Desarom Teso MD, a vascular surgeon with Intermountain Health, knows that when patients come to see him, they may have life- or limb-saving decisions to make.

Dr. Teso is an expert in identifying and treating conditions affecting arteries, veins, and lymphatic vessels—the network responsible for circulating blood and fluids throughout the body to keep it functioning.

When something impedes that movement, Dr. Teso understands the potential gravity of the situation. His philosophy in those moments is to provide the right education and guidance so together he and his patients can make the best decisions.

“I strive to treat each patient as a family member and to guide them throughout their journey to healing,” Dr. Teso said.

This month Dr. Teso and Intermountain Health opened the Intermountain Health Lafayette Vascular Surgery Clinic. The clinic is located at 340 Exempla Circle in Lafayette on the campus of Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital. Previously, he worked at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, and at Columbia Network Vascular Surgery in Vancouver, Wash. 

Dr. Teso delivers comprehensive, high-quality care for individuals with arterial and venous disorders, including arterial occlusive disease, aneurysmal disease, varicose veins, vascular trauma, dialysis access, deep vein thrombosis, and leg swelling. 

The practice ensures prompt appointments, utilizes advanced diagnostic tools, and provides a complete range of treatment options from minimally invasive techniques to complex surgical procedures.

Dr. Teso, a fellowship-trained vascular surgeon with over 15 years of experience, serves as the program's site lead surgeon. His expertise includes limb preservation and complex aneurysm repair. Dr. Teso is fluent in both Lao and English.

Tej Singh, MD, Intermountain Health’s regional medical director for Vascular Services and Cardiovascular Services in Western Colorado, supports the program. Dr. Singh is dual board-certified in vascular and general surgery and focuses on carotid, aortic, and venous diseases.

The vascular clinic is fully staffed with specialized and mid-level caregivers, a vascular laboratory, operating room and endovascular suite, and advanced vascular and wound care services.

“This team just achieved Vascular Verification status at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, making it the first community-based hospital in America to receive verification by the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Vascular Surgery,” said Dr. Singh. “We are excited to expand our expertise and bring that same level of quality, service, and the esteemed reputation for excellent patient care to vascular patients on the Front Range.”

For more information about the Intermountain Health Lafayette Vascular Surgery Clinic, please call 303-272-0500.

Intermountain Cedar City Hospital invites the community to its first-ever Med Talk with Intermountain Cedar City Hospital, an informative and engaging health event designed to bring patients and medical professionals together.

The first event in the series takes place on Thursday, June 26, from 6-7 p.m. in the Northfield Classroom at Cedar City Hospital (1303 N. Main Street, Cedar City, Utah). 

Ryan Workman, MD, a member of the hospital's medical staff, will speak about the Intracept Ablation Procedure - a minimally invasive technique to treat chronic low back pain. 

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn how this innovative procedure can improve quality of life for those suffering from persistent back pain. The session will include a discussion of the science behind the procedure, its benefits, and who may be a candidate for the treatment. A Q&A session will follow.

Jamison Robinett, president of Intermountain Cedar City Hospital, emphasizes the significance of the event.

“We are very excited to launch this new speaking series, where members of our medical staff will share valuable insights on pertinent healthcare topics. We look forward to offering these educational opportunities to the community as part of our commitment to helping people live the healthiest lives possible by ensuring patients have access to the best possible care,” he said

This event underscores Intermountain Cedar City Hospital’s commitment to advancing healthcare education and providing patients with access to the latest medical treatments.

To RSVP, please fill out the information at the following link.  

Learn more about Intermountain Health at intermountainhealthcare.org. 

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Dos familias de Billings han desarrollado un lazo inesperado a través de los desafíos y triunfos al cuidar de sus niños pequeños con condiciones cardíacas graves.

Las familias Tallon y Schultz han navegado los sube y baja con el apoyo de Hugh Bigg, DO, un cardiólogo pediátrico del St. Vincent Regional Hospital de Intermountain Health.

