Intermountain Press Release

Logan, Utah —Having access to good healthcare is something most of us take for granted. Our valley is blessed to have a high level of healthcare technology, services, and physician specialists not often available in a community its size. Intermountain Healthcare, a key healthcare provider in Cache Valley, is nationally recognized for quality.

"Anybody who knows anything about quality in healthcare knows about Intermountain Healthcare," said Donald M. Berwick, M.D., MPP, clinical professor of pediatrics and health care policy at Harvard Medical School. "It is without a doubt one of the most important organizations in the country in contributing ideas and in demonstrating success in the continual improvement of patient care."

Intermountain Healthcare's services in Cache Valley include Logan Regional Hospital, with more than 160 physicians on its medical staff; the Intermountain Medical Group, with more than 50 providers, medical clinics and physician offices; and SelectHealth, which provides health insurance plans for 18,500 members in the county. Further, Intermountain supports the Cache Valley Community Health Clinic, which provides free physician medical services for thousands of community residents each year who don't have access to health insurance.

"The whole mission of Intermountain Healthcare is the delivery of quality, cost-effective care," said Todd A. Brown, M.D., family medicine physician and Logan Regional Hospital medical director. "That quality includes a quest for the best patient outcomes, compassionate care, and a high level of technology and services."

With recent and planned service additions, more community residents can now stay in the valley to receive needed healthcare services. "We are continually looking at ways to meet the needs of the community," said Bob Cash, Logan Regional Hospital administrator. "That includes expanding services and adding new services - both on the hospital campus and in outreach locations as needed." Two examples are sports medicine services provided on-site at Mountain Crest, Sky View, and Utah State University; and physical therapy services, provided on-site at the South Cache Valley Clinic in Providence and at the Student Health Center at Utah State University.

"The services we provide are tied to community need and not necessarily to the services that are most profitable," said Cash. One example is the upcoming cancer treatment center at Logan Regional Hospital, which is a true partnership of support between Intermountain Healthcare and the community. The center is a reality thanks to generous community donations of more than $1.2 million to the Logan Regional Hospital Foundation, with additional contributions continuing to come in. The remainder of the $6.7 million project is being funded by Intermountain Healthcare.

Logan Regional Hospital 2007-08 highlights

Women and Newborn Center. In October, Logan Regional Hospital opened a new 100,000-square-foot Women and Newborn Center, which brings many womens health services together in one convenient location. The center includes a Women's Mammography and Imaging Center, with all digital-mammography, Labor & Delivery, Mother/Baby Unit, Well-Baby Nursery, and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The new center is designed with comfort and healing in mind, with extra touches for family privacy and comfort, including an extra full-size sofa sleeper in each patient room, and private family areas in the NICU.

Cancer Treatment Center. A full-service cancer treatment center is scheduled to open at Logan Regional Hospital in June 2008. "The best cancer technology and treatment options will now be available close to home," said Bob Cash, Logan Regional Hospital administrator.

Here are three ways the new cancer treatment center at Logan Regional Hospital improves care for patients:

1. State-of-the-art linear accelerator with the most advanced technology for radiation oncology therapy. The linear accelerator can effectively treat tumors in any part of the body and minimize side effects of radiation therapy.
2. Access to excellent cancer specialists. In addition to Logan's excellent medical oncologists, surgeons, and other physicians, two Huntsman-Intermountain radiation oncologists from Ogden will staff the Logan Regional Hospital cancer treatment center.
3. A cancer education center where cancer patients and the public will have access to the latest cancer information and research on the latest treatment outcomes.

New 64-slice CT scanner. Logan Regional Hospital just acquired the latest computed tomography (CT) scanner technology available. This "64-slice" scanner can produce 64 images with unparalleled resolution in less than a second, providing image "slices" as small as one half of a millimeter (the size of the tip of a finely-sharpened pencil). Heart scans are a good example of how this improves care. The heart is difficult to image because it is small and it moves fast. The new scanner is capable of capturing high-resolution images of the arteries in the heart between each beat. Patients no longer need to travel outside the valley for CT heart imaging.

Level III trauma center designation. Logan Regional was recently re-designated as a level III trauma center by the state of Utah Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, as part of the state's Emergency Medical Services Trauma System. A state trauma survey team gave the hospital a high rating with zero deficiencies. Logan Regional first earned level III trauma designation in 2004 and remains the only level-III trauma center in the state, and the only designated trauma center in Cache Valley. The hospital must be re-designated as a trauma center every three years.

