Intermountain Foundation Honors Three Utahns for Their Commitment to Improve Community Health

Intermountain Healthcare’s Research and Medical Foundation honored three individuals who have had a major impact on the quality of healthcare, both locally and around the globe, during the Foundation’s 29th annual Legacy of Life Dinner and Gala, which raised more than $77,000 for cardiovascular and pulmonary research. 

Legacy of Life awards were presented to an entrepreneurial surgeon, a biomedical informatics professor and a retired human resources executive and volunteer.

The Legacy of Life award for helping those in community live healthy lives went to G. Marsden Blanch, MD, MPH, FACS. Among his many accomplishments, Dr. Blanch founded Megadyne Medical Products, one of the largest electro-surgical product companies in the United States.  

Dr. Blanch, an adjunct professor of Otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) at the University of Utah, and his family recently made a significant gift to fund a new education center at Intermountain Healthcare’s Alta View Hospital in Sandy. 

The Scientific Achievement award, recognizing the advancement of research and medicine, was presented to R. Scott Evans, MS, PhD, FACMI. Dr. Evans, a longtime medical informatics expert at Intermountain Healthcare, is also a professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah. His work has helped reduce the incidence of medical errors and improve patient care.

Retired Intermountain human resources executive Pat Ninomiya received the 2019 Gold Caduceus Award for her service as a community volunteer and board member of the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation. 

The gala was sponsored by Capita Financial Network, Deseret Management Corporation, the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Les Olson Company, Sinclair Oil, WCF Insurance, and Alvey Media Group.

About Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation: Nearly 50 years ago, a group of physicians founded what is now known as the Intermountain Research and Medical Foundation to provide seed grants to researchers with innovative ideas. Since then, the foundation has awarded more than $11 million to 453 projects – laying the groundwork for clinical advances and insights related to a host of conditions, including heart disease, cancer, depression, and dementia. 

In addition to funding seed grants, foundation donor fund initiatives have helped many other programs, including the Behavioral Health Access Center at Intermountain LDS Hospital, the Arthritis Program at Intermountain TOSH-The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Healing Homes for patient patients and families at Intermountain LDS Hospital, and neo-natal intensive care bereavement support groups. 

For more information: https://intermountainhealthcare.org/giving-volunteering/intermountain-foundation/what-we-support/intermountain-research-and-medical-foundation/ or call (801) 507-2040.

Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based not-for-profit system of 24 hospitals, 160 clinics, a Medical Group with some 2,300 employed physicians and advanced care practitioners, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services. Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through evidence-based best practices, high quality, and sustainable costs. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org.