Surrounded by community leaders and former and current Intermountain Health presidents, Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital unveiled new permanent displays Thursday that bring the region's medical history to life. 
 

The exhibits showcase historic medical instruments, physician keepsakes, and preserved artifacts from those who helped shape healthcare in Washington County.  

The new displays are located on the hospital's main floor and include historical artifacts that trace the evolution of care in the region over the past 100 years. 

Natalie Ashby, president at Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital helped unveil the displays with three previous presidents: Mitch Cloward, Terri Kane, and Steve Wilson. 

Ashby said it was an honor to have them together as their vision helped bring the hospital to where it is today. 

“I stand on the shoulders of giants. I am so thankful for what they did,” said Ashby. “We’ve all been blessed, and I know each of them in their tenure had unique challenges. Since I have sat in this chair, each one of them has given me advice, counsel, and shared stories. I can never repay that.” 

The displays include a vintage wheelchair, a preserved nursing uniform, surgical tools, and notes featuring quotes and historical lessons.  

Returning the historical items back to the hospital required time, persistence, and community effort. Some were even discovered by sure luck when community members found them collecting dust in a home garage. 

They reached out Terri Draper, a longtime caregiver at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. 

Draper decided to make it a mission to start collecting more memorabilia and historical items.  

Draper, who retired from Intermountain Health in January, was able to work with team members to get them permanently preserved and now on display for the public. 

The origins of healthcare and Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital date back to 1913, when Washington County Hospital first opened their doors to the community. 

Several iterations of the hospital would come as the surrounding area grew. In 1975, the hospital was part of 15 hospitals system operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

The Church donated all the hospitals in Utah, and turned over operations, to the new Intermountain Healthcare system. 

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to fully appreciate how difficult it was for those first pioneer families to make a settlement in this desert community. That would have been 1860, back before air conditioning and ice cubes,” said Steve Wilson, former president at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “I appreciate progress. It doesn’t happen easily; it doesn’t happen simply.” 

Now, Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital has a wide, extensive campus located on River Road in St. George. 

Plaques honoring each version of the hospital were created several years ago along the first-floor hallway. The new historical artifact displays are now in place in the same area – creating a gallery dedicated to honor important history.       

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The New Year began with joy and celebration at Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital, where Utah’s first baby of 2026 was born. 

At 12:09 am on January 1, Valley Zohner made her grand entrance into the world. Her delighted parents, Kenedi and Zach, are thrilled to welcome their precious daughter to their family.

The Zohners live in Cedar City but chose to deliver at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital because their OBGYN works there. They had been anticipating the baby's arrival, and wanted to be prepared, so they had been staying Christmas week with family in St. George.

The plan was to arrive on New Year’s Eve to start her inducement, only to be surprised to find that she was already mid-labor when she arrived for her appointment. Kenedi said she  just was not feeling the contractions. With no inducement needed, the baby was near her arrival.

"This delivery was very easy and went very well. Baby came very fast and easy compared to my last baby,” said Kenedi Zohner. “All of the nurses have been nice, and lovely. They are great at their jobs.”

Valley weighed 6 pounds,1 ounce, and measured  20.5 inches long.

In 2025, there were 2,753 babies born at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.

The new parents received a prize basket from Intermountain Health to celebrate the New Year's birth which included generous donations from Utah-based baby product vendors: Minky Couture; Loulou and Company; and Over the Moon.

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The RESEP (Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program) clinic at Intermountain  St. George Regional Hospital will be holding public informational meetings in several Utah cities on October 13, 16, 17, and 18, 2025. 

These meetings are to inform the public about the reinstatement and expansion of the RECA program and what areas now qualify.

The public is invited to attend abd receive information regarding what new areas now qualify to apply for the RECA compensation as well as the new increased compensation amount. 

If people have called asking for an application to be sent and they have not been able to call you back, applications will be available.

 Unfortunately, for those who have already been compensated by the RECA program, the law does not allow them to apply for any additional money.

The term “Downwinder” is used to describe people who were exposed to radioactive fallout in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, Idaho and New Mexico during the nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site. 

Local residents, and their families, are encouraged to come have their questions answered about the program.

Meetings will be held at the following dates and sites:

 For additional questions, please call 435-251-4760. 

