INTERMOUNTAINS PEOPLE: Publish a book, win a national honor, and are praised for volunteer work and philanthropy

Lindsay Post Nov 23, 2020

Congratulations to Rosemary Baron, chaplain at Intermountain Medical Center, who’s published a book titled The Gift Within. Rosemary got permission from everyone who’s featured in the book before she shared their stories, and she wrote the book in her own time. The book is a series of stories about Rosemary’s interactions with patients and friends as they face the end of life or other medical traumas. One story is about a young man, Michael, who’s a paraplegic and a fervent Christian, and who was intubated and couldn’t talk. With the help of a clipboard, he and Rosemary talked about death, hope, love, and God as he approached the end of his life. Some of the other stories are about a homeless woman who’d just delivered a stillborn, a political leader who received a heart transplant and wondered why he’d been given another chance, a young drug addict who’d attempted suicide, and a kidney failure patient who said, “I am ready to die.”

“I just finished reading The Gift Within and I’m reminded that none of us get out of life alive, yet it’s truly is a gift to have Rosemary walk the journey with us,” says Meg Randle, APRN, of Palliative Care at Intermountain Medical Center. “Rosemary’s sharing of personal art, poems, and her stories of spiritual encounters are like the Bible's ‘Balm of Gilead’ to help renew our hearts during our troubled times.”

A standing ovation to Larry Gordon Knowlden, director of facilities management, who’s received the Regional Leader Award from the 2020 American Society of Healthcare Engineering Virtual Conference. The award recognizes leaders for contributions to the fields of healthcare engineering and facility management — including planning, design and construction, safety, clinical and biomedical engineering, and technical management. Larry has served on the local Utah Society of Healthcare Engineering on the board for directors for six years and most recently as the president.

Larry says, “The local chapter provides many opportunities for learning and keeping up on the latest information on everything from Joint Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to the COVID-19 response, to name a few. I’ve enjoyed meeting with so many vendors that support our hospitals and clinics, and I’ve utilized these resources to help with my job at Intermountain. It’s truly a great honor to receive this award.”

A standing ovation to Intermountain volunteers and philanthropists Tim and Candy Dee and Shauna Davis who’ve received top awards at the 2020 Utah Philanthropy Day, which celebrates Utah’s spirit of giving by honoring outstanding volunteers who elevate our community.

Tim and Candy received the Philanthropic Leadership Award. Their philanthropic leadership has touched Intermountain and nearly every other community organization in Utah in some way through decades of generosity and service. Tim is the grandson of Annie Taylor Dee, who founded the original Dee Hospital that later became McKay-Dee Hospital. The Dees have served on numerous not-for-profit boards, including Tim’s services as an Intermountain trustee for more than 30 years. David Flood Intermountain Foundation president, says in his nomination, “Tim and Candy exude kindness and care for others, connecting with people in authentic ways that model philanthropy and inspire trust — making others want to be a part of doing what is right for our communities.”

Shauna received the Outstanding Volunteer Award. Shauna chairs Primary Children’s Hospital’s Festival of Trees and has served on the board for 11 years. Under her leadership, Festival of Trees has raised more than $5.6 million to help provide the best medical care for children at Primary Children’s Hospital. Nominating Shauna, Primary Children’s CEO Katy Welkie says, “As a leader, Shauna is highly innovative and resilient. Board members, volunteers, and fellow leaders admire her dedication, courage, character, and emotional intelligence.”

“Utah Philanthropy Day is the main event to honor those who are giving back philanthropic-wise, as well as volunteering in the community,” says Debra Hoyt, senior philanthropy coordinator, Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. “It’s a way to recognize those who day in and day out give their time, resources, and efforts to make lives better for everyone.” See a full list of honorees here.