John Knudson
Congratulations to John Knudson, a greeter at Logan Regional Hospital, who was recently named a Best of North America winner by InterContinental Music Awards for a song, “Prayer for the Children,” he recorded with pianist Jason Tonioli. The song is from the first album he recorded with Jason called “Finding Peace.”
John, whose wife Jeanette Knudson has been a scrub tech in the OR at Logan Regional for 13 years, has been welcomed to the White House and has performed as a violinist for four different presidents. When he worked in the Washington D.C. area, he performed with groups in large concert halls as often as 300 nights a year. COVID-19 cut that back dramatically and he says getting this award has been nice.
“I thought it was pretty neat,” John says of the award. “It’s not just a local thing. We won for North America. It was nice seeing something like that because I’ve been feeling very defeated for a while because there’s been no music in my life.”
He’s known people who’ve faced “unimaginable tragedy in their lives” and he says he and Jason wanted to be able to give them “some relief from fear, anxiety, and the unknown, if only for a couple of minutes.”
“John is one of my best greeters and is always helping me out of a bind,” says Ramona Fonnesbeck, Logan’s volunteer services and gift shop manager. “I’m so glad to have him on our team.”
John has also been an adjunct professor for eight years at Utah State University and runs his own business, JKSTRINGZ, where he builds and restores musical instruments.
Jasmine Reid
Cheers to Jasmine Reid, PA-C, from River Road Internal Medicine in St. George, who recently received the PA Preceptor of the Year Award from the University of Utah. The award honors preceptors who’ve demonstrated a commitment to excellence in the clinical education of PA students as a mentor and instructor. Jasmine says she usually mentors about ten students per year and she tries her best to help her students not feel overwhelmed with internal medicine patients. “I try to help them feel comfortable with prioritizing health conditions and staying organized while dealing with patients with numerous health conditions,” she says. “My mantra in life is be kind to all.”
Scott Parkinson, DO, an internal medicine physician at Road River Internal Medicine, says, “No matter how busy or how stressed we are in the office, Jasmine always has it under control. She has excellent rapport with patients and has respect from her colleagues in the clinic. I’m not surprised that she’s an amazing educator as well.”
A news conference at the Cedar City Airport with Becki, Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson, and Enoch City Mayor Geoff Chesnut.
A standing ovation to Becki Bronson, marketing and communications manager at Cedar City Hospital, whose expertise in media relations and community leadership helped her manage media requests and field community needs in Enoch, Utah, during the recent flooding. More than 300 homes were damaged or destroyed in the flooding, which accounts for nearly 20% of the town’s population.
Becki, who is a federally-certified public information officer, volunteered to handle media requests from dozens of state and local news agencies during the emergency and gathered needed information to disseminate to the public. She connected with city leaders and media outlets to reach the largest audience possible, including KSL TV and KUTV, as well as local Facebook Live coverage. In addition, Becki received support from Cedar City Hospital Administrator Eric Packer to provide more than 100 sandwiches and bottled waters to volunteers who were filling sandbags. She says, “I’m so proud and grateful to be connected to such a supportive organization and leadership to help during a truly devastating time in our area.”
“At the heart of Becki’s excellence as a communications professional is her genuine love and caring for the people in the communities she serves,” says Terri Draper, communications director. “Becki is consistently among the first to reach out and offer help whenever a challenge arises, and she does so thinking about the best way to remove barriers and be thoughtful of those affected. Her caring commitment has earned her the regard of community leaders in southwestern Utah and beyond. On top of that, she’s a whole lot of fun. We love you, Becki! Thanks for the great way you serve.”
Dan Liljenquist
Congratulations to Dan Liljenquist, senior vice president and chief strategy officer, who’s been named one of the nation’s Top 25 Healthcare Innovators by Modern Healthcare. The honorees include individuals who’ve shaped the industry and pushed boundaries, including finding new ways to engage consumers, improve quality of care, and lower costs.
Dan was recognized for his innovative approach to leading strategy at Intermountain as well as his role as board chairman for Civica Rx where he worked to expand its membership—recently adding Anthem and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association to the mix. Dan helped launch and co-lead Project Protect, a program to manufacture medical-grade personal protective equipment for front-line workers. The project resulted in 6 million masks being made, exceeding the goal by 20%, as well as 100,000 face shields and 60,000 isolation gowns. The project was a finalist in Fast Company’s annual World Changing Ideas Awards. Aurora Aguilar, editor of Modern Healthcare, says, “There’s never been a more urgent time for the industry to experiment with innovations that can reshape how care is delivered.”