Sus experiencias son una historia de resiliencia, amistad y de la importancia de tener el cuidado médico cerca de casa.

El hijo de Demi Tallon, Lenox, nació un mes antes de la fecha de parto sin complicaciones, pero a los 18 días de vida, dejó de respirar mientras ella lo tenía en brazos.

“Gracias a Dios, mi esposo estaba ahí conmigo, y llamó al 911”, dijo Tallon.

Llevaron a Lenox de urgencia al St. Vincent Regional Hospital de Intermountain donde tuvieron que revivirlo dos veces antes de ser transportado en un helicóptero médico a Denver. Fue allí donde los doctores lo diagnosticaron con coartación de la aorta, una condición en la que parte de la aorta se estrecha, restringiendo el flujo sanguíneo al cuerpo.

“Es como un arco que se contrajo, con lo que toda la sangre no estaba yendo al resto de su cuerpo”, dijo Tallon.

Lenox necesitó un procedimiento a corazón abierto para reparar este defecto que ponía en riesgo su vida.

Durante este periodo, Kayleen Schultz y su familia también habían estado lidiando con la grave condición cardíaca de su hija, Gabby.

Durante un examen prenatal, Gabby fue diagnosticada con síndrome hipoplásico de ventrículo izquierdo, una condición rara en la que el lado izquierdo del corazón no está desarrollado del todo, afectando así el flujo sanguíneo en el corazón y cuerpo.

Cuando salieron del consultorio del doctor ese día, no estaban seguros de que Gabby fuera a sobrevivir después de nacer. Después de consultar con el doctor Michael Gordon, MD, un especialista de medicina materno fetal en el hospital Sr. Vincent de Intermountain, aprendieron acerca de las tres cirugías que serían necesarias para que Gabby pudiera vivir.

Gabby pasó por su primera cirugía a corazón abierto cuando tenía tan solo 5 días de vida en Denver.

En un principio, la familia Schultz pasó 38 días en el hospital, pero tuvieron que volver en más ocasiones para los siguientes procedimientos. A los cinco meses, Gabby tuvo su segunda cirugía a corazón abierto. Fue entonces cuando las familias Schultz y Tallon conectaron.

El esposo de Demi, Zach, conocía a Shultz del instituto y eran amigos a través de las redes sociales.

“Él estaba al tanto de la condición cardíaca de Gabby porque yo había compartido mucho en cuanto a esto, así que él se puso en contacto conmigo enseguida cuando estaban de camino a Denver”, dijo Schultz.

Las experiencias que tuvieron en común crearon lazos profundos, proporcionando así apoyo emocional y entendimiento durante algunos de los momentos más difíciles de sus vidas.

“Fue bueno habernos conocido antes y tener cosas en común. Eso brinda consuelo”, dijo Schultz.

Después de volver de Billings, ambas familias tuvieron que navegar el cuidado médico especializado para sus bebés durante el proceso de recuperación y sanación. Conocieron al Dr. Bigg, cuya pericia y cuidado compasivo habían sido clave en el tratamiento continuo de sus niños.

Ambas madres enfatizaron la importancia de tener cuidados médicos especializados cerca de casa. Tallon compartió su preocupación al salir de Denver, pero también se sintió aliviada al saber que tenían disponibles cuidados médicos de alto nivel cerca de casa. “Fue intimidante volver de Denver”, dijo Tallon. “Pero el Dr. Bigg ha sido una gran bendición. Ha sido maravilloso trabajar con él”.

Shultz comparte un sentimiento similar, diciendo que la pericia del Dr. Biggs ha sido una respuesta a sus oraciones.

“Teniendo en cuenta la seriedad de la condición que tiene Gabby, no hubiéramos podido estar en Billings si el Dr. Bigg no estuviera allí”, dijo Schulz.

Schultz compartió una experiencia particularmente angustiosa. “En agosto él le salvó la vida a Gabby”, dijo. “Ella había tenido una muy mala reacción a uno de sus medicamentos. Él le realizó un electrocardiograma y enseguida identificó el problema”.

