At the end of May, the Central Microbiology Lab’s average turnaround was at 85 hours. For teams at St. George, where specimens had to be received by the onsite lab, processed and only then sent four hours by courier to the Central Lab to be tested, the entire wait could stretch out close to five days. Meanwhile, teams at Central Microbiology were pulling 12- and 13-hour days just to stay afloat. That kind of volume – from hospitals all over the Canyons and Desert Regions – can quickly turn into a bottleneck. That’s why, in 2019, Intermountain Health invested in an automated line to take over the job of streaking cultures and incubating them under the correct conditions to grow as quickly as possible. When this turnaround time issue was escalated through our huddle process,” said Karen Brownell, vice president of laboratory services, “it was escalated to me.” Karen brought in continuous improvement. Learn more about how our continuous improvement team partnered to identify opportunities to increase efficiency and eliminate waste in both the Central Lab and the lab at St. George in the article below.
Happy National APP Week to all of our incredible advanced practice providers at Intermountain Health! #NationalAPPWeek
Earlier this month, twelve clinics moved into the new Lutheran Medical Office Building in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, ambulatory sister to the new Lutheran Hospital next door. One key player in that milestone was Design & Construction project manager Jessie Becker. We caught up with her to talk about what it takes to move twelve clinics into a new space and how the future of construction might just be a woman’s world.
The Supply Chain Organization (SCO) is celebrating a 51,000-square-foot expansion at its state-of-the-art warehouse in Midvale, Utah, which includes expansion of Acute Care pharmacy operations. In addition, the Specialty Care Pharmacy and Home Delivery teams have consolidated their operations onto the SCO campus with a remodel of under-utilized administrative space. Check out a gallery of photos and videos of the warehouse, see how a robot doubles the number of prescriptions filled, and learn the cost savings this expansion brings in the article below.
At Intermountain Health, our commitment to community health extends well beyond the walls of our hospitals. To learn more about our community impact, check out our 2023 Annual Report below.
Take it from a cancer survivor, pickleball enthusiast, and leader of the virtual Be Well physical fitness classes at Intermountain Health: you can find the time and energy to create a successful exercise recipe with long-lasting health benefits. “Experiment,” said Cami Flygare, Intermountain's health and wellness manager. “Try different classes and activities. Maybe go back to something you used to enjoy doing. As long as you enjoy it, you're more likely to continue it.” She and her health and wellness colleagues, Dawn Brown and Melissa Wiseman, took some time to share who they are and several tips for how our caregivers can enhance their well-being through Be Well's virtual classes despite their busy schedules.
🌟 Happy Nursing Professional Development Week! 🌟 This week, we celebrate the dedication and hard work of our incredible nurses who continuously strive for excellence in patient care. Your commitment to professional growth and development not only enhances your skills but also improves the quality of care for our patients.
Calling all new graduate RNs and current nursing students! Come connect with our team and learn more about our Utah and Idaho hospitals, our nurse residency program, and more at our upcoming RN New Grad Virtual Information Session! Date: Wednesday, October 9th, 2024 Time: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. MT Location: virtual via Microsoft Teams How to Join: a Microsoft Teams link to join will be shared with you after you RSVP Participants will be able to ask questions and connect with our nurse executive, nurse residency, and talent acquisition teams during this live event. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y7z2834u to RSVP for this virtual event today - we look forward to connecting with you!
Congratulations to the following Intermountain Health hospitals for being recognized on Becker's Healthcare's list of the 350 cleanest hospitals! ✔️ Alta View Hospital - Sandy, Utah ✔️ Cedar City Hospital - Cedar City, Utah ✔️ Park City Hospital - Park City, Utah ✔️ Riverton Hospital - Riverton, Utah ✔️ Sevier Valley Hospital - Richfield, Utah ✔️ St. James Hospital - Butte, Montana Each of these hospitals received a CMS 5-star rating for cleanliness. CMS's Patient survey (HCAHPS)-Hospital database listed hospital ratings based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys. This is a national, standardized survey of hospital patients about their experience during a recent inpatient hospital stay.
This National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, we honor and celebrate the transformative impact of rehabilitation professionals. Your unwavering commitment to restoring abilities and improving lives is nothing short of remarkable. Thank you for your tireless efforts and the hope you bring to so many! 🌟🏥🩺 #NationalRehabilitationAwarenessWeek
