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Teens receiving cancer treatment aren’t always well enough to go to their high school prom, so Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital caregivers brought a special prom night to them. Patients ages 15 and up were able to dress up in formal attire and dance the night away on Saturday night in the Eccles Outpatient Services Building at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, thanks to dedicated caregivers at the hospital who didn’t want the kid’s health challenges to disrupt a treasured high-school tradition: prom night. “Cancer robs our patients of so many typical life experiences as they go through treatment, and our team knew that a prom, right here at Primary Children’s, would be a great opportunity to try to rectify that,” said Dan Mangelson, pediatric cancer services director at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital. “The night was so special for all of us.”
In 2011, Maya Rimal was a patient at Primary Children’s Hospital who died while in our care following a series of avoidable safety errors. Maya would have turned 27 years old this year. After her passing, Maya's parents, Sofi and Satish Rimal, partnered with Primary Children’s to renew and strengthen our culture of safety and pursue our goal of zero harm. Each year, the Rimal family joins Primary Children's leaders and the Zero Harm team to pay tribute to Maya and honor Primary Children's caregivers who have helped improve safety through process improvement, an impact on culture, or a lifesaving good catch. Satish Rimal presented the 2023 Maya Rimal Safety Hero Award to Jacqueline Arbanas. Had her patient been allowed to stay asleep that night, he likely would not have woken up, or would have significant irreversible neurologic damage. His parents credit Jackie for saving his life. Karen Talbot, with Primary Children's Zero Harm team, said caregivers should all remember Jackie's words: "If [a patient's] Mom or Dad are telling you something is wrong, listen. They are right 99% of the time."
Today, we celebrate freedom, equality, and the resilience of the Black community. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved individuals in the United States, and it serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for justice and equality. Let's come together to honor the achievements and contributions of Black Americans throughout history and continue the important work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. #Juneteenth #FreedomDay #Equality #JusticeForAll"
Colorado seasons each bring their own brand of weather, and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette stands ready for whatever comes its way. Recently the National Weather Service recognized Good Samaritan Medical Center as a StormReady® Supporter. The hospital received the designation because it proved it has enhanced communication to alert caregivers about weather events and has scripted procedures to respond to those events. Good Samaritan system emergency manager Michael Ciavatta said the planning is designed to guide hospital caregivers before, during and after a severe weather event. Ciavatta started in his role in 2022, coming to the SCL Health hospital, now part of Intermountain Health, after a career in law enforcement and the National Guard. “This is a benefit to our hospital and to the community,” he said. “We have the plans and the processes in place and can show community members how we will continue to serve them even during severe weather.”
The loss of a baby is one of the worst things a family can experience. That's why there is a dedicated group of caregivers at Saint Joseph who help families cope with the loss & work through their grief. This group is there to support these families in every step of their journey. From spiritual care and support groups to arranging funeral services and remembrance tokens, this incredible group does it all. Additionally, the team creates various items to help families memorialize their babies. They partner with local companies to create handprint and footprint kits, Christmas ornaments with their baby’s handprint and footprint, 3D porcelain molds of their baby’s footprint & ceramic hearts with a poem. They provide baskets that include memory-making items such as clay, paint & educational materials about grief and loss. They’ve also given families teddy bears that have a microchip inside that plays the sound of their baby’s heartbeat. Once a year, they host a remembrance service with a tree planting ceremony for the families. “We try to make it as special as possible for the families because they don’t have the memories with their babies like other families do,” reflects Liz Worstell, a licensed social worker and care manager. “We pride ourselves on memory-making and Saint Joseph is one of the only hospitals that strives to make this kind of impact. We want the families to know that we care, and we will do everything in our power to make a horrible time more bearable."
We're happy to recognize Paula Peterson, Primary Children's Spina Bifida program director, for nearly 50 years of service with our organization! Paula began her career with Primary Children’s in 1973, when it was “a little brick hospital on the top of the avenues.” She worked with one pediatric neurologist and a handful of specialists who usually worked with adults. “We didn't have occupational therapy. We didn't have social work. We didn't have psychology. So, over the years that medical team has changed.” Paula was the lead author of the 1994 publication, The Transition into Adulthood Begins in Infancy, which Judy Thibadeau, Director of Research and Services for the Spina Bifida Association, describes as a “seminal article…which is still referenced today.” When Judy Thibadeau presented Paula with the Judy Thibendeau Award at the Spina Bifida World Congress, she said, “All of us here know Paula, and if not by face than by her name and the immense presence she has in the spina bifida world academically and clinically.” Thank you, Paula, for your dedication and commitment to children's health and to our organization!
An Ivins, Utah, family who lost their child in an accidental backover accident at their home is joining experts from St. George Regional Hospital and Primary Children’s Hospital to remind drivers to “Spot the Tot” before they move their vehicle. The “Spot the Tot” program was created by Primary Children’s Hospital in 2005 and has been adopted by child safety advocates around the world. It’s designed to prevent motorists from accidentally rolling over a small child as they pull away from a curb or driveway because they’re unable to see them. “We feel passionate that we try to turn this horrible experience of losing her into some kind of good, where we can teach other people,” said Jennifer Petersen, a mother who lost her daughter, Natalie, in a backover accident at their home in 2014. “We love the ‘Spot the Tot’ program and what it can do for the community.”
Becker’s Hospital Review has named Brandon McBride, chief executive officer and administrator for Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital in Logan, UT, as a top healthcare leader as part of its “Community Hospital CEOs to Know” list for 2023. McBride has been with Intermountain Health for 15 years. Before coming to Intermountain, he served as an operations director at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He leads Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, which has 146 licensed beds. "Brandon is the finest hospital CEO I have worked with in the last 26 years,” said Curtis Pedersen, MD, chief medical officer for Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital. “He is brilliant and skilled, but most of all, he cares about the individual. He takes the time to talk to every care worker in our hospital. We are fortunate to have him in our hospital."
SCL Health Medical Group, now Intermountain Health, officially opened two specialty clinics in one space: Lafayette Neurosurgery and Lafayette Spine. This new double offering on Intermountain's Good Samaritan Medical Center campus in Lafayette, CO offers patients access to the region’s top spine expertise and technology. The combination of the two clinics fosters multidisciplinary collaboration among some of the region’s top experts in spine. The clinic will also employ among the first and only EOS machines in Colorado. Otherwise known as digital dynamic radiography, the machine captures a full-body x-ray of the spine in motion. Combined with provider expertise, the EOS is incredibly valuable for diagnosing both neurological and orthopedic spine conditions.
Intermountain Health’s St. George Regional Hospital announced construction will begin at Desert Color later this year for emergency services. The 24/7 emergency room, primary care, and other services will be built within the Desert Color master-planned community less than a mile east of the Southern Parkway Exit off I-15 in St. George, Utah. “We purchased the anchor piece of land for this site in 2019 and last week closed on the purchase of what will become a 38-acre campus,” said Mitch Cloward, President of Intermountain’s Southwest Utah Hospital Market in the company’s Desert Region. “We have long desired to provide greater access to care for those we serve in Desert Color and Sun River communities. This site will accommodate both immediate and long-term healthcare needs.”
