Recientemente, Intermountain Health inauguró un centro independiente que combina procedimientos quirúrgicos y endoscópicos en Sandy, Utah. Además, anunció la apertura de otros dos establecimientos de endoscopia en Utah, uno que se inaugurará en Ogden a finales de este año y otro que se inaugurará en Riverton en 2026. La meta es ofrecer procedimientos de salud digestiva más asequibles y accesibles a los pacientes y familias de esas comunidades. 

La salud digestiva está adquiriendo mayor protagonismo, ya que los estadounidenses se interesan cada vez más en la alimentación saludable, la nutrición, la salud intestinal y el mantenimiento de un peso saludable. Intermountain Health ayuda a los pacientes a ser más proactivos respecto a su salud digestiva a través de una atención integral y en equipo para cada paciente. 

Los centros de endoscopia independientes tienen menos gastos generales que los que operan dentro de un hospital o con una licencia hospitalaria. Muchos estadounidenses recurren a otros centros independientes quirúrgicos o de diagnóstico por imagen similares para reducir los gastos de bolsillo de la atención médica. Un centro de endoscopia es otro lugar que puede ayudar a los pacientes con una experiencia de atención médica óptima y de alta calidad a un menor costo. 

El nuevo centro quirúrgico de Intermountain Health, Alta View, está situado en el campus del Alta View Hospital de Intermountain Health en Sandy, Utah. Los dos nuevos centros de endoscopia en desarrollo se ubicarán en los campus de los hospitales de Intermountain Health McKay-Dee Hospital en Ogden, Utah, y Riverton Hospital en Riverton, Utah, o cerca de ellos. 

“Con la apertura de nuestros nuevos centros de endoscopia, Intermountain Health aumentará el acceso a una alternativa de menor costo para los procedimientos diagnósticos y terapéuticos de salud digestiva con el fin de prevenir, identificar y tratar las condiciones médicas digestivas en etapas tempranas”, declaró el Dr. Nathan Merriman, director médico senior del Programa Clínico de Especialidades Quirúrgicas y Salud Digestiva de Intermountain Health. “Esto sucede en un momento en el que cada vez hay más personas con condiciones médicas digestivas crónicas y con cáncer de colon a edades más tempranas en Estados Unidos”. 

Intermountain Health es un sistema de salud integrado que incluye un plan de seguro médico, por lo que ofrecer servicios de endoscopia para necesidades no urgentes con este nuevo modelo en un entorno de menor costo es acorde con la misión de Intermountain como sistema de salud sin fines de lucro para mejorar la salud general de las personas en las comunidades en las que presta servicios. 

El Centro de Endoscopia de Alta View y los otros establecimientos que se anunciaron para Utah serán gestionados por Surgery Partners, un operador líder de centros quirúrgicos y servicios auxiliares con más de 200 ubicaciones en 30 estados. 

“Surgery Partners cuenta con un modelo de prestación diferenciado cuyo enfoque es ofrecer soluciones rentables y de alta calidad para la atención quirúrgica y auxiliar relacionada, por lo que su filosofía se alinea muy bien con la misión de Intermountain”, según afirmó el Dr. Merriman. 

Los servicios de endoscopia de estos centros incluyen colonoscopias, que son el método más eficaz de detección del cáncer de colon y de crecimientos precancerosos y pólipos. Durante la colonoscopia de detección, incluso pueden extirparse algunos pólipos o bultos anormales. 

La Sociedad Americana Contra el Cáncer calcula que, en 2025, se diagnosticarán en Estados Unidos 107,320 (ciento siete mil trescientos veinte) nuevos casos de cáncer de colon y 46,950 (cuarenta y seis mil novecientos cincuenta) nuevos casos de cáncer de recto. Asimismo, informó que unos 53,000 (cincuenta y tres mil) estadounidenses murieron de cáncer de colon en 2024. 

Se recomienda que las personas comiencen a realizarse una detección mediante colonoscopia a partir de los 45 años o antes si existen antecedentes familiares de cáncer de colon. No se necesita una derivación para una colonoscopia de detección en el Centro de Endoscopía de Alta View. 

“Además de las colonoscopías, el centro de endoscopía también ofrece procedimientos de endoscopía superior para examinar el esófago, el estómago y la parte superior del intestino delgado.” 