Trauma centers are part of a statewide trauma system covering the whole cycle of trauma care, from triage and transport, to emergency care and hospital treatment, through rehabilitation. There are five levels of trauma designations for hospitals, from level I facilities, which act as regional tertiary care facilities (such as LDS Hospital and the University of Utah Medical Center), through level V facilities, which are small rural hospitals providing initial evaluation, stabilization, and transfer to a higher level of care.

Intermountain Medical Group 2007-08 highlights

Obstetrics & gynecology. A new clinic for Budge obstetrics and gynecology physician offices opened in October, located in the new Women and Newborn Center at Logan Regional Hospital. This clinic offers the latest technology, comfort, and convenience.

Logan Clinic. The beautiful new Logan Clinic will open at 225 East 400 North in Logan in summer 2008. This clinic will house InstaCare, WorkMed (occupational health), and family medicine physician offices.

A history of Intermountain Healthcare in Cache Valley

Intermountain Healthcare's history in Cache Valley dates back more than three decades. In 1975, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) turned over operation of its 15 hospitals to a new non-church, non-profit healthcare corporation created by and for the communities the hospitals served. This new organization was Intermountain Healthcare. Logan LDS Hospital was one of the original 15 hospitals in the Intermountain Healthcare system.

Intermountain Healthcare's original and continuing mission is, "Excellence in the provision of healthcare services to communities in the Intermountain region." That mission includes a commitment to provide care to those who live in the community who have a medical need, regardless of ability to pay.

One of the first community needs the new Intermountain Healthcare organization met was to replace the aging Logan Hospital facility. Logan Regional Hospital, located at 500 East 1400 North, was the first new hospital built by Intermountain Healthcare. This $14 million facility opened in December 1980. Additional Logan Regional Hospital expansions were completed in 1987, 2000, 2001, 2006, and 2007.

Today, Intermountain Healthcare operates more than 20 hospitals in Utah and Idaho, including the new Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah.

SelectHealth. In 1985, Intermountain Healthcare began offering health plans. Today, SelectHealth, an Intermountain Healthcare company, provides health insurance plans throughout Utah, including more than 18,500 members in Cache County.

Medical Group. In 1995, the Intermountain Medical Group of physician clinics and offices was organized. In Logan, local family medicine physicians joined with the Medical Group in 1995, and the Budge Clinic and its affiliated clinics and physicians joined in 1996. "We felt that by joining with the Intermountain Medical Group, we could provide the best care for our patients," said Bartley Weiss, M.D., Budge Clinic surgeon and medical director of the Intermountain Medical Group in Cache Valley. "Intermountain has helped us meet our mission of caring for everyone with a medical need. Intermountain also represents the future of what healthcare will be with the best patient outcomes, one of the finest electronic medical record systems in the country, and the latest technology." Today, the Intermountain Medical Group includes 142 clinics and physician offices throughout Utah. In Cache County, the Intermountain Medical Group includes more than 50 physicians and providers at the Budge Clinic, Canyon View Orthopedics, South Cache Valley Clinic, Summit Clinic, Isom Plastic Surgery, Brian Carlson Family Medicine, Cache Valley Family Practice, InstaCare, and WorkMed (occupational health clinic). The new Logan Clinic will open in summer 2008.

Intermountain Healthcare's not-for-profit mission

As a not-for-profit healthcare organization, Intermountain Healthcare exists to benefit the community. Logan Regional Hospital and the Intermountain Medical Group operate differently than for-profit organizations. Unlike for-profit companies that seek to maximize operating margins to realize a profit for stockholders, Intermountain Healthcare seeks the lowest possible margin sufficient to continue meeting future quality and growth needs. All money collected is returned to the community in the form of improved facilities, better services, and lower patient charges. For-profit companies must provide a competitive return to stockholders from their margins in addition to providing for future needs. Intermountain healthcare has no stock holders. Logan Regional Hospital, like all other Intermountain Healthcare hospitals, is advised by a Governing Board of volunteer trustees representing the interests of the community.

Strength of system

Logan Regional Hospital and local physicians benefit greatly from being part of the Intermountain Healthcare system. The hospital and physicians are able to care independently for the needs of local community residents and are also able to tap into the technology and medical resources of sister Intermountain hospitals such as McKay-Dee Hospital Center, Primary Children's Medical Center, LDS Hospital, and Intermountain Medical Center.