Las familias Tallon y Shultz han encontrado fortaleza en sus experiencias compartidas y en el apoyo de su comunidad. “Kayleen es ahora una de mis buenas amigas, y conectamos a través de nuestros bebés”, dijo Tallon. “Ella ha sido una gran bendición en mi vida”.

También están involucrados en la organización Montana Bravehearts, una organización sin fines de lucro que apoya a familias que están lidiando con defectos cardíacos congénitos. El Dr. Bigg también sirve como miembro de la junta de la organización.

A medida que continúan con sus experiencias, las familias Tallon y Schultz se mantienen agradecidas por el cuidado y apoyo recibidos, sabiendo que no están solos, con amigos y profesionales médicos en ambos lados.

La St. Vincent Regional Hospital Foundation de Intermountain, llevó a cabo su onceavo evento “Call for Kids Mediathon” el 9 de abril para apoyar a las familias de la región y a pacientes como Gabby y Lenox. Hubo una recaudación de fondos a beneficio de los servicios para niños en St. Vincent, base de la única unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos y del programa de cirugía pediátrica del área este de Montana.

“Las donaciones recibidas a través del evento Call for Kids Mediathon ayudan a hacer posible que St. Vincent brinde a nuestros pacientes pediátricos un cuidado continuo, el cual es incomparable en nuestra región”, dijo Tyler Wiltgen, director ejecutivo de St. Vincent Foundation. “El apoyo filantrópico para nuestros programas pediátricos marca una diferencia en las vidas de nuestros pacientes más vulnerables y sus familias, y es una manera en la que cumplimos con nuestra misión”.

Las donaciones aseguran que los pacientes más frágiles y jóvenes tengan acceso a la mejor tecnología, programas e instalaciones para sanar cerca de casa.

Las donaciones también se pueden hacer en línea en svhkids.org.

Tres hospitales de Intermountain Health están clasificados entre los 50 mejores hospitales cardíacos del país para 2025, según un nuevo estudio nacional de hospitales cardíacos en Estados Unidos. 

Premier Inc. publicó su estudio anual y clasificaciones de los 50 mejores hospitales cardiovasculares del país para 2025. Intermountain Medical Center en Murray, Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital en Ogden e Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital están entre los 50 hospitales con mejor desempeño en cuanto a calidad de atención, resultados y experiencia del paciente, entre otros criterios. 

Según el estudio, si los hospitales de todo el país tuvieran calificaciones semejantes a los que figuran en la lista de los 50 mejores, podría significar 14,000 (catorce mil) muertes menos, 28,600 (veintiocho mil seiscientos) pacientes menos de derivación y angioplastia que sufren complicaciones y ahorrar más de 1.5 billones de dólares en costos de hospitalización en 2025. 

“Tener tres hospitales de Intermountain Health en esta lista demuestra el enfoque que tenemos en todo el sistema para brindar la mejor atención cardiovascular a los pacientes de todas las comunidades a las que prestamos servicios”, afirmó el Dr. Blake Gardner, director médico sénior del programa cardíaco y vascular de Intermountain Health. 

Las clasificaciones de los hospitales se dividen en tres categorías: Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital ocupa el primer lugar en la nación entre los hospitales docentes sin contar con un programa de residencia cardiovascular, Intermountain Medical Center ocupa el tercer lugar entre los hospitales con un programa de residencia cardiovascular e Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital ocupa el cuarto lugar entre los hospitales comunitarios. 

“Al contar con estos programas de primera categoría en hospitales de todo el estado, los pacientes no tienen que viajar lejos para recibir la mejor atención cardíaca posible”, agregó el Dr. Gardner. 

El estudio de Premier, una empresa de mejora de la atención médica que ha estudiado y clasificado los mejores hospitales cardiovasculares de Estados Unidos desde 1998, utiliza datos disponibles al público para evaluar anualmente los indicadores de rendimiento, incluida la experiencia del paciente, la mortalidad y las complicaciones de los pacientes internados, las readmisiones y la mortalidad a los 30 días, la duración promedio de la internación y el costo por caso. 