“Esta combinación central de exámenes de endoscopía superior e inferior nos permitirá evaluar los síntomas y las condiciones médicas como el reflujo, el esófago de Barrett, las dificultades para tragar, las úlceras, el dolor abdominal, las náuseas, la hinchazón, el sangrado gastrointestinal, la diarrea crónica, el estreñimiento crónico y las hemorroides”, explicó el Dr. Merriman. 

Además, agregó: “Este tipo de procedimientos también pueden ayudar en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de condiciones médicas crónicas o más graves, como la enfermedad de Crohn, la colitis ulcerosa, la diverticulitis o el cáncer de esófago”. 

Para los procedimientos de endoscopia superior se necesita una derivación de su médico de atención primaria o especialista. 

“Esta asociación es un gran ejemplo de cómo podemos hacer realidad modelos de atención innovadores si trabajamos juntos”, afirmó Noah Clevenger, vicepresidente regional de Operaciones de Surgery Partners. “Gracias a la combinación de nuestras fortalezas, estamos creando más puntos de acceso para que los pacientes de Utah reciban una atención médica digestiva a tiempo, asequible y altamente especializada, mientras brindamos a los médicos las herramientas y el entorno que necesitan para ofrecer resultados excepcionales”. 

Intermountain Health ya gestiona tres centros de endoscopia independientes en Denver, en colaboración con Gastroenterology of the Rockies. 

Con la incorporación de los centros de endoscopia nuevos y los anunciados en Utah, Intermountain Health gestionará un total de seis centros de endoscopia en Colorado y Utah. 

 

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Intermountain Health recently opened a free-standing combined surgical and endoscopy procedure center in Sandy, Utah, and is announcing two other Utah endoscopy center locations that will open in Ogden later this year and in Riverton in 2026, to help bring more affordable and accessible digestive health procedures to patients and families in those communities. 

Digestive health is coming more to the forefront as Americans are paying more attention to healthy eating, nutrition, gut health and maintaining a healthy weight. Intermountain Health is helping patients be more proactive about their digestive health through comprehensive, team-based care. 

Free-standing endoscopy centers have lower overhead than those operating inside a hospital or under a hospital’s license. 

Many Americans are turning to other similar free-standing surgery centers or imaging centers to help keep their out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare services down. An endoscopy center is one more place that can help patients with a streamlined, high quality healthcare experience at a lower cost. 

The new Intermountain Health Surgery Center – Alta View is located on the campus of Intermountain Health’s Alta View Hospital in Sandy, Utah. The two new endoscopy centers under development will be located on or near the campuses of Intermountain Health’s McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah and Riverton Hospital in Riverton, Utah. 

“With the opening of our new endoscopy centers, Intermountain Health is increasing access to a lower-cost alternative for digestive health diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to prevent, identify, and treat digestive health conditions in earlier stages,” said Nathan Merriman, MD, senior medical director of the Surgical Specialties and Digestive Health Clinical Program at Intermountain Health. “This comes at a time when we’re seeing more people with chronic digestive health conditions and younger ages of colon cancer across the U.S.” 

Intermountain Health is an integrated health system which includes a health insurance plan, so offering endoscopy services for non-emergent needs under this new model in a lower-cost setting is in keeping with Intermountain’s mission as a nonprofit health system to improve the overall health of people in the communities it serves. 

The Alta View endoscopy center and other locations announced for Utah will be managed by Surgery Partners, a leading operator of surgical facilities and ancillary services with more than 200 locations across 30 states. 

“Surgery Partners has a differentiated delivery model focused on providing high quality, cost-effective solutions for surgical and related ancillary care, so their philosophy aligns very well with Intermountain’s mission,” said Dr. Merriman. 

Endoscopy services at these centers include colonoscopies which are the most effective method of screening for colon cancer and finding precancerous growths and polyps. Some polyps or abnormal masses can even be removed during the screening colonoscopy. 

The American Cancer Society estimates that 107,320 new cases of colon cancer and 46,950 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2025. They reported that about 53,000 Americans died from colon cancer in 2024. 

Colonoscopy screening is recommended beginning at age 45 or earlier if there is a family history of colon cancer. A referral is not needed for a screening colonoscopy at the Alta View Endoscopy Center. 

“In addition to colonoscopies, the endoscopy center also provides upper endoscopy procedures to examine the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine. This core combination of upper and lower endoscopy exams will help us evaluate symptoms and conditions like acid reflux, Barrett’s esophagus, swallowing difficulties, ulcers, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, gluten allergy, gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation, and hemorrhoids,” said Dr. Merriman.

