three leaders, Raj Srivastava, Tim Fowles, and Thea Sakata, as they unravel the unique opportunities and share personal experiences of this fellowship through Intermountain.
For the second consecutive year, nine Intermountain Health physicians have been named in the annual Top Doctors Desert Companion Magazine! This year’s list includes the following Intermountain providers: - Dr. Afi Bruce, Internal Medicine - Dr. Brian Davis, Physical Medicine - Dr. John Hou, Internal Medicine - Dr. Sunita Kalra, Internal Medicine - Dr. Marija Krstic, Internal Medicine - Dr. Janmejay (Jay) Patel, Cardiology - Dr. Lara Wenner, Internal Medicine - Dr. Steven Yates, Oncology/Hematology - Dr. John Bedotto, Cardiology (retired in July) “These recognitions are an honor as these providers serve our patients and community with the highest commitment to quality, safety and equity,” said Cara Camiolo, MD, regional chief medical officer at Intermountain. “They truly are representative of our incredible caregiver teams that are focused on our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible.”
