Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital

It's HOT outside! If you're spending time outdoors, you may be wondering if water is enough to keep you hydrated.

Here's what you need to know from Intermountain Health dieticians.

Water is all you need if you are going to be exercising less than an hour.
You'll want to add in a sports drink with electrolytes if you're exercising longer than an hour or sweating a lot. The sports drink has minerals like sodium, potassium, and sugar to help keep you hydrated. But if your body isn't losing all those nutrients through sweat, you end up with empty calories and extra sodium.

WEEK 7 Mental Health Exercise

I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.
—ANNE FRANK

Mind Dump Exercise
Take 5 to 10 minutes and dump out all the thoughts lingering in your mind. Use a pen and a piece of paper to write down all of the thoughts that are bothering you.

In the words of Celine, "Near, Far, Wherever you are..." take pride in your health! (We added that last part but we're sure our Canadian Queen would agree.)

We know not everyone lives close to a healthcare provider, especially if you need a more specialized provider. That is why we offer telehealth and virtual visits for most providers in the state of Utah. All of the LGBTQIA+ clinically competent providers at our Salt Lake Clinic are available for virtual videos across the state.

Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital celebrated Zafiro Portillo Primera, a high school intern, Arrupe Jesuit High School graduate and recipient of the prestigious Daniels Scholarship. She has been accepted into the nursing program at Regis University.

Zafiro is one of many students from Arrupe and Denver Public Schools who participate in an internship, mentorship, or job training program at the hospital each year.

The internship at Saint Joseph influenced Portillo Primera's decision to pursue nursing in college, she said.

She spent this past school year working at Saint Joe’s Education and Simulation Lab, creating materials for caregiver education including models for practicing medical procedures. She was nominated for a special employee recognition during the internship because of her passion and curiosity for learning. She shared that she hopes to come back to work at Saint Joe’s when she finishes her studies.

Zafiro also interned at a corporate office but knew that her future career plans were in healthcare. She had heart surgery at the age of 10 and remembered how kind the nurses were and how the caregivers educated her about her condition.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for you, Zafiro!

WEEK 6 Mental Health Exercise

1-Minute Meditation with Breath Focus
Close your eyes and pay attention to your breath as you inhale and exhale for one full minute. Experience the breath coming in and the breath going out. Notice the path your breath takes through your body as you inhale and exhale.

Take pride in your health! Your care should be with those who understand, affirm, and celebrate you. Find clinically competent providers who support and respect your health journey. 🏳️‍🌈💪👩‍⚕️

Intermountain Health has been ranked the top large health system in the nation by Fortune magazine and PINC AI, as a part of their annual evaluation and rankings of the nation’s best health systems for 2024.

The Fortune/PINC AI ranking is based off publicly available health data from 355 health systems across the country. The study looked at eight performance indicators including clinical outcomes, inpatient mortality, average length of hospital stays, and overall patient experience.

This is Intermountain Health’s second consecutive year on the prestigious list – and the first time the health system has been being ranked number one.

Intermountain continues to be a national leader in healthcare thanks to its outstanding clinical outcomes, cutting-edge medical research to enhance patient care, telehealth capabilities to enhance access, and focus on preventive care and overall wellness.

Intermountain’s efforts have also brought a streamlined approach to ensure patients have access to the best medical care possible. By adopting best practices at all their hospitals and clinics it’s helping standardize high level of care in all the communities they serve.

Come see us at the Pride festival in downtown Salt Lake City on June 1-2. We will have fun gifts for the entire family, wellness screenings, resources for affordable health coverage and experts from Intermountain’s LGBTQ Care clinic.

And we will see you at the Pride parade on Sunday.

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR HEALTH with us.

Parenting is often romanticized and therefore struggling with parenthood and/or a new baby can make a parent reluctant to ask for help. This is a major life adjustment and some struggle is normal. Don’t be embarrassed to talk to your provider about anxiety or depression. At Intermountain, mental health screenings are part of primary care. It’s ok to ask questions. The world has gone through significant changes in the last year. Help is everywhere. Just open your mouth and ask.

WEEK 5 Mental Health Exercise

You are what you believe yourself to be.
—PAULO COELHO

Celebrate YOU
Write down three positive things about yourself. What are your strengths? What are physical characteristics that you like about yourself? What personal characteristics are you most proud of?

✔️👍 ᴄᴏɴɢʀᴀᴛs ᴛᴏ ᴏᴜʀ ʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴏʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴄʜɪᴇᴠɪɴɢ ᴄᴀᴘ ᴀᴄᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ! ✔️👍

Thank you to the pathologists and laboratory professionals who help make Cassia Regional Hospital a world-class hospital.

