When 67-year-old Maureen Morgan considered scheduling a colon cancer screening last fall, she hesitated. She wasn’t eager to go through the preparation required for a colonoscopy, so she opted for an at home stool test instead.

That choice to be screened, she says, saved her life.

The test detected precancerous signs and led to a follow-up colonoscopy, where Intermountain Health doctors removed several small polyps. A larger one could not be removed in-office and required a larger procedure at Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital. While surgeons were able to remove most of the mass, pathology later confirmed it was cancer.

“Obviously, when the big one turned out to be cancer, that was very scary,” Morgan said. “It was hard for me to tell my children. They are my support system.”

Morgan was soon referred to Dr. Adam Bulter, chief and medical director of surgery at Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital. Imaging brought relief — the cancer had not spread, and surgery was scheduled.

Dr. Bulter performed the operation using a minimally invasive surgery using the latest robotic technology that allows surgeons to remove her appendix, 21 lymphnnodes, and three feet of her colon.

“Her story is a powerful reminder of why screening matters, especially during Colon Cancer Awareness Month,” Bulter said. “Finding cancer early gives us more options, including minimally invasive robotic surgery, which reduces trauma to the body and helps patients recover more quickly. Maureen truly benefited from that approach.”

Despite the extent of the operation, Morgan said the recovery was far easier than she imagined.

“I can’t really say it was horrible pain,” she said. “I only needed one oxycodone in the hospital. After that, it was just an over the counter pain reliever.”

A self-described workaholic, Morgan was back to working a few hours from home shortly after returning from the hospital and has since transitioned back to working in the office. She continues to regain stamina and takes regular walks with her daughter and their dogs.

Her family, she said, played a vital role in her healing.

“My older daughter camped out here for two weeks,” Morgan said. “She knows her mama will try to do things she shouldn’t do. They were amazing, making sure I took my medicine and was eating enough.”

Morgan says her care team also made a tremendous difference.

“Dr. Bulter was amazing. My caregivers in the hospital were great,” she said. “I feel very blessed. I thank my family and thank the Lord that I’m still here.”

As part of Colon Cancer Awareness Month, Morgan hopes her story encourages others not to delay screening. Current guidelines recommend beginning routine screening at age 45.

“Just get screened,” she said. “Do an at home test or go for the colonoscopy. That few hours of discomfort could be worth your life. Get tested early and act quickly. Don’t let it sit.”

Intermountain Health is innovating orthopedic surgery in Southern Utah, adding robotic assisted knee replacement surgeries, where computer data is tailored to each patient’s anatomy in preparation for the surgery.

This cutting-edge robotic assisted technology gives surgeons and patients another option for orthopedic surgeries.

Intermountain Health's Southwest Orthopedics/Sports Medicine Clinic in St. George, Utah, is the first in the region to offer VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Surgery for total knee replacements.

This new advanced surgery, introduced in St. George in November 2024, enables a more personalized, precise, and efficient knee replacement experience.

Orthopedic surgeons Robert Jamieson, MD, and Darin K. Allred, MD, were the first to use it complete more than 500 total replacements a year and more than 250 robotic assisted knee replacements to date.

“The key to this technology is it enhances the preparation and accuracy while also better customizing the care for each patient,” said Dr. Jamieson. "It allows us to really know the end from the beginning."

St. George resident Jay Sessions had the VELYS Robotic-Assisted surgery for his knee procedure in January 2025, and called the experience "pure joy".

Before the surgery, Sessions said his mobility was limited to the point where he would fall over, but since his procedure, he's felt no pain.

“Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty offers several significant benefits for patients undergoing joint replacement surgery," said Dr. Allred. “This advanced technology allows for enhanced precision during the procedure, enabling surgeons to plan and execute the operation with greater accuracy.”

The robot can identify minute differences in the patient’s knee and then assist the surgeons in aligning the implants more precisely to a patient’s unique anatomy, which can improve joint function and increase the longevity of the implant.

“Additionally, robotic assistance can result in smaller incisions, reduced soft tissue damage, and less post-operative pain,” said Dr. Allred. “These advantages often lead to quicker recovery times, shorter hospital stays, and better overall outcomes for patients.”

While the technology is a welcome addition to the orthopedic program, there are still surgeries being done with traditional means and those are discussed on a case by case scenario between patients and physicians.

Learn more about orthopedic needs and find providers at intermountainhealth.org. 

Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital in Miles City is now using a state-of-the-art surgical robot to assist with certain procedures and improve recovery times for patients. 

The Da Vinci XI robotic-assisted surgical system helps doctors with certain procedures by using only small incisions while still being able to make precise movements in the body.  

During these procedures, a specially-trained surgeon controls the movement of camera-equipped robotic equipment by using a console placed next to the operating table instead of physically performing the surgery with their hands.  

“From a patient perspective it results in less pain from surgery and allows for more precise work,” said Imudia Ehanire, MD, surgeon at Intermountain Health Holy Rosary Hospital.  “From the surgeon perspective it improves ergonomics of performing surgery, improves visualization and allows us do more precise work. Robotic surgery has been around for over a decade, and for these and many other reasons it is becoming more commonplace in hospitals across America.” 

The surgical robot can be used to assist with surgeries for gallbladder, appendix removal, hernia repair, and many others. Since May 9, six of these procedures have taken place with more scheduled in the future. 

Danikka Harrell of Miles City,  MT,  was the first to undergo a surgery using the new robot. She’s a nurse at the Verterans Adminsitration Hospital and had a hernia repaired, which was causing serious issues. 

“Working as a nurse there is a lot of bending and lifting and to be honest I don’t remember the last time I was able to go work comfortably,” said Harrell. “I was just so excited to know I had this kind of technology available to me and my recovery went better than I expected.” 

Harrell said one of the things she’s most excited about is getting back to playing volleyball pain free.  

For patients, the benefits of robotic-assisted surgery include fewer complications, reduced blood loss, less pain, and shorter hospital stays. Because the robotic technology allows the surgeon to operate less invasively, patients heal faster, and less noticeable scarring.  

In the future, physicians will use the surgical robot for additional procedures including gynecology. The decision whether or not to proceed with robotic-assisted surgery over a more traditional approach depends on the individual patient and the procedure required to treat their condition.

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