From Deseret News archives:
Dixie medical services expanding
The Dixie Regional Medical Center, the only acute-care facility in the county, now offers open-heart surgeries and a newborn intensive care unit.
With an aging population, the $100 million medical facility is a key selling point for newcomers to the region.
Tony Collard, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in St. George, said his clients routinely ask about the hospital.
"Definitely the key concern is the level of health care and the proximity of their home to that health care," Collard said. "They want to know if they get ill, if they have a cardiovascular surgeon. They want to know exactly what type of level of health care is going to be provided and if they have to travel out of the area for specialized medical care."
The new Intermountain Healthcare medical center was the largest building project in the county's history and hosted its first open-heart surgery in December 2003.
Today, the center performs roughly 350 heart surgeries a year and anticipates heart surgeries to increase 5 percent to 7 percent annually, according to Steven Vance, director of strategic planning for IHC's southern Utah region.
The center's two campuses offer 245 beds. As of December, the hospital had an occupancy rate of 62 percent. At a 78 percent occupancy rate, Vance said, the hospital would be considered at capacity and would need to expand. That probably won't happen for another five years.
"Oftentimes people think of St. George as mainly a retirement community," Vance said, "but we're seeing population growth throughout the whole age spectrum."
While physicians are easy to recruit to the area and have little problem affording homes, mid-level hospital positions, like those for nurses, radiology technologists, respiratory therapists and laboratory technicians, are becoming harder to fill.
"These are people who make in the range of $40,000 to $50,000 a year," Draper said. "They're trained professionals. They make a better-than-average income, but they still don't make enough to be able to get into a home easily in St. George. We've had difficulty in recruiting because of housing."
At least half of the center's 2,200 positions fall in the $40,000 to $50,000 pay range, Draper said. And while there continues to be a need to recruit more nurses, she said, partnerships with three local colleges mean most of the center's nursing positions are filled.
Draper said when the facility first opened the hospital had to hire 60 out-of-state "traveling" nurses, mainly due to a flu outbreak. That number has dropped to just six.
"We feel very fortunate to have the caliber of medical staff we do have," she said.
E-mail: danderton@desnews.com
Comments
- Return to status quo in Honduras 9:58 p.m.
- UK rainfall wreaks havoc 9:57 p.m.
- World datelines 9:57 p.m.
- RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks 9:56 p.m.
- McNabb, Eagles beat Bears 9:53 p.m.
- Nobel Prize-winner credits Utah 9:45 p.m.
- Making 'journey to Bethlehem' 9:44 p.m.
- Purdue defeat's St. Joseph's 9:39 p.m.
- Super Bowl starting QBs injured 9:38 p.m.
- 'Kick the Stuffing Out of Cancer' 9:37 p.m.
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
- BYU records with win
- Jazz outlast Pistons in overtime
- Cougars turn focus to dreaded rivals
- Cougars put the fun back in football
- Former BYU professor remembered
- Kirilenko heating up for the Jazz
- Police link alcohol to murder
- Wendover airfield's legacy lost?
- Florida No. 1, TCU 4 in AP Top 25
- Buttars wants to limit gay rights laws
201 - Glenn Beck to enter politics?
184 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - BYU records with win
128 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
125 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
100 - Jazz finally win in San Antonio
98 - Utes knock off rival Aggies
93 - Huntsman pleased with Obama
87
There's a lot of reason to leave your plastic home as you shop:
I don't pretend to be an expert on global warming. I've met with...
Well played RSL. I was so pumped when they scored the equalizer, but didn't...
Congrats!
Take that. First "pro" team in Utah to win a title. What have the Jazz done?
Yes, but how many of the millions of people throughout the world who love...
What in the world do you think they are quivering in their boots about?...
Andy's a testament to perseverance in every sense of his life -- nice job!
WE DID IT ! WE WON ! RSL # 1 !!!
At least one Utah team can beat an opponent from LA and win a league title.
The Fed is nothing more than a self-derving group of bankers who took an...
All we need to do is round up the dinosaurs and subject them to confined...



You can be the first to comment on this story.