We are proud to announce a new achievement that recognizes the quality of laboratory test results we deliver to patients every day.

The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has awarded accreditation to Cassia Regional Hospital's Laboratory based on results of a recent live inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs.

Anxiety is like a virus and runs around and attaches to whatever it wants. Under normal conditions, women are somewhat socially isolated when they have a baby. They’ve taken time off work or quit their job and are spending more time at home. Isolation is different right now, because everyone has felt some isolation during the pandemic.

While this is maternal mental health month, let’s not forget that adjustment can be hard for the partners, too.

A big shout-out to our dietary team! We celebrated Caregiver Week all last week and we celebrated with food nearly every day, including a breakfast one morning and a big BBQ lunch one afternoon. Our Caregiver Week heroes are definitely our Dietary team! And a shout-out to Wayne and Kevin from Engineering who grilled the burgers and hot dogs for us!

😃 It was fun to see Mike Blauer, our hospital president, and Bo Harris, our nurse administrator, and Bo's family featured in the paper this week. They worked really hard with their families and took multiple truck loads to the waste facility. We also had many, many other caregivers pitch in, many with their families - we guess at least 60 of us were involved over the course of the week😃as we cleaned the city block our hospital is a part of. Thanks to the City of Burley and the businesses (Stokes & NuVu Glass) that sponsored and led the event and fed some of us a great lunch!

This EMS Week, May 19-25, we honor our EMS, Fire, and Law Enforcement members and First Responders. Thank you for your contributions to our collective safety and wellness.
🚑⚕️🚒⛑️🚓
Remember to thank an EMS, Fire, or Law Enforcement member or First Responder you know this week. They're truly invaluable to each of us.

The month of May means a lot of focus on mental health as May is Mental health Month. There is also a focus on moms and the issues that affect them, and it’s also Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month worldwide.

“Being pregnant or being a new mom means a woman and those around her (whether her partner, other kids, family, etc) will be making a lot of changes. Even planned, sought-after changes bring stress. By nature, moms have another person’s needs to care for and think about, besides managing their own personal needs,” said Kim Myers, social worker at Intermountain Health. "Not to mention the psyiological changes such as hormonal changes and significant changes to sleep patterns."

As an EMS helicopter pilot on the night shift in Moab, Utah, Dave Ballard likes the challenge of getting places that are hard to get. He’s flown on a lot of search-and-rescue missions since he started at Classic Air in 2013, but the most impactful was perhaps the one he didn’t fly – when, after an accident in a Moab canyon, his team came to rescue him.

Here's his story:
"I was working nights, so during the day in Moab there’s plenty to explore and do. About two years ago I went out with my friend and coworker, who’s a medic at Classic and also works with Grand County Search and Rescue. We were just doing some canyoneering and he was teaching me some rope work in an area called Moon Flower, where we would rappel down into the canyon and then walk back out to his truck.

We had finished the rappel and were walking out, and there was an area where there was a little steeper incline, and I misstepped and slipped, and I kept on sliding and went off about a 30-foot cliff. I broke many bones, but mostly both my feet and ankles. Plus my back and some ribs.

I got pretty tore up, but I was with the exact person you want to be with when something goes wrong. Jake got to me and stabilized me. It was surreal, because, you know, how many times have we gone into that situation to pick up somebody who’d fallen. Now being in that situation, what helped me stay calm and present was running through the flight planning: Okay, we gotta get a call out, we gotta activate everybody. And then my team that I flew with the night before, and obviously the day pilot, came in and picked me up and took care of me. And that was really comforting, knowing your own people are taking care of you.

My work family and all of Classic were there through and through. There was a time where I didn’t think I would be able to get back to flying, and Classic was always very supportive and would tell me I’d always have a place to work at Classic. They took care of me."

Dave recovered and while he isn't able to do all the things he could before his accident, he continues to fly rescue flights for Classic Air!

❣️❣️𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬:❣️❣️

The group challenged themselves to take the certification course and after a year of homework and late-night studying, we are happy to share that they have all earned their certifications. The certification course teaches administrative tasks in addition to traditional medical assistant duties like recording medical histories and obtaining vitals.

Being Certified allows a Medical Assistant to demonstrate they have the skill and knowledge to fill various roles in the medical field and can function at a higher level of competency for our patients.

"A big congrats to our certified medical assistants Halee Whitehead, Cynthia Flores, Nedra Bowen, and Brittany Osterhout," said Cassia Surgical Clinic manager Anita Solis. "We sure appreciate each of them and the things they contribute to helping us be a model health care system and provide extraordinary care."

