When Evelyn Ealy was diagnosed with cancer, long trips to Salt Lake City from Las Vegas felt daunting. Thanks to Intermountain Health's outreach transplant clinics, Evelyn now receives expert care close to home. Learn about how we’re leading the way in transplant care for people like Evelyn and two caregivers — one donated a kidney, one received a heart — who embody the gift of organ donation.
Mason Turner, MD, finds the greatest fulfillment when a patient finds their mental wellness and feels better in their life because of our help. The senior medical director for Behavioral Health Clinical Programs also loves bringing best practices into our clinical care – especially when it comes to firearm safety and suicide prevention.
No matter the birthplace, caregivers find a home at Intermountain Health — and our backgrounds help us serve our patients. Truc Ta, MD, RPVI, moved to the U.S. from Vietnam as a child. Jaimee Imperial, MD, moved back and forth between her native Philippines and California. Jake Fitisemanu Jr was born in New Zealand and taught to treasure his heritage as he grew up in Hawaii. Learn how these caregivers bring their cultures and traditions to their work every day.
In July 2019, Mikala Gutierrez arrived at Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton, Colorado to give birth to her first child. During labor, she suffered a rare and life-threatening condition called an amniotic fluid embolism, which caused her to go into cardiac arrest. The hospital staff performed CPR for 53 minutes and administered over 30 units of blood, ultimately saving both her and her baby’s lives. The situation was so critical that staff from home rushed in, and a mass transfusion protocol was initiated. Six years later, Mikala returned to the hospital for a heartfelt reunion with the team that saved her. Now a mother of two, she expressed deep gratitude for the split-second decisions and teamwork that gave her a second chance at life and motherhood. One of the most emotional moments was seeing the doctor who had to decide whether to perform a hysterectomy—ultimately choosing not to, which allowed her to have another child. Mikala's story was recently shared on Fox31 News.
Marilyn McKasson, MD, was drawn to Intermountain Health’s commitment to exceptional patient care, which resonated with her professional ethos. Believing firmly in what she does, Dr. McKasson confidently faces healthcare challenges, maintaining her commitment to patients.
Intermountain Health is now offering a national first-of-its kind expansion of CAR-T Cell Therapy, bringing cutting-edge cancer care closer to patients in Southern Utah and Nevada. Intermountain’s new CAR-T Cell satellite clinic in St. George marks a significant milestone to improve access to FDA approved CAR T-cell therapies at a regional clinic – and is the first time in the United States that CAR T-Cell collections are now available at a remote site away from a primary treatment center. Before expanding the CAR T-Cell therapy program, patients in southwest Utah, Nevada and beyond, had to travel hundreds of miles to Intermountain LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City for collection, transplant, and follow-up care. This innovative expansion of stem cell collection and CAR T-cell collection procedures at the Intermountain Health St. George Cancer Center provides advanced cancer treatment options closer to home for patients in the region. "Expanding CAR-T Cell Therapy to Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital is a testament to our commitment to providing accessible, state-of-the-art cancer treatment,” said Brad Hunter, MD, medical oncologist and director of the CAR T-cell program at Intermountain LDS Hospital. “This clinic will significantly enhance the quality of care for patients in Southern Utah and beyond our state boarders, offering them hope and healing without the need to travel long distances."
Having had three of her four children spend time in the NICU, American Fork NICU nurse manager Angela Birrell knows all too well the stresses of having an infant in distress. Angela employs that empathy in her work as she comforts other parents who are having the same experience.
Starting in June, our Intermountain Health Integrated Addiction Medicine Clinic in Grand Junction, Colorado will launch the Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), which is designed to support teens aged 14-18 in their journey toward better mental health and personal growth. This program will run for eight weeks and includes two 2-hour group sessions, individual therapy sessions, and a family component each week. Intermountain Health behavioral health coordinator Jessica Stephen Premo, PhD, said family involvement is crucial, so the program will have both family therapy sessions and multi-family group sessions to help everyone stay connected and supported. “The Adolescent IOP is a significant step toward addressing the mental health needs of adolescents in our community,” Stephen Premo said. “By providing structured support and therapy, the program aims to empower young individuals to navigate their mental health challenges and build a foundation for long-term recovery.”
In an effort to better unify and enhance integration and efficiency of our medical transport programs located in multiple states, we are renaming the program to Intermountain Health Flight & Ambulance Services. This change means unifying current Intermountain Health medical transport programs, including MedX, Life Flight, Classic Air Medical, Platte Valley Ambulance, Cassia Paramedics, and HELP Flight and renaming them all Intermountain Flight & Ambulance Services – the official medical transport department of Intermountain. Existing names and branding of each of the medical transport programs will be phased out over the course of the next several years. “While our name is changing, everything that defines us stays the same – our people, our commitment to excellence, and our mission. Patients and partners will continue to receive the high-quality, responsive care they’ve always known, now delivered under a name that reflects our singular commitment to our mission,” said Adam Hornung, vice president of medical transport, telehealth, clinical command center, and outreach for Intermountain. “This transition marks a new chapter – one that honors our legacy while bringing us together under a single, trusted identity.”
Get to know Dr. Jessica Reissig, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle care at Intermountain Health Butte Clinic - Orthopedics in Butte, Montana. Dr. Reissig has found her little slice of heaven in Butte, where she practices in a close-knit community. The opportunity to connect deeply with her patients and make a meaningful impact is what she loves most about her work. A mother to one daughter, Dr. Reissig lives in a beautiful mountain home with her family, including her mother. Balancing her professional life with family time, Dr. Reissig cherishes the supportive environment and the lasting bonds she creates with her patients.