“Estoy muy orgulloso del personal cardiovascular de McKay-Dee Hospital, que son responsables de lograr este increíble hito y que atienden tan bien a nuestros pacientes y a la comunidad”, afirmó el Dr. Eric Lindley, director de cardiología y presidente del personal médico de Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital. “Al innovar teniendo en cuenta a los pacientes, abordamos uno de los mayores problemas de salud que enfrenta nuestra comunidad”. 

Intermountain Health participa en investigaciones cardíacas pioneras y en varios programas clínicos innovadores que mejoran la salud y atención cardíaca de los pacientes. 

“Nos esforzamos constantemente por ayudar a nuestros pacientes desarrollando nuevos tratamientos y participando en investigaciones avanzadas para ayudarlos a vivir la vida más saludable posible”, afirmó el Dr. Stephen McKellar, cirujano cardiotorácico y director médico del programa cardíaco y vascular de Intermountain Medical Center. “Es gratificante para nuestro equipo, y especialmente significativo para nuestros pacientes, que la dedicación de nuestro personal sea reconocida a nivel nacional”. 

Para ver la lista completa de los 50 mejores hospitales cardiovasculares de Premier para 2025, haga clic aquí. 
 

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Three Intermountain Health hospitals are ranked among the Top 50 heart hospitals in the nation for 2025, according to a new national study of heart hospitals in America.

Premier Inc. released its annual study and rankings of the nation’s Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2025, and Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, and Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, are ranked as Top 50 performing hospitals for quality of care, outcomes, and patient experience, among other criteria.

According to the study, if hospitals around the country had similar marks to those making the Top 50 list, it could mean 14,000 fewer deaths, 28,600 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients suffering complications, and save more than $1.5 billion for inpatient costs in 2025.

“Having three Intermountain Health hospitals on this list shows our systemwide focus on providing the very best cardiovascular care to patients throughout the communities that we serve,” said Blake Gardner, MD, senior medical director of the heart and vascular program at Intermountain Health.

The rankings for hospitals are divided into three categories with Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital ranked first in the nation among teaching hospitals without a cardiovascular residency program, Intermountain Medical Center ranked third for hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program, and Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital ranked fourth among community hospitals.

“By having these top-rated programs at hospitals across our state means patients don’t have to travel far to get the best heart care possible,” Dr. Gardner added.

The study by Premier, which is a health care improvement company that has been studying and ranking America’s best cardiovascular hospitals since 1998, uses publicly available data to annually assess performance indicators including patient experience, inpatient mortality, and complications, 30-day mortality and readmissions, and average length of stay and cost per case.

“I’m so proud of the cardiovascular caregivers at McKay-Dee Hospital who are responsible for achieving this incredible milestone and who serve our patients and community so well,” said Eric Lindley, MD, chair of cardiology and medical staff president at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital. “By innovating with patients in mind we are helping tackle one of the biggest health issues facing our community.”

Intermountain Health participates in pioneering heart research and is involved in several innovative clinical programs that improve cardiac health and heart care for patients.

“We constantly strive to help our patients by developing new treatments and participating in advanced research to help them live the healthiest lives possible,” said Stephen McKellar, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and medical director of the heart and vascular program at Intermountain Medical Center. “It’s gratifying for our team – and especially meaningful for our patients – that the dedication of our caregivers is being recognized on a national level.”

To see Premier’s full list of Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2025, click here. 

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Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden is ranked as the #1 teaching heart hospital in the nation without a cardiovascular residency program for 2025, according to a new national study of heart hospitals in America.

Premier Inc. released its annual list of the nation’s Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals, and Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital is not only ranked #1 for teaching hospitals without a cardiovascular residency program, but one of the Top 50 heart hospitals in America.