WEEK 4 Mental Health Exercise

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky.
Conscious breathing is my anchor.
—THICH NHAT HANH

Take 10 Breaths for Relaxation
Take a moment to pause and simply pay attention to the sensation of 10 breaths for relaxation. Notice where you feel your breath. Is it through the rise and fall of your chest? Is it in the expanding and contracting of your belly? You can place your hand on your chest as you pay attention to your breath. Do this at your own pace and don’t worry if the mind wanders. Feel your body and your mind start to relax with each breath.

A HUGE congrats to Lisa Bloxham for winning the Daisy Award. Here is the nomination story:

"We arrived at the ER with my 5-year-old daughter, who had unexpectedly high blood sugar levels. There was no prior history of diabetes, and we were understandably scared and emotional.

Lisa, our nurse, entered the room like a calming presence. She explained every step of the process with meticulous detail, putting us at ease. Her calm demeanor and compassion were a lifeline during this frightening time.

When the doctor informed us that my daughter's blood sugar had soared to over 70 and she was in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), panic set in. We learned that we needed to be life-flighted to Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital in Utah, but there were critical steps to take first.

Lisa sprang into action, ensuring that everything was done efficiently. She never missed an opportunity to explain what she was doing and why. Her communication was clear, and we felt informed and supported.

Lisa's compassion extended beyond medical care. She knelt down to my daughter's eye level, speaking in the calmest voice. It made all the difference.

Lisa is more than a nurse. She a beacon of compassion. She reassured me that my daughter's condition wasn't my fault. And in caring for my daughter, she took care of our entire family.

We are profoundly grateful for Lisa Bloxham's exceptional nursing. She went above and beyond, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts.

` Sara Jarolimek

At Intermountain Healthcare we offer behavioral health services through your primary care provider. We use a team-based approach to your healthcare. We do this though programs such as Mental Health Integration, Collaborative Care, and Personalized Primary Care. These work together to address your unique healthcare needs. Mental Health Integration is a program that focuses on quickly identifying mental health concerns and connecting you to the best resources. Our focus is on helping you return to enjoying life and the relationships that make it meaningful.

It's that time of year we are spending more time outside and might take a few more bumps to the head. While you should ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET while doing anything that makes you go faster than a run, sometimes an injury is unavoidable.

Concussions happen when a sudden blow or bump to the head interrupts normal brain activity and disturbs the way your brain works; they can often occur following car accidents, falls, or other contact sports.

Concussions can leave you feeling confused, dazed, and may make it difficult to remember the events surrounding your injury. Additional symptoms may appear within the first few days after the injury occurs. Many symptoms may go away on their own, however others may indicate more serious complications. Make sure to treat your concussion like the injury it is so that you can get back to feeling and acting like yourself!

⚓️ Anchor boxes at CSI for mental health.

We enjoyed being a part of the amazing CSI - Burley STEM night! Janet Hansen and Bowen Harris taught hands-only CPR. Were you there?

College of Southern Idaho Mini-Cassia Center

We had a fun night at the Father and Family Storytelling Night last night!

🎉🎉 Retirement Celebration Alert! 🎉🎉

Hey everyone! Our beloved nurse, Melanie Bowen, is bidding farewell to Cassia Regional Hospital after an incredible 42 years of dedicated service! 🌟👩‍⚕️ Please join us for a send-off party for her today. More info below.

Melanie has been an invaluable member of our healthcare family, touching countless lives and leaving an indelible impact on our community. Her unwavering commitment, passion, and compassionate care have been nothing short of incredible. 🙌❤️

To honor this remarkable milestone, we are hosting a retirement celebration in the Evergreen Room (find us in the cafeteria area) at Cassia Regional Hospital today, from 2-4 pm. It's the perfect opportunity for all of us to express our gratitude, share memorable stories, and bid adieu to our dear colleague. 🎈🥳

Please join us in making this day extra special for Melanie. Your presence and well wishes will mean the world to her. Let's come together as a tight-knit community to celebrate the incredible achievements and dedication of a nurse who has touched so many lives throughout her remarkable career. 🌟🌷

Feel free to spread the word and invite others who have had the privilege of crossing paths with Melanie during her tenure. Let's make this a truly unforgettable send-off!

See you all soon! 🎉🎊

We (3 of our caregivers and 3 trustee board members) were proud to support Reality Town last week at Burley Junior High, Cassia County School District, along with many other businesses and community members!