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El Centro Estadounidense de Acreditación de Enfermeras (ANCC, por sus siglas en inglés) reconoció al St. George Regional Hospital de Intermountain Health como institución Magnet, el más alto honor en excelencia en enfermería como reconocimiento por su destacada seguridad e innovadora atención para pacientes.

El Programa de Reconocimiento Magnet nombra a organizaciones de todo el mundo en las que los líderes de enfermería alinean de manera exitosa las metas estratégicas de enfermería para mejorar los resultados de los pacientes de la organización.

Las instalaciones Magnet cumplen rigurosos estándares de excelencia en enfermería y se las reconoce por tener las tasas más bajas de mortalidad, las estadías más cortas y una mayor satisfacción de los pacientes y del personal. Se reconoció al St. George Regional Hospital por el alto nivel de compromiso del personal de enfermería y las puntuaciones de calidad en la atención de los pacientes internados.

“Obtener el estado Magnet requiere visión y dedicación”, afirmó Natlie Ashby, presidenta del St. George Regional Hospital.  “Estoy encantada de que nuestro personal de enfermería del St. George Regional Hospital haya obtenido este prestigioso nombramiento. Su arduo trabajo y compasión son realmente admirables y estoy extremadamente agradecida por la atención excepcional que brindan a nuestra comunidad todos los días”.

El estado Magnet es importante tanto para los cuidadores como para el personal de enfermería. El reconocimiento Magnet significa capacitación y desarrollo en todas las etapas de la carrera profesional, lo que deriva en una mayor autonomía en la atención al paciente. Para los pacientes, significa la garantía de recibir la mejor atención, que el personal de enfermería presta gracias al apoyo necesario para brindar lo mejor.

“Estamos muy orgullosos de que el St. George Regional Hospital haya obtenido el nombramiento Magnet, un honor que refleja los más altos estándares de excelencia clínica, compromiso de los cuidadores y atención compasiva”, indicó Mandy Richards, doctora en enfermería (DNP, por sus siglas en inglés), enfermera registrada (RN, por sus siglas en inglés), directora ejecutiva de enfermería de Intermountain Health. “Este reconocimiento importante es una prueba del estupendo trabajo que nuestro personal de enfermería realiza todos los días para cuidar a nuestros pacientes y comunidades. Estamos sumamente agradecidos por la dedicación, la habilidad y los resultados excepcionales que ayudan a conseguir”.

Aproximadamente el 10 % de los hospitales de todo el país logran alcanzar este nombramiento. Este es el tercer hospital de Utah en recibir el estado Magnet, el segundo hospital de Intermountain después del Primary Children’s Hospital de Intermountain Health y el séptimo hospital de Intermountain en total.

“El reconocimiento Magnet refleja los estándares y las prácticas excepcionales que mantiene nuestro equipo de enfermería”, afirmó Reuben Evans, director de enfermería del St. George Regional Hospital. “Es motivo de orgullo para nosotros, ya que destaca la atención compasiva e innovadora que presta nuestro personal de enfermería todos los días. Además, es un honor formar parte de este distinguido grupo de proveedores de atención médica”.

La Academia Estadounidense de Enfermería (American Academy of Nursing) desarrolló el Programa de Reconocimiento Magnet para destacar a los hospitales que fueron capaces de atraer y retener a los mejores profesionales de enfermería.

Las instituciones Magnet demuestran excelencia en cinco áreas:

• Liderazgo transformador
• Empoderamiento estructural
• Práctica profesional ejemplar
• Nuevos conocimientos, innovaciones y mejoras
• Resultados empíricos

En el informe del ANCC se señaló que los cuidadores del St. George Regional Hospital obtuvieron resultados superiores en distintas áreas, incluida la baja incidencia de infecciones de las vías urinarias, infecciones del torrente sanguíneo y errores quirúrgicos, entre otras.

Puede obtener más información sobre el St. George Regional Hospital en intermountainhealth.org. 

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Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital has been recognized as a Magnet Facility^® by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) – the highest honor internationally for nursing excellence and recognition of its outstanding safety and innovative care for patients.

The Magnet Recognition Program designates organizations worldwide where nursing leaders successfully align their nursing strategic goals to improve the organization’s patient outcomes. This also includes interprofessional teams, as well.

