"Health Care Heroes" receive recognition for contributions

Five individuals from Intermountain Healthcare have been named Health Care Heroes by Utah Business magazine. Featured in the publication's October issue for their contributions to healthcare in Utah, the recipients will also be recognized with other winners at an awards luncheon later this month. The winners from Intermountain are the following:

• Teresa Beck, member of Intermountain's Board of Trustees
• Edward B. Clark, MD, chief medical officer of Intermountain's Primary Children's Medical Center
• George H. Durham, MD, Intermountain Bryner Clinic
• Joseph R. Horton, senior vice president for hospital operations
• Nancy Nowak, RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of clinical operations

Teresa Beck, recognized in the Volunteer category, has served in key leadership roles on Intermountain Healthcare's Board of Trustees for 13 years, devoting hundreds of volunteer hours annually. She is a member of the Board's Executive Committee, chair of the Audit Committee, and member of the Compensation and Finance Committees. Many of her fellow trustees praise her commitment to transparency and her advocacy of community benefit, including services to patients who are unable to pay for medically necessary care.

Ed Clark, MD, a recipient in the Lifetime Achievement category, is chief medical officer of Intermountain's Primary Children's Medical Center. As a pediatrician, educator, researcher, and administrator, Dr. Clark has devoted his career to improving the health and well-being of children through innovation in clinical care, investigation of children's diseases and problems, and advocacy of collaborative efforts to improve pediatric medicine. He is the Wilma T. Gibson Presidential Professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

George Durham, MD, recognized in the Volunteer category, has been passionate about helping children-especially those with special needs-throughout his career. Currently practicing at Intermountain's Bryner Clnic, Dr. Durham co-founded a Down syndrome clinic at Primary Children's Medical Center in 1996. He has volunteered hundreds of hours on state and local committees that address the needs of children with disabilities. He volunteered at the Fourth Street Clinic and, as an adjunct professor at the U of U, he has mentored residents and students since 1976.

Joe Horton, a recipient in the Lifetime Achievement category, began his career with Intermountain in 1980. Before his current position, Mr. Horton worked at LDS Hospital, Cottonwood Hospital, and Primary Children's Medical Center where he was chief executive officer for 13 years. In all, he has given 31 years of service to Intermountain Healthcare and is widely regarded as a leader whose values are rooted in love — for his colleagues, for children, and for the sacred trust and noble nature inherent in mission-driven healthcare.

Nancy Nowak, RN, recognized in the Administrative Excellence category, is Intermountain Healthcare's foremost nursing and clinical operations champion. She has been an invaluable leader distinguished by her energy, creativity, vision, and passion for excellence in all aspects of patient care. She's raised clinical standards while helping shape an environment of compassion and respect for patients and guests. She works closely with chief nursing officers across the system, physician partners, and with colleagues in the Intermountain Medical Group and SelectHealth in implementing the full vision of best practices and collaborative care throughout Intermountain.