The study by Premier, which is a health care improvement company that has been studying and ranking America’s best cardiovascular hospitals since 1998, uses publicly available data to annually assess performance indicators including patient experience, inpatient mortality, and complications, 30-day mortality and readmissions, and average length of stay and cost per case.

If hospitals around the country had similar metrics to those that made the Top 50 list – including those at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital – it could mean 14,000 fewer deaths, 28,600 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients suffering complications, and save more than $1.5 billion for inpatient costs, according to the study.

Two other Intermountain Health hospitals were also ranked by Premier as Top 50 hospitals, including Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, which ranked third for hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program, and Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, which ranked fourth among community hospitals.

I’m so proud of the cardiovascular caregivers at McKay-Dee Hospital who are responsible for achieving this incredible milestone and who serve our patients and community so well,” said Eric Lindley, MD, chair of cardiology and medical staff president at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital. “By innovating with patients in mind we are helping tackle one of the biggest health issues facing our community.”

Intermountain Health participates in pioneering heart research and is involved in several innovative clinical programs that improve cardiac health and heart care for patients.

“Having three Intermountain Health hospitals on this list shows our systemwide focus on providing the very best cardiovascular care to patients throughout the communities that we serve,” said Blake Gardner, MD, senior medical director of the heart and vascular program at Intermountain Health.

“By having these top-rated programs at hospitals across our state means patients don’t have to travel far to get the best heart care possible, including patients in Ogden and Northern Utah,” he added.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

“Finding new ways to improve heart health is key to better outcomes for patients,” said Dr. Gardner. “I’m really proud to see the dedication of our cardiovascular caregivers at McKay-Dee Hospital and our other hospitals being recognized on a national level.”

To see Premier’s full list of Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals for 2025, click here.

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A Salt Lake man, who is a veteran runner and marathoner, is thankful to be alive after suffering cardiac arrest at the St. George Marathon on Oct. 5. 

Dan Sorensen, 60, has run many marathons himself, but this time he and his son were there just to support and encourage friends during the last few miles of the St. George Marathon. 

At mile 23, Dan and his son, Oliver Sorensen began running alongside their friend for a short time when Dan suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground. His son turned him over and found his dad unresponsive, his heart had stopped, and he had injuries to his face and knees. 

Almost immediately, two Intermountain caregivers, Mike Henstrom, MD, an emergency medicine physician, at Intermountain Medical Center, and Julie Street, RN, nurse manager of the Intermountain Saratoga Springs emergency department, who were running in the marathon behind them, arrived upon the scene and jumped into action along with Katie Bradshaw Smith, RN, an emergency room nurse with MountainStar St. Mark’s Hospital who was also running in the marathon. 

All of them relied on their CPR training. They provided CPR and medical support before the EMT ambulance crew arrived roughly eight minutes later, as the ambulance was nearby at the racecourse on standby to respond to any medical issues. 

Dan and his family reunited with these caregivers on Tuesday at Intermountain Medical Center, for the first time since the incident. 

“I didn’t think he was going to make it. It’s great to see him standing upright,” said Julie Street. “It’s so important to know how to do the basics of CPR that people can do until emergency crews and equipment arrive.” 

“This kind of event drives home the importance of not only knowing CPR, but being able to start it promptly and have the confidence to do it effectively. Time equals brain. The faster you can get a person’s heart and lungs going, the better off the person will be,” said Dr. Henstrom. 

Dr. Henstrom’s wife, Stephanie who ran the half marathon also assisted at the scene, as well as Brian Hales, MD, a retired anesthesiologist who ran the half marathon, and an unknown volunteer. 

Dan was then transported in an ambulance to Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital with his wife, Jana, at his side. 

That first day in the hospital, he wasn’t talking or responding at all and his six children all gathered in the hospital, including a daughter who flew in from out of state, fearing he might not make it. 

He was hospitalized for five days. He does not remember much of what happened there. A physician told the family, that most people who experience this type of cardiac arrest do not survive, unless it occurs inside a hospital. 