“These types of procedures can also aid in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic or more serious conditions like Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, or esophageal cancer,” he added. 

Upper endoscopy procedures require a referral from your primary care doctor or specialist. 

“This partnership is a great example of how we can bring innovative care models to life by working together,” said Noah Clevenger, Regional Vice President of Operations at Surgery Partners. “By aligning our strengths, we’re creating more access points for patients in Utah to receive timely, affordable, and highly specialized digestive healthcare—while supporting physicians with the tools and environment they need to deliver exceptional outcomes.” 

Intermountain Health already operates three free-standing endoscopy centers in Denver in partnership with Gastroenterology of the Rockies. 

With the addition of the new and announced endoscopy centers in Utah, Intermountain Health will operate a total of six endoscopy centers in Colorado and Utah. 

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Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.  

Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, Surgery Partners is a leading healthcare services company with a differentiated outpatient delivery model focused on providing high-quality, cost-effective solutions for surgical and related ancillary care in support of both patients and physicians. Founded in 2004, Surgery Partners is one of the largest and fastest growing surgical services businesses in the country, with more than 200 locations in 30 states, including ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices and urgent care facilities. 
 

Two executive chefs from Intermountain Health have been named as one of five finalist teams in the U.S. to qualify for a national culinary competition of healthcare and senior dining chefs hosted by the Association for Healthcare Food Services (AHF) and held in New Orleans Aug. 21-23.

The annual competition highlights the best chefs in healthcare and senior dining facilities who are re-defining the industry with their self-operated culinary services that design and create their meals in-house rather than contracting with a food service company.

Intermountain Health’s Executive Chef Roberto Rodriguez, based in Salt Lake City, and Executive Chef Joseph Westley, based near Denver, will represent Intermountain Health during the live competition.

Finalist teams were selected from a record-breaking number of submissions across the country through a blind review process and were evaluated by industry leaders using a standardized scoring rubric based on the official competition rules. Criteria include strict adherence to nutritional and cost guidelines, as well as recipe quality, technical skill, and culinary innovation.

To qualify, each team selected ingredients from two curated market baskets and turned them into a delicious, nutritious dish that costs less than $2 and has reduced sodium, fat, and calorie levels. The goal is to impress the judges with not only taste and flavors, but also with a variety of colors, textures, and artistic presentation.

The dish prepared by the Intermountain executive chefs includes recipes for Pan-fried Andouille Crab Cakes, Pecan Sweet Potato Mash, Eggplant Dirty Rice with Red Bean Sauce and Remoulade Sauce, topped with an Okra Relish.

“My inspiration for the dish was my previous trips to New Orleans, one of my favorite cities in the world,” said Chef Rodriguez. “I wanted to put as much of the heart of New Orleans cuisine on one plate as possible. I tried to incorporate different components of the traditional dishes the area is known for such as red beans and rice, dirty rice, and crab cakes.”

“To bring the dish to life, we used a variety of classic cooking techniques including sautéing, boiling, pan-searing, puréeing, and emulsifying,” he added.

“This dish will not only make you excited, but it will also make your taste buds excited,” said Chef Westley. “The competition is done in pairs because two sets of hands are better than one in the kitchen. This allows chefs to divide up the workload so we can focus on quality and sanitation.”

The two chefs came together in Utah recently to practice their dishes. The details of the recipes will be available from Intermountain Health and AHF after the competition in August.

Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system that serves approximately 35,000 meals daily to patients, caregivers, and visitors. Intermountain’s culinary services staff includes more than 1,600 caregivers supporting guests and communities at health facilities in the Intermountain West.

Intermountain Health’s culinary philosophy is rooted in the belief that food is a vital part of healing, well-being, and community. Intermountain chefs and culinary service staff aim to deliver meals that are not only nutritious and safe but also comforting and culturally attuned to the diverse populations of patients, caregivers, and guests we serve.

Intermountain Health’s culinary goal is to create a dining experience that supports recovery, energizes staff, and fosters a welcoming environment. This commitment is reflected in a focus on culinary innovation, minimally manipulated ingredients, sustainability, and service excellence—ensuring every plate contributes to our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible.

For more information about culinary career opportunities at Intermountain Health click here.

Intermountain Health is now offering pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum maternal health services in the Evanston, Wyoming, area through a new program called Maternal Health Connection (MHC). 

