Intermountain Health

Don't slip, trip, or fall in the snow this winter. Here are a few things you can do to stay on your feet:? ?? Give yourself more time.?Snow and rain can often cause delays. Try adding five more minutes to your travel time so you won’t be tempted to rush.? ?? Be aware of your surroundings.?Pay attention to floor conditions or signs indicating slippery surfaces and fight the urge to look at your phone until you’ve reached your destination. Look for pathways that are well maintained and are intended for walking. The “path not taken” makes for a pretty poem but can be risky.? ? ??? Watch what you carry.?No matter the weather, carrying too much in your arms creates a hazardous situation. Consider using a backpack or bag that allows you to keep your hands free. ? ? ?? Take short, shallow steps.?When in doubt, waddle like a penguin with your arms extended outward, feet pointed out, and take shorter strides to reduce your risk of falling. ?

The numbers are difficult to track, but across the United States, somewhere around one in every 5,000 to 50,000 surgical patients leaves the operating room with a surgical sponge — used in almost every surgery — accidentally left in their body. On October 14, our surgical teams in our care sites in Utah and Idaho hit 1 million consecutive surgeries without a retained surgical sponge. Find out what it took to get here in the article below. Article written by: Jef Otte #WeDoTheRightThing #TogetherForTheHealthiestLives?

It’s not too late to get a flu shot ahead of holiday gatherings. The CDC is reporting fairly low flu numbers right now, but there is an increase of infections (and hospitalizations) among kids. Get your flu shot today so it has time to be fully effective come December get togethers and keep those numbers low. Dr. Brandon Tullis, a hospitalist at Utah Valley Hospital, says he’d rather see you out enjoying the holidays than spending time as one of his patients.

There are a lot of people in the U.S. with type 2 diabetes. While it can cause serious complications, diabetes can be controlled, allowing you to live your healthiest life possible. Go to the link in our bio to see if you are at risk for diabetes and resources available to help manage it.

As the year draws to a close and the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the things that bring us joy and gratitude in our daily lives. In healthcare, where every day presents new challenges and opportunities, it’s especially important to take a moment to appreciate the aspects of our jobs that make them special. Whether it’s the unique artwork that brightens our care sites, the supportive colleagues who lift our spirits, or the small improvements we’ve made to simplify our work, there’s so much to be thankful for. We asked our caregivers to share what makes their jobs fantastic and the responses are sure to help you feel the spirit of gratitude. As Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, once said, “Live life when you have it. Life is a splendid gift — there is nothing small about it.” Article written by: Brook D. #TogetherForTheHealthiestLives

Shirley Snell had been feeling tired. That was her only symptom, other than some shortness of breath. The Deer Lodge, Montana woman had no idea it was actually cardiomyopathy — a weak heart functioning below 25 percent.?? ? She was one of the first people in recent years to get a defibrillator implant in Butte, the only place offering them in southwestern Montana. The service is now thanks to Dr. Carlos Albrecht, MD, a cardiologist at Intermountain Health St. James Hospital. He came to Butte earlier this year, bringing decades of experience from years of practice, most recently in North Carolina. Since arriving in Butte in February of 2024, Albrecht has performed the defibrillator procedure over 10 times, but Snell was one of the first.?Her surgery went well, as did her recovery. Her shortness of breath was alleviated, as well as her tiredness.? ? “I am handling it well, and I'm still up walking. So I think I'm doing pretty good,” said Snell. “I've had a good experience with St. James. I've had a good experience with the doctors up there. I have not had a problem. I don't have a complaint. It's been a really good experience, and I am getting back to where I can move.” #WeAreLeadersInClinicalExcellence #TogetherForTheHealthiestLives

A patient was recently discharged from the hospital, where they started insulin. The pharmacist called the patient at home to check on them and ask how they were dosing their medication.?? While the discharge notes showed they’d been taught how to dose their medication when their blood sugars were elevated, the patient told the pharmacist, “I Googled it.” The pharmacist knew too much or too little of this high-risk medication could lead to serious side effects and provided education on how to dose the insulin based on the provider's instruction. The pharmacist sent a note to the provider explaining there was confusion and recommended reinforcing how to administer and dose the insulin at the next visit to make sure the patient was continuing the dosing plan provided by the provider and not Google. The outreach potentially prevented the patient from returning to the hospital and may have even saved a life. “Proactive care includes anything we can do to prevent someone from needing a higher level of care or developing complications that require additional resources to treat or care for them,” said Jeff Olson, PharmD, MBA, BCACP, director of Pharmacy Population Health.? The Pharmacy Population Health team trains their eyes and ears to keep people and communities healthy. Article written by: Teresa Hirst #ProactiveCare #PopulationHealth #TogetherForTheHealthiestLives

Many of our caregivers use their medical training to serve their communities, like Amy Goltz, a nurse at St. Vincent Regional Hospital and volunteer EMT. “I’ve volunteered with my local ambulance service for several years. I initially signed up after the death of a young person from an asthma attack. At the time, I had been a pediatric nurse for about 10 years and thought my skill set could be valuable to the ambulance service. Although most of the calls I go on involve adults, I hope I’ve been an asset on the pediatric calls and, potentially, my interventions helped provide better patient outcomes. What stands out to me the most is that about 75% of the calls I go on involve someone I already know or their family member. We live in a community of about 700, so it's not uncommon to know most patients! It makes me thankful that I can be there for people I care about in their time of crisis, and I hope my presence is a comfort to them. I want our community to be a better place for me, my family, my neighbors, and everyone who lives here.”

I am constantly grateful and amazed by the innovative thinking and action of our caregivers at Intermountain.?By identifying and removing obstacles—and embracing simplicity—Intermountain aims to increase efficiency, reduce wait times, and enhance the overall healthcare experience. You might find this article of interest in how Kaizen, or good change, can be driven at the front line by innovative caregivers.

The lightbulb moment for Jeanne Falk, MD, came when she was working for an insurance company. There was a weight threshold for bariatric surgery – meaning she would have to deny patients who didn’t weigh enough.?“I thought, wait a minute. So you have to be in worse shape before we can help you?” she said. ? That insight led her to a new career quite literally dedicated to helping people live the healthiest lives possible. Trained as an obstetrician-gynecologist, which she practiced for 18 years, Dr. Falk left the field for a time to work as a medical director for an insurance company – which led her back to practice, but not as an OB-Gyn. She now serves at the Lifestyle Medicine and Wellness Center in Park City, Utah as Intermountain Health’s sole full-time integrative medicine provider. We caught up to talk about complimentary medicine, the parasympathetic nervous system, and the two easy things she thinks everyone should make part of their daily routine. Article written by: Jef Otte #TogetherForTheHealthiestLives