Partnership to Benefit Pediatric Patients in Utah County

Details of the new Utah Valley Hospital Primary Children’s Network, which has been in the development stages for more than five years, will be announced Tuesday, March 1, at 11:30 a.m. at Utah Valley Hospital, 1034 North 500 West, Provo. Interviews will be available with physicians and patients. School children from Timpanogos Elementary will also share in the presentation.

Utah County has one of the youngest populations in the country, yet children have historically had to travel to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City to receive specialized pediatric healthcare. Primary Children’s and Utah Valley, both Intermountain Healthcare facilities, recognized the need for a change several years ago and began taking steps to provide the best possible pediatric care in a location that’s more convenient for patients who live south of Salt Lake County.

“Local pediatricians and family medicine physicians have done an excellent job caring for children in our community. The goal of this new partnership is to have a network of Primary Children’s care throughout select parts of Utah so children can receive specialized care closer to home,” said Russell Osguthorpe, MD, Pediatric Medical Director at Utah Valley.

In honor of the expanded pediatric services at Utah Valley Hospital, the Kahlert Foundation has pledged $3 million to support the effort as it moves forward. The Kahlert Foundation was founded a generation ago in Maryland with a healthcare mission. Members of the Kahlert family have lived in Utah for many years and have been impacted by the skill and competency of the healthcare professionals at Intermountain.

“The Kahlert Foundation has stepped forward with a milestone gift that will help us launch the future of pediatric care here in Provo,” said Steve Smoot, Utah Valley Hospital CEO. “They share our desire to provide the highest quality healthcare for children, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for helping us launch this new partnership.”

Several teams of physicians, nurses and other caregivers from both facilities have worked together since 2011 to standardize the level of care between the two hospitals. Utah Valley has recruited 26 pediatric sub-specialists who are now caring for children. Most of those physicians are also on staff at Primary Children’s.

Those specialists were important to Brooklyn Baxter in October when she experienced a rare allergic reaction to antibiotics and developed Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The condition caused a blistering rash that covered the 17-year-old, affecting her skin, eyes, mouth and digestive tract.

“I couldn’t swallow, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t even cry. The infection caused a film to develop over my eyes that had to be scraped off almost every day,” said Baxter, a senior at Timpanogos High School.

Baxter’s mother spent three and a half weeks by her daughter’s side as she dealt with the overwhelming infection. Her grandparents and aunt flew in from other states to help care for her three younger siblings. Baxter’s father was able to visit the hospital every night thanks to its close proximity to the family’s home.

“I’m so happy I was here, it was such a great blessing. I loved being on pediatrics because they talk you through everything and they are there to help you through everything,” recalled Baxter. “And I was so glad I could see my dad every night.”