Magnet facilities meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence and are recognized because they have lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay, and increased patient and staff satisfaction. 

Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital was also recognized for having high nurse engagement and inpatient quality scores.

"Achieving Magnet Designation requires vision and dedication,” said Natalie Ashby, president of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital.  “I am thrilled our nurses at St. George Regional Hospital have earned this prestigious designation. Their hard work and compassion are truly commendable, and I am profoundly grateful for the exceptional care they provide to our community every day."

The Magnet designation is important for the caregivers as for nurses. Magnet Recognition means education and development through every career stage, which leads to greater autonomy at the bedside. To patients, it means the assurance of the very best care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the very best that they can be.

“We are incredibly proud that Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital has earned Magnet Designation – an honor that reflects the highest standards of clinical excellence, caregiver engagement, and compassionate care,” said Mandy Richards, DNP, RN, chief nursing executive for Intermountain Health. “This important recognition is a testament to the extraordinary work our nurses do every day to care for our patients and communities. We are deeply grateful for their dedication, skill, and the exceptional outcomes they help make possible.”

Approximately 10 percent of the hospitals globally achieve the designation. This is the third hospital in Utah to receive Magnet Designation, the second Intermountain hospital after Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital, and the seventh overall Intermountain Hospital.

"Magnet Recognition reflects the exceptional standards and practices upheld by our nursing team,” said Reuben Evans, chief nursing officer for Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “It is a proud moment for us, as it highlights the compassionate and innovative care our nurses deliver every day. We are honored to be part of this distinguished group of healthcare providers."

The Magnet Recognition Program^® was developed by the American Academy of Nursing to highlight hospitals that could attract and retain top nursing professionals.

Magnet facilities demonstrate excellence in five areas:

• Transformational Leadership
• Structural Empowerment
• Exemplary Professional Practice
• New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements
• Empirical Outcomes

The ANCC report noted that St. George Regional Hospital’s caregivers outperformed in several areas, including low urinary tract infections, blood stream infections, low surgical errors, among others.

Learn more about Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital at intermountainhealth.org. 

La clínica de Compensación por Exposición a la Radiación y Programa educativo (RESEP, por sus siglas en inglés) del St. George Regional Hospital realizará reuniones informativas públicas en varias ciudades del sur de Utah los días 27 y 28 de junio de 2025. Estas reuniones tienen el propósito de informar al público sobre el estado del programa de Compensación por Exposición a la Radiación (RECA, por sus siglas en inglés) y los proyectos de ley pendientes que han sido presentados al Congreso.

Al año de la expiración de RECA, acuda a recibir información sobre la situación del programa y los posibles proyectos de ley para conseguir su reincorporación o ampliación. Le brindarán información general sobre la historia del RECA y sobre lo que el Congreso está haciendo para su reincorporación. Si usted o alguien que conoce tiene cáncer y hubiera calificado para el RECA antes del vencimiento, venga y brinde su información de contacto con el fin de que la clínica de Downwinder pueda contactarse con usted cuando la ley RECA sea aprobada y acepte solicitudes de nuevo.

El término “Downwinder” se utiliza para describir a las más de 60,000 (sesenta mil) personas que estuvieron expuestas a la lluvia radiactiva en Arizona, Nevada y Utah durante las pruebas nucleares en el sitio de pruebas de Nevada.  Se recomienda a los residentes locales y a sus familias que vayan a obtener respuestas sobre el programa y su estado.

Las reuniones se realizarán en las siguientes fechas y lugares:

  Viernes 27 de junio de 2025   en la Biblioteca Pública de Kanab, 374 North Main Street, de 1:00 a 2:00 p. m.

  Viernes 27 de junio de 2025   en la Oficina municipal de Panguitch, 25 South 200 East de 4:00 a 5:00 p. m.

  Sábado 28 de junio de 2025,   Richfield, Snow College Admin Rm 147 A&D, de 10:00 a 11:00 a. m.

  Sábado 28 de junio de 2025   Salina, North Sevier Recreation Center, 373 W. 400 N, 2:00 a 3:00 p. m.

Si tiene preguntas, comuníquese al 435-251-4760.

EL DISTANCIAMIENTO SOCIAL Y LA MASCARILLA SON OPCIONALES

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The RESEP (Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program) Clinic at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital is holding public informational meetings in several southern Utah cities on June 27 and 28. 