The new Intermountain program offers a combination of in-person, virtual and home visits, as well as remote patient monitoring for moms-to-be and new moms.

This community-based program provides access to virtual visits from Intermountain OB-GYN physicians and providers based in Utah. In-person care is provided by an Intermountain Health registered nurse at the MHC clinic, which is located in the Uinta Medical Building at 196 Arrowhead Drive. 

Clinic appointments are available two days per week on Wednesdays and Fridays, except for the first week of the month, it’s Monday and Friday.

“Pregnancy can be a difficult time in a woman's life, and current economic and geographic challenges do not make it simpler,” said Ibrahim Hammad, MD, a maternal fetal medicine physician at Intermountain Health who oversees the program.

“It's part of our responsibility as healthcare professionals, to not only provide care and treatment in clinics and hospitals, but also to reach out to our patients in an effort to ease their burden. This program is designed to bring maternal care to the patient,” he added.

Following the recent closure of Evanston Regional Hospital’s maternity services, pregnant and new moms have had to travel longer distances on remote roads, subject to severe weather, to access the frequent prenatal visits and follow-up postpartum care recommended to ensure a healthy pregnancy and recovery after childbirth.

“Our mission is to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Uinta County and surrounding communities. We’re excited to bring a local maternity care option to these Wyoming families,” said Krystal Richards, grants project director for Maternal Health Connections at Intermountain Health.

A large TV screen in the MHC clinic allows an OB-GYN physician or midwife based in Utah to consult with a Wyoming patient through telehealth, assisted by an Intermountain on-site nurse. 

Courtney Bettinson, BSN, provides the hands-on care needed during telehealth visits held at the clinic, such as taking moms’ vital signs and listening for baby’s heart tones. She also helps patients navigate referrals for any related care. She’s also able to do basic ultrasounds on-site.

“I’ve been a women and newborn nurse in Evanston for 13 years and have lived here all my life. I’ve put my heart and soul into developing this new program,” said Bettinson. “I’m passionate about women’s health and providing access to care for moms and babies. I love and care about the people in our community."

The MHC program also offers remote patient monitoring devices for participating pregnant moms to take home beginning at 28 weeks. The equipment includes a blood pressure cuff to determine current blood pressure; a pulse oximeter that measures oxygen saturation and heart rate; a thermometer to take body temperature, and a scale to measure the patient’s weight.

The monitoring equipment is connected to a mobile phone App that is connected to Intermountain Health’s Virtual Hospital in Murray, Utah. The virtual hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by nurses who can elevate concerns or complications to an on-call maternal fetal medicine physician.

 Moms in the clinic can keep the equipment through six weeks postpartum.

Labor and delivery services for MHC patients are provided at nearby Intermountain Health hospitals, including Intermountain Health Park City Hospital in Park City, Utah and Intermountain Health McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

After moms and newborns return to Wyoming, Bettinson also does postpartum home visits, patient education, offers lactation support and does weight checks for babies. The MHC program provides home visits and related care for up to one year postpartum.

“This innovative maternity care access model is made possible by a $3.9 million grant awarded to Intermountain Health by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration,” said Richards. “Intermountain Health is committed to maintaining maternal healthcare access in Uinta County.”

Intermountain has offered Maternal Health Connections services in rural Montana since 2023. Results show significant travel mileage savings for patients, decreases in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale scores, and an increase in continuity of care.

For more information on Intermountain Health’s Maternal Health Connection in Wyoming, call or text 307-426-0694 or send an email to mhcwy@imail.org

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 An Intermountain Health physician who has played a key role in advancing women’s health was among a select group of women’s health advocates and experts invited to the White House to celebrate the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which is working to improve women’s health across the country.

Last week, President Joe Biden and First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, invited a select group of women’s health advocates, clinicians, researchers, experts, investors and philanthropists to the White House for a conference to celebrate the program’s success.

Intermountain Health’s senior medical director of women’s health for Utah and Idaho, Audrey Jiricko, MD, was among them. 

Dr. Jiricko has played a key role in advancing women’s health at Intermountain Health. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, she has helped activate intimate partner violence screening and pioneer the integration of mental health screening in the OB-GYN setting.

Aside from improving patients’ health and safety, these practices recognize the holistic scope of women’s health issues and challenges.  