After he was stabilized at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, Dan was transported to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray where he underwent quadruple bypass surgery by cardiothoracic heart surgeon, William Caine, MD. He was in the hospital several days afterward. He is now home recuperating and doing well, sense of humor intact. 

Dan and his family are forever grateful for those medical professionals who assisted on the scene. 

“It really was just so unbelievable that these people were all there in that moment when I had stopped breathing,” said Dan. 

“There are compassionate people and then there are skilled, compassionate people. It’s an interesting perspective to be the guy that was down on the road, and for people who were there to run a race, to sacrifice their time and use their medical skills during what were very critical moments for me. They gave me the chance to keep living. That’s pretty telling of the kind of people they are,” he added. 


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Using an innovative risk score assessment score, heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City say they can accurately predict whether patients being assessed for kidney transplant will likely have a future major cardiac event, like a heart attack or stroke, according to a new study.

Intermountain Health clinicians regularly review patient data through their electronic health system to determine who may have heart disease without knowing it. Now, in a major new study, Intermountain heart researchers found that using their Intermountain Risk Score (IMRS) they could also accurately predict whether patients being assessed for kidney transplant would have a major cardiac event, like a heart attack or stroke.  

“This study demonstrates that we could adapt our already existing risk score guide to help identify which of these patients might also be at risk for having a heart event, which could lead to better and more personalized treatment,” said Benjamin Horne, PhD, director of cardiovascular and genetic epidemiology at the Intermountain Health.  

Findings from the new study will be presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago on Sunday, November 17, 2024.

The Intermountain Risk Score is a well-validated, sex-specific risk prediction tool that includes factors like age and results from complete blood count and basic metabolic profile testing to predict the risk of major cardiovascular events and death.

These scores are assessed automatically based on information input into electronic health records. If a patient has a high score, their care team is alerted. 

In the Intermountain study, researchers looked specifically at the accuracy of the IMRS for patients being considered for kidney transplant.

They identified patients who were assessed for transplant surgery at Intermountain Health between June 2015 and April 2024 and found 891 patients. 200 patients did not have all of the laboratory tests needed to calculate an IMRS, so they were excluded from the next step in the study.

That left 691 patients with enough information to retroactively calculate IMRS.

Intermountain researchers found that these patients were on average 55.9 years old, and 34.3% were women.

Of those 691 patients, 171 experienced a major cardiac event over a five-year follow-up period. Researchers found that IMRS was effective in predicting these outcomes, showing the potential use of calculating such a score in people being evaluated for kidney transplant.

The score can be “a really valuable piece of information, but some of these patients were missing lab tests that would have enabled us to calculate it,” said Dr. Horne, referring to the 200 people in this retrospective study who did not have enough laboratory tests to be included. 

“This is the first step in assessing if we can make a risk score specifically keyed to the risk of people who are going to have a rental transplant, and make sure we collected all the appropriate data so we can do so,” he said.

Next steps include validating the risk score in another patient population, determining whether modifying the risk score by adding data routinely collected in kidney patients improves its ability to assess risk for kidney transplant patients, and then conducting a prospective clinical trial of using the risk score in modifying clinical care processes to determine whether personalized care improves patient outcomes.

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Heart patients in Northern Utah who are experiencing symptoms of heart failure now have access to a minimally invasive life-saving heart procedure that is not only improving lives of patients but saving them.

Cardiologists at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden are now performing a procedure where they place a tiny clip in the heart to repair a leaky mitral valve that significantly decreases the risk of heart failure patients from having to return to the hospital for more care or even dying.

The mitral valve is one of four valves in the heart that keep blood flowing in the right direction. Each valve has flaps, called leaflets, that open and close once during each heartbeat. If a valve doesn't open or close properly, blood flow through the heart to the body can be reduced, according to Eric Lindley, MD, cardiologist and medical director of cardiovascular services at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital.

“This is a terrific treatment option for patients who are experiencing this issue,” said Dr. Lindley. “We’re really proud to be able to offer this treatment for patients living in Northern Utah so they can get the best care close to home.”