These meetings are to inform the public about the status of the RECA program and pending bills that have been submitted to Congress.

At the one-year anniversary of the expiration of RECA, come receive information regarding the program’s status and possible bills to get it reinstated or expanded. They will give general information about the history of RECA and what Congress is currently doing to try to get it reinstated. 

If you or someone you know has cancer and would have qualified for RECA before the expiration, please come and give your contact information so that the Downwinder’s Clinic can contact you when the RECA law is passed and again taking applications.

The term “Downwinder” is used to describe the more than 60,000 people who were exposed to radioactive fallout in Arizona, Nevada and Utah during the nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site.  Local residents, and their families, are encouraged to come have their questions answered about the program and its status.

Meetings will be held at the following dates and sites:

  • Friday, June 27, 2025   Kanab Public Library, 374 North Main Street, 1-2 pm

 •  Friday, June 27, 2025   Panguitch City Office, 25 South 200 East, 4-5 pm

  • Saturday, June 28, 2025   Richfield, Snow College Admin Rm 147 A&D, 10-11 am

  • Saturday, June 28, 2025   Salina, North Sevier Recreation Center, 373 W. 400 N, 2-3 pm

For questions, please call 435-251-4760. Social distancing and masks are optional. 

El viernes los líderes y profesionales de la salud de Intermountain Health llevaron a cabo una ceremonia especial de inicio de construcción de las instalaciones más nuevas del sistema de salud en el suroeste de Utah, la Desert Color Parkway Clinic - Primary Care, la cual aumentará el acceso a servicios médicos fundamentales para los residentes del área.

Rodeados de líderes del estado y del condado, los participantes utilizaron unas palas ceremoniales para dar la primera palada de la nueva expansión de atención médica en el sur de Washington County.

La nueva clínica de atención primaria de Intermountain atenderá las necesidades inmediatas de la comunidad en crecimiento de St. George. La parcela de 35 acres también proporcionará espacio para la expansión de una futura instalación médica la cual incluirá una sala de emergencias autosuficiente después de abrir la clínica de atención primaria.

Jacobsen Construction llevará a cabo el proyecto.

“Este es nuestro continuo compromiso hacia la comunidad, la misión de ayudar a las personas a vivir las vidas más saludables posibles”, dijo Natalie Ashby, presidenta de St. George Regional Hospital y presidenta de mercado de la zona suroeste de Intermountain Health. “Esta área ha estado creciendo inmensamente y estamos trabajado para que los cuidados de salud estén lo más disponibles posible”.

La urbanización Desert Color se está convirtiendo en un área clave de la comunidad con tiendas, establecimientos para el ocio, oficinas, restaurantes y opciones de recreación. Desert Colors ya se está convirtiendo en un eje para el gran crecimiento en población que se ha visto en St. George y en las ciudades de alrededor, y que se ha proyectado para el futuro.

La nueva clínica de Intermountain proporcionará atención médica más cerca de casa a la comunidad en crecimiento.

“Nuestra misión de ayudar a las personas a vivir la vida más saludable posible, empieza con la relación que uno tiene con su médico de cabecera. El enfoque proactivo de atención médica que tenemos empieza por proporcionar cuidados médicos accesibles a las comunidades a las que servimos”, dijo Jeremy Cox, vicepresidente de mercado de operaciones del grupo médico de atención primaria para Intermountain Health Desert Region. “Como su socio en atención médica, nuestros profesionales de la salud están dedicados a asegurarse de que sus necesidades individuales sean atendidas en su paso al bienestar”.

La clínica de atención primaria, la cual se espera que abra en el verano de 2026, brindará más servicios de medicina familiar e interna a la comunidad de St. George. La ubicación de la clínica se encuentra directamente al sureste de la salida 2 de la autopista I-15.

“La misión principal de Desert Color es construir una comunidad mejor. Y, aún cuando tener opciones de recreación increíbles es maravilloso, tener una clínica de atención primaria de Intermountain y una instalación en Desert Color que brindará pronto acceso a la atención médica y a profesionales del bienestar, es un complemento invaluable a la comunidad”, dijo Daniel Lemich, coordinador general de Desert Color.

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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.