“We’re not only able to connect patients to resources, but also to find links between a history of traumatic stress and other health conditions like chronic pelvic pain,” said Dr. Jiricko. “It helps us look at each patient as a whole person.” 

That’s an ethos Dr. Jiricko has brought to her whole career.

She’s collaborated across disciplines to promote best practices in women’s health, recently leading the creation of Intermountain Health’s first Women’s Heart Health Program.  

Heart disease is the number one killer of women nationally, but women’s heart research lags behind research specific to men – as does women’s heart care. Statistically, across the nation, women who complain about chest pain wait longer to receive an EKG than men, and women who suffer heart attacks wait longer than men for intervention. 

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – which include chronic or gestational high blood pressure, and the more serious preeclampsia and eclampsia – can affect the health of the mother and baby during pregnancy, and can also impact their long-term cardiovascular health.

Dr. Jiricko is working with an Intermountain cardiovascular research team to review health records from more than 200,000 Intermountain patients who’ve had hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.

The goal is to map what Intermountain can do as a health system to implement proactive care and prevent negative outcomes, including outpatient and in-home blood pressure monitoring during pregnancy and long-term follow-up afterward.  

“We have so much data,” said Dr. Jiricko. “We support more than 40,000 deliveries per year. It’s an exciting opportunity.” 

It’s all work that embodied the spirit of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health, which President Biden said at the event is intended to “fundamentally change and improve how we invest in women’s health.” For Dr. Jiricko, it was a reminder that the work she’s led and continues to lead at Intermountain really does make a difference. 

The Initiative is leading the way by allocating nearly $1 billion in funding from a variety of federal agencies to improve women’s health across the country.

“Every time I attend a national event like this, I appreciate Intermountain Health even more,” she said. “We’re doing great research, but we’re also operationalizing those best practices to deliver excellent care to our patients. Our focus on becoming a model health system brings it all together.” 

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Somehow, Santa Claus seems to always know what people want for Christmas.

For parents who have a baby in the neonatal ICU at the hospital during the holiday season, it can be sad to not be able to take their baby home to be with family, or bring the baby along to holiday parties, family traditions, or visit Santa at the mall.

Instead, Santa Claus made a special visit to see the tiny, newborn babies in the neonatal ICU at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray and posed for photos with each newborn on his lap.

Santa’s elves – who also happen to be neonatal nurses and hospital volunteers – spent time knitting caps for each baby to wear and as a keepsake for parents.

“It’s nice to have some normalcy from ‘outside’ when you have a baby in the neonatal ICU. It helps take your mind off the seriousness of it, even if for just a short time,” said Shamie Campbell, a parent coordinator in the newborn intensive care unit at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray.

Nurses at Intermountain Medical Center dressed up the babies in their knit caps and wrapped them up in blankets and bows to look like Christmas presents.

Another elf, who is a talented photographer, took photos of these precious newborn babies who need specialized hospital care because they were born prematurely or with complications.

“Parents are so grateful to get a picture of their baby to share on their Christmas cards or social media. I can't explain the cheer I see on parents’ faces when they watch the photoshoot and receive the photos,” said Campbell.

“With parents’ permission, we post the photos at the entrance of our neonatal ICU, and they brighten the day of everyone who walks past. You can’t help but smile, looking at their cute faces in their little Christmas hats,” said Alice Casper, RN, nurse manager of the neonatal ICU at Intermountain Medical Center.

“So far in 2024, we’ve had more than 3,000 babies born at Intermountain Medical Center and we’ve cared for 574 babies in our neonatal ICU,” added Casper.

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A raíz del aumento en la población de Wasatch Back, se han remodelado y expandido las instalaciones de la Intermountain Heber Valley Specialty Clinic para recibir a nuevos proveedores de los ámbitos de la otorrinolaringología, medicina del sueño y neurocirugía y mejorar el acceso de los proveedores actuales. Esto permite a muchos proveedores de especialidad atender a más pacientes durante más días de la semana y que los habitantes del condado de Wasatch tengan un mayor acceso a la atención médica especializada.

“Hemos triplicado el tamaño de nuestra clínica de especialidad”, comentó Si Hutt, presidente del Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital en la ceremonia de inauguración, el viernes 21 de junio. “Esto hace que sea más fácil proveer atención médica y es parte de una estrategia más amplia para mejorar el acceso a los especialistas y los servicios en Wasatch Back”.

