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 Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado is now among five hospitals in the United States – and the only community hospital – to be verified by the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Vascular Surgery at their highest level of care (comprehensive inpatient) in their Vascular Verification Program. 

The 346-bed Intermountain Health hospital on Colorado’s Western Slope was recognized for its vascular surgical quality, nursing care, patient and staff safety, timely patient access, education, and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. 

Vascular surgeons operate on arteries, veins and blood vessels in parts of the body such as the neck, arms, abdomen and legs. They treat conditions ranging from repairing damage due to physical trauma, to repairing blood vessels affected by smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, to repairing varicose veins, or aneurysms. They help prevent strokes, amputation, and death. 

The verification program is a national evidence-driven, standardized pathway for establishing and growing the quality improvement and clinical care infrastructure of vascular programs. 

The Vascular Verification project required input from more than 30 members of the hospital care team including vascular surgeons, nurses, clinical leadership, and support staff. Spearheading the project was Tej Singh, MD, MBA, medical director of vascular surgery at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital and a current participant in Harvard Medical School’s Surgical Leadership Program. 

"This is truly a great honor for St. Mary's Hospital to be recognized as one of the first nationally verified programs. Kudos to all the doctors, nurses, and staff that worked to ensure its success," said Bryan Johnson, president of Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. 

"We’re grateful to Dr. Singh for his instrumental work in building a high-quality vascular program and achieving vascular verification. These efforts include timely patient access and work with the vascular quality initiative registry, national accreditation, care compliance, surgical leadership, and mentoring,” said Ben Smalley, chief operating officer for St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “Dr. Singh’s passion for vascular and endovascular care, and his team-based leadership have helped grow our program to deliver the highest-level of vascular care to our community.” 

"This is truly a great honor for St. Mary’s. It places us on the national vascular surgery map and reflects our commitment to providing the best care for our patients in our 250-mile service area in Western Colorado,” said Dr. Singh. “We developed our program around the guidelines to ensure we hit the highest national benchmarks of care, quality, safety, outcomes and education. I’m grateful and honored to work with so many fine clinicians delivering this national recognition which will result in the best vascular care for our patients.” 

###