Getting "Upstream" of Chronic Conditions

Imagine a doctor driving a van, the Garfield Memorial Hospital Mobile Clinic, through the small towns bordered by the Colorado River to the east and the San Raphael Desert to the west.  The doctor will not only drive the van (with its two exam rooms); he or she will be the one providing primary care and (soon) will even be dispensing pharmacy services right where people live. 

While Garfield, Kane, and Piute counties are among the least populated areas in the state—it is home to Bryce Canyon which attracts 2 million visitors a year. This mobile clinic will be ready to serve them this summer as well. 

Now picture an expansive new wing of Park City Hospital, a model of environmental sustainability (LEED Certified), dedicated to wellness and well-being. It includes an enhanced LiVe Well Center, as well as beautiful spaces for leading-edge training, caregiver and community education, and a multi-specialty clinic.

The state-of-the-art education center is open to not-for-profit community groups who need a wonderful facility for their events. It’s destined to become an indispensable resource for a community that is world-renowned for its geography and active lifestyles. 

What connects these two? First, they’re connected by Intermountain’s commitment to investing in our communities. As a not-for-profit system, we can think about what our communities need now and what will serve them over the long term. The mobile clinic and the expanded wellness center both directly correspond to what’s meaningful to the people they serve. Asking people what they need is increasingly important as people become more financially invested and more actively involved in making a choice about where to go for healthcare. Second—and maybe even more important—these new services are both great examples of what we’re talking about when we say we want to get upstream of the chronic conditions that create suffering and diminish the enjoyment people get from their lives and which, left unmanaged, can lead to the need for rescue care down the road. 

This holistic approach will help us realize our Vision to be a contemporary model for healthcare. We’re on a Mission to help people live the healthiest lives possible. Investing in our communities in these ways underscores that while we will continue to provide the high-quality, affordable services that make our hospitals and clinics destinations of choice for acute care—we’re also expanding access and focusing more on preventive care and wellness. It’s an approach focuses on delivering those things that are core to our Mission, and that only we can best deliver.

How are you striving to get "upstream" of chronic conditions?