Before she started as a medical assistant apprentice, Cherry Lockman did not like hospitals. Since she was a kid growing up in the Philippines, she associated hospitals with trauma and loss. She didn’t even like to hear the word “hospital.” That, she says, is precisely why she went to work as a food services team member at St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings, Montana. And when 90-Day MA, a paid medical assistant apprenticeship and education program, came to Billings, it’s why she knew she needed to apply. It was all part of her plan – not just to face her fears, but to tackle them head-on. Learn more about Cherry's career journey thus far, what she plans to do next, and how she's taken advantage of her education benefits at Intermountain Health to professionally grow and develop.
Our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible begins with our caregivers and their families. At Intermountain Health, we are proud to support the personal, work-related, and community well-being needs of our caregivers through a variety of programs and resources, including our Caregiver Relief Program. Learn more about how our Caregiver Relief Program helps support our caregivers below. ⬇️
Congratulations to our Desert Region chief nursing officer, Keyona Cole, and our care management manager in ambulatory care, LaTeisha Morgan, for being recognized as 2024 Health Care Headliners by Vegas Inc! 🎉 Vegas Inc established the Health Care Headliners awards in 2006 to highlight the phenomenal talent of the finest medical professionals who are leading the way. “Intermountain Health is proud to serve the Las Vegas Valley to ensure patients have access to affordable, high-quality health care,” said Mandy Richards, chief nursing executive for Intermountain Health. “The recognition by Vegas Inc for our caregivers Keyona Cole and LaTeisha Morgan underscores their commitment to providing leadership for our teams for providing compassionate care our patients and strengthening opportunities to improve and sustain the overall health of our communities.”
This CNA Week, we extend our gratitude to all Certified Nursing Assistants for your unwavering dedication to providing compassionate patient care. Thank you for every moment you spend ensuring the well-being of those in your care! 🩺💙 #CNAWeek
Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital in Logan, Utah is bringing cancer care close to home for more residents of the Cache Valley with a new state-of-the-art expansion of the nationally-recognized Gossner Cancer Center’s Radiation Oncology department. Intermountain Health cancer caregivers, clinical leaders, patients, donors and community leaders officially broke ground on the new expansion on Thursday, June 6. Construction for the expansion is set to begin in Summer 2024, with completion planned for 2025. This expansion includes additional clinical space and equipment for a brachytherapy program, a radiation isotope treatment center, a new CT scanner, a high resolution/real-time ultrasound system, and a new linear accelerator. “The 3,717 square-foot cancer center expansion is supported by a generous donation from the Gossner Foods family and will make radiation treatment services available to more patients with the increased capacity and more services not currently offered in our community,” said Brandon McBride, president of Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital. “Our expansion will not only serve patients within Cache Valley, but those throughout Northern Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. We will truly become a regional cancer center.”
April Vialpando, RN, believes victims of sexual assault or domestic violence should be able to access care from a forensic nurse as soon as is possible. It should not take days, extensive travel, or a grueling wait for the victim. Better access is now possible at Intermountain Health Platte Valley Hospital in Brighton, CO thanks to a $438,000 grant from Adams County. Platte Valley will use the funds to expand the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program. The program provides critical, compassionate service for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. “By expanding the SANE program, we are ensuring that victims of these horrific crimes receive the care and support they need without unnecessary delays or obstacles,” said Adams County Commissioner and Chair Emma Pinter. “This grant is a significant step in our commitment to improving public health and safety in our community.”
Join us in celebrating Community Health Improvement Week! 🎊 "We all have a collective responsibility for the health of our communities. When we work together, we can address underlying issues and make a positive difference," said Lisa Nichols, vice president of community health at Intermountain Health. We're excited to share the launch of our Community Health team's June Caring for Our Communities newsletter. This edition highlights the incredible work being done at Intermountain to improve community health through collaboration and innovation. We look at topics like health equity in rural areas, reducing recidivism, taking action for children’s mental health, and a workforce development program that gave new purpose to a woman in Denver.
Our president and chief executive officer, Rob Allen, joined dozens of health system executives at the White House on June 6th to meet about public health and hospital-based strategies to address gun violence in the U.S. In Utah, suicide is the leading cause of preventable death, with suicides representing the majority of all firearm deaths in the state. As Rob pointed out, Utah mirrors a national trend. "An important takeaway from today's meeting is the need to sharpen our focus on mental health," Rob, who is also serves as a member on the CEO Council on Gun Violence Prevention & Safety, said. "Suicides continue to account for the majority of U.S. gun deaths, increasing every year since 2019 to more than 24,000 last year. The responsibility to reverse this heartbreaking trend rests with all of us, which is why Intermountain instituted a suicide prevention care process model that guides our efforts to assess and treat patients with suicidal thoughts, feelings or behaviors." The White House meeting took place on the eve of the 10th annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day, providing one more venue for health system leaders to gather and compare strategies for how their organizations are addressing gun violence among patient populations and in their communities.
Tahesha McGowan worked as a patient care assistant for another healthcare organization and started a nonprofit to teach homebound patients computer skills. But during the pandemic, Tahesha's hours were cut, and she had to pause her nonprofit work. Her husband also lost his job, and the couple could no longer afford their home. While living in their car, Tahesha lost a pregnancy. She didn’t have medical coverage and couldn’t afford to see a provider. “I got depressed,” she said. “It was a hard time. A really hard time.” But then Tahesha found a life-changing course: Intermountain Health’s Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program offered through a partnership with the 90-Day MA Program. Piloted in Nevada but now available in all regions of Intermountain, this apprenticeship program partners with local organizations to offer people with little or no healthcare experience the education and clinical rotation hours they need to qualify as a medical assistant (MA). From their first day in the program, students are paid as full-time employees with benefits. That immediate access to a stable salary made all the difference for Tahesha, who now works as an MA at the Centennial Center Clinic in Las Vegas. “I have a career and educational opportunities,” she said. "I’ve gained a lot of skills, but more importantly, I gained a family. I have a sisterhood with my classmates and a family with Intermountain. I feel appreciated, needed, and cared for.”
Calling all new graduate imaging professionals and current imaging students! It's not too late to join us for our upcoming Imaging New Grad Virtual Open House! Come connect with our team and learn more about our health system, our facilities, our imaging new grad career opportunities, and more! Participants will be able to ask questions and connect with our talent acquisition team during this live event. Date: Wednesday, June 12th, 2024 Time: 8 a.m. - 10 a.m. MT Location: Virtual via Microsoft Teams - a link to join will be shared with you after you RSVP Visit https://tinyurl.com/bdrc8kzp to RSVP for this virtual event today - we hope to see you there!