El Dr. Nathan Joos, un cirujano especialista en otorrinolaringología, ahora podrá atender a sus pacientes en la Heber Clinic, además de los que atiende en Park City. Se especializa en una cirugía de implante para el síndrome de apnea del sueño relativamente nueva.  John Zachary, un asistente médico, podrá atender a pacientes en la clínica para realizarles un seguimiento del tratamiento con medicina del sueño de estudios del sueño que se estén realizando desde casa o en el Heber Valley Hospital.

El Dr. Josh Morgan, un cirujano general, forma parte de la clínica desde hace tres años, pero ahora tendrá una mayor disponibilidad para concertar citas. Los servicios de gastroenterología también ofrecerán una mayor disponibilidad ya que Charlotte Powers, una enfermera titulada, y Erin Kimball, una asistenta médica, comenzarán a trabajar junto a los gastroenterólogos Holly Clark y Don Brust. 

Un nuevo urólogo, el Dr. Richard Vanlangendonck, se unirá a Carol Leatherman, asistenta médica, en la clínica de especialidad este verano. La clínica está buscando un dermatólogo para trabajar a tiempo completo en la ciudad de Heber y que se una a los doctores Kevin Gardner y Timothy Michaelis. 

Los servicios de control del dolor que ayudan a pacientes con dolores crónicos también tendrán una mayor disponibilidad con el Dr. Josh Minori y los asistentes médicos Troy Johnson y Matt Tieman.  Se trasladarán de la clínica adherida al hospital al edificio sur de consultorios médicos, donde se encuentra la Intermountain Specialty Clinic.

Intermountain Heart también se trasladará a la nueva clínica de especialidad y aumentará su capacidad para realizar ecocardiogramas de estrés. Un cardiólogo adicional se unirá a los doctores Amanda Donohue y Armond LaPine a finales de este año. 

La Intermountain Specialty Clinic se encuentra en 380 E. 1500 South en Heber, UT en el campus del Heber Valley Hospital y puede comunicarse a través del número 435-657-4600. La información sobre los proveedores y servicios de la Intermountain Heber Valley Specialty Clinic se actualizará aquí.

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As the population of the Wasatch Back increases, the Intermountain Heber Valley Specialty Clinic building has been remodeled and expanded to make room for new providers in ear, nose and throat care, sleep medicine, and neurosurgery and improve access for existing providers. 

This allows several specialty providers to see more patients in clinic on more days of the week and increases access to specialized medical care closer to home for the residents of Wasatch County.

“We’ve tripled the size of our specialty clinic,” said Si Hutt, president of Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital, during a ribbon cutting event on Friday, June 21. “This makes care more convenient and is part of a larger strategy to improve access to specialists and services on the Wasatch Back.”

Nathan Joos, MD, an ear nose and throat surgeon will now see patients at the Heber Clinic in addition to already seeing patients in Park City. He performs a relatively new implant surgery solution for sleep apnea.

John Zachary, PA-C, will see patients in the clinic for sleep medicine follow up from home sleep studies or sleep studies performed at Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital.

Josh Morgan, MD, general surgeon, has practiced in the clinic for three years, but will now have more availability for appointments. Gastroenterology services will also expand clinic availability with Charlotte Powers, NP, and Erin Kimball, PA-C, working closely with gastrointestinal physicians, Holly Clark, MD, and Don Brust, MD.

 A new urologist, Richard Vanlangendonck, MD, will be joining Carol Leatherman, PA-C, at the Specialty Clinic later this summer. The clinic is currently recruiting for a dermatologist to work full-time in Heber City to join doctors, Kevin Gardner, MD, and Timothy Michaelis, MD.  

Pain management services that help patients with chronic pain will also increase their availability in Heber City with Josh Minori, MD, Troy Johnson PA-C, and Matt Tieman, PA-C.  They will move from the clinic attached to the hospital to the South Medical Office Building, where the Intermountain Specialty Clinic is located.

Intermountain Heart will also move to the new specialty clinic space and will expand its capability to do stress echocardiograms. An additional cardiologist plans to join doctors, Amanda Donohue, MD, and Armond LaPine, MD, later this year.  

The Intermountain Specialty Clinic is located at 380 E. 1500 South in Heber, UT on the campus of Intermountain Heber Valley Hospital and can be reached at 435-657-4600. 

More information about Intermountain Heber Valley Specialty Clinic services and providers will be updated here.

Photo credit: JGardiner Photography.

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