After a rare head and neck cancer left an uninsured patient without an eye and with a hole in his face, Melissa Friesen, an Oncology social worker at Saint Joseph Hospital Cancer Centers of Colorado in Denver, dedicated her time to finding him a facial prosthetic and a prosthetic eye at no cost to him.
Happy Medical Assistant Recognition Week! Let's celebrate the amazing medical assistants who play a crucial role in our healthcare system. Your hard work, compassion, and dedication make a significant impact on patient care every day!
Josh Penman has lived in Sevier Valley in Utah for close to 15 years now. “I am from Circleville, in Piute County,” said Josh. “I love small towns. We live in Annabella now, right down the street from my wife’s parents. We have three boys, and one girl and love living in an environment where your kids can play in the street, and you all know your neighbors.” Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Josh and his wife experienced the most tragic event a young parent could go through. “I would have had four boys, but my second son passed away,” said Josh. “He was born a healthy boy as far as we knew. We brought him home, when about two days later he wasn’t feeding well. He ended up passing away a day later. The best that could be determined was our son had a hole in his intestine from a very rare bacteria.” At that time, Josh had been working as a furniture salesman, something he described as a dead-end job. “As I watched how people in healthcare really cared about us, helped us, supported us, in an extremely difficult time when our son passed, I knew I wanted to be the same kind of help to others,” said Josh. He and his wife decided to go back to school at the same time to get their degrees in healthcare; his wife becoming an RN, Josh becoming an RN, and then recently becoming a nurse practitioner for Sevier Valley Hospital Urology.
It's Spiritual Care Week! This week, we recognize the invaluable contributions of spiritual care providers in healthcare. Your compassion, support, and guidance bring comfort and hope to patients and their families.
Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah is the first hospital in the nation to perform a new minimally invasive procedure to treat patients who have aortic aneurysms that can be deadly if they rupture using a new FDA-approved device that paves the way for patients in Utah and across the country to benefit from this life-saving technology. Intermountain Health vascular surgeon Evan Brownie, MD, who performed the first commercial use procedure outside of participants in the clinical trial in the nation, says the new TAMBE device marks a significant advancement in vascular surgery and offers new hope for patients dealing with life-threatening aneurysms. “We’re thrilled to be the first hospital in the country to use the TAMBE device in a real-world setting to help patients in need,” said Dr. Brownie, who is co-director of the Intermountain Health Aortic Center. “This is a major step forward in how we treat complex aortic aneurysms, and it’s exciting to see such positive outcomes right out of the gate.”
We're celebrating National Pharmacy Week! Let's take a moment to recognize the incredible pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who play a crucial role in healthcare by ensuring safe and effective medication management, providing valuable patient education, and contributing to overall public health!
Happy National Respiratory Care Week! Let's take a moment to appreciate the incredible respiratory therapists who work tirelessly to ensure our patients can breathe easier!
Family can be a powerful source of inspiration, especially in career-building. Yvonne Aldana, senior practice manager in Nevada, was the first member of her family to become a medical professional. In turn, she helped inspire her daughter, Gabriela Vasquez, to not only follow in her footsteps and work at the same medical office in Pahrump (as a medical assistant) but also perpetuate the ideal of improving the healthcare system for future generations.
Happy International Infection Prevention Week! This week, we honor the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to prevent infections and ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers. Your commitment to maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and infection control is crucial in keeping our communities healthy!
During her job interview with Intermountain Health, Sheralee Petersen still remembers the interviewer reading her the values – worded differently now, 14 years later, but in the same spirit they are today – and thinking, “Wow, this is the culture I’ve been looking for.” Here, she reflects on what makes that culture so special and how it’s reflected in the Clinical Programs she currently serves as assistant vice president.
