Intermountain Health delivers care in rural areas to underserved communities

The Intermountain Health geographic footprint spans over 600,000 square miles between six primary states. This includes 33 hospitals and more than 400 clinics, employing 68,000 caregivers and 4,800 physicians and advanced practice providers. Yet, in our rural communities many individuals must travel hours to receive the care they need. This is especially true for those needing access to high quality specialty care such as maternal health, behavioral health, or substance use disorder support. Whether due to limited local specialists or far distances to travel, Intermountain Health is working to close those gaps.

Our approach is rooted in collaboration, innovation, and an understanding of what communities tell us they need. We’ve created opportunities to offer a more dynamic healthcare approach in rural, underserved areas thanks to programs like Maternal Health Connection and COMPASS (Community Outreach Medication Assisted Therapy Peer Addiction Support Services). Both are strategically expanding resources for community members and keeping care close to home.

Maternal Health Connection

Maternal Health Connection (MHC) offers pre-pregnancy, prenatal, and postpartum maternal health services to rural communities through a combination of in-person, virtual, home visits, and remote patient monitoring for moms-to-be and new mothers. This community-based program provides access to Intermountain OB-GYNs and maternal-fetal medicine specialists, bringing high quality care to rural community members. MHC also offers remote patient monitoring devices for participating pregnant moms to take home beginning at 28 weeks. The equipment includes a blood pressure cuff to determine current blood pressure, a pulse oximeter that measures oxygen saturation and heart rate, a thermometer to take body temperature, and a scale to measure a person’s weight.

“Our mission is to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes for all of the communities that we serve,” said Krystal Richards, Community Health program manager at Intermountain Health. “Thanks to a $3.9 million grant awarded to Intermountain Health by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, this innovative maternity care access model now helps us keep new mothers and mothers-to-be in the comfort of their own communities and homes.”

Results show reduced miles and safer travel distances for maternal visits, decreases in postpartum depression, and an increase in continuity of care. The MHC program operates in clinics in Evanston, Wyoming, Southwest Montana, and surrounding areas.

The COMPASS program

In 2022, the COMPASS program (Community Outreach Medication Assisted Therapy Peer Addiction Support Services) started in Salt Lake City. Since its creation, it has expanded into a larger footprint that now includes counties throughout northern and southwestern Utah.

In places like rural Washington County, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, finding options for specialty care—specifically behavioral health and substance use treatment—is challenging. The COMPASS program expands behavioral health access by equipping community clinics with the tools and funding to offer medication-assisted treatment and services for substance use disorder. Through telehealth visits with Intermountain physicians, community members who are unfunded or uninsured receive help toward recovery and behavioral health support.

“As a federally qualified health center (FQHC) initiative, COMPASS partners with clinics like Creek Valley Medical Center and Family Healthcare to expand access to medication-assisted treatment in underserved areas for people with substance abuse disorders,” said Ingrid Maughan, Community Health program manager at Intermountain Health. “The program also collaborates with peer-support organizations like USARA (Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness) to distribute recovery kits and resources during outreach events.”

These efforts help tailor programs to the needs of the community and are part of a broader strategy to reduce overdose deaths, expand access to behavioral healthcare, and build recovery networks through community collaborations and evidence-informed interventions.

Creating a sustainable model

Access to care is one of the most persistent challenges identified in Intermountain Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Programs like MHC and COMPASS create direct access for underserved individuals in even the most rural places.

“These programs don’t just deliver care — they reshape how care is delivered,” said Lisa Nichols, vice president of Community Health at Intermountain Health. “They’re proof that when we listen to communities and invest in solutions to meet people where they are, access to treatment improves and so do the health outcomes of our community members, regardless of their rural location.

Find out more about how Intermountain Health addresses community health needs in our 2024 Annual Report.

The Maternal Health Connection project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $3.9 million with 100% funded by HRSA/HHS and $0 and 0% funded by nongovernment source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The COMPASS SLC project is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Authority (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2.6 million with 100% funded by HRSA/HHS and $0 and 0% funded by nongovernment source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by SAMHSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The COMPASS Washington County project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2.3 million with 100% funded by HRSA/HHS and $0 and 0% funded by nongovernment source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.