In studies previously done at Intermountain Health and other major heart centers across the country, researchers have found that the MitraClip device reduces risk for hospitalization by half and deaths by nearly 40 percent, while significantly improving the quality of life of patients with secondary mitral regurgitation – an after-effect of heart failure – whose prognosis is typically poor without treatment.

The MitraClip is a tiny device that is attached to the mitral valve in the heart that repairs the leaking valve. In patients with this condition, the mitral valve has been deformed by the effects of heart failure, which leads to leaks that make the heart work harder to move blood through the body.

Unlike surgery, the MitraClip procedure does not require opening the chest surgically and temporarily stopping the heart, so it’s considered a minimally invasive procedure, said Dr. Lindley.

Instead, interventional cardiologists access the mitral valve through a catheter – a small tube that is guided through a vein in the groin to the heart.  The MitraClip itself is smaller than a dime, which allows it to be placed via catheter. It’s then maneuvered in place – right above the malfunctioning mitral valve.

With ultrasound guidance, the MitraClip is positioned so it can grab the two leaflets of the valve and pull them together. Once that happens, the sides of the valve can open and close normally. This helps to restore normal blood flow through your heart.

About half of people who develop heart failure die within five years of diagnosis, according to the American Heart Association. For those with secondary mitral regurgitation, blood doesn’t flow properly though their bodies, which can plummet their quality of life. The MitraClip procedure is an effective and minimally invasive solution to the problem.

In severe mitral valve regurgitation, the heart must work harder to pump enough blood to the body.  The extra effort causes the left lower heart chamber to get bigger. Untreated, the heart muscle becomes weak. This can cause heart failure.

About half of people who develop heart failure die within five years of diagnosis, according to the American Heart Association.

For those with secondary mitral regurgitation, blood doesn’t flow properly though their bodies, which can plummet their quality of life. The MitraClip procedure is an effective and minimally invasive solution to the problem.

For more information about the MitraClip procedure at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital, call 801-387-3400.

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“Receiving this award will continue to build awareness within our community that Intermountain is here,” said Pierce. “It’s an honor to be recognized for the hard work that goes into the daily operations of this medical clinic. We are a small clinic, but we are growing quickly and have been adaptable to that momentum in order to meet the needs of our patients. Our focus is building a trusting relationship with our patients by showing the patients we care about their entire health, and that our growing resources, especially in St. George, provide opportunities for the best coordination of care.”

Intermountain was presented with a beautiful, engraved crystal plaque at the luncheon as well as included in the Mesquite Chamber’s social media posts and featured on the front page of its website. Intermountain also received a hand-signed certificate of recognition from Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office.

Primary Mesquite Chamber of Commerce membership holders are asked to nominate a member in each category including “Health Provider of the Year.” After the nomination process, a voting ballot is sent to the primary contact for the Chamber membership. The primary person on the membership is asked to cast a vote in each of the categories. Intermountain received the most votes in the category of 2022 “Heath Provider of the Year.” Only members of the Mesquite Chamber in good standing are able to participate in this annual awards recognition, and the voting is not open to the general public.

“We opened our clinic doors years ago because we recognized a tremendous need in the Mesquite community for local and holistic primary care,” said Karim Kaissi, Intermountain Health Desert Region COO for Ambulatory Care and Nevada Medical Group President. “This award is a wonderful affirmation of what we already knew about our caregivers in Mesquite. It is a celebration of their passion and continued commitment to this community.”

The Virgin Valley myGeneration Senior Clinic has three providers and has many of the same offerings as other myGeneration clinics including same-day appointments for patients and Quest lab services. Additionally, the clinic hosts Intermountain cardiology and vascular specialists based in St. George – and collaboration that has allowed these specialists to care for patients in Mesquite over the past year.

Other nominees who were up for the Mesquite Chamber’s “Health Provider of the Year” award included Virgin Valley Dental, Desert Sky Medical, Deep Roots Harvest and Mesa View Regional Hospital.