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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Four years ago, Intermountain Health Care (IHC) was selected by the Salt Lake Organizing Committee to be the medical services provider for the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Since then, a team from IHC has been working to develop and implement a plan to deliver those medical services.
Last year, test events were held in which IHC was able to practice providing medical services at the Olympic venues. The tests went well, and feedback from the IOC Medical Commission was very positive about the medical preparations.
As the medical services provider, nearly 350 IHC employees are serving as medical volunteers. IHC and its employees are donating their services for the Olympics without compensation, as part of their nonprofit mission.
IHC is staffing 35 temporary medical clinics - one for athletes and one for spectators at each of the major Olympic venues, plus several other sites - that are providing first aid and basic care. There is also a clinic in the Athletes Village at the University of Utah staffed by the school's medical center.
Five of IHC's hospitals are designated as Olympic Hospitals ñ including LDS Hospital in Salt Lake, McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and Heber Valley Medical Center in Wasatch County. The University of Utah Medical Center is also an Olympic Hospital.
Emergency air ambulance services is also being provided by IHC Life Flight, with five high-altitude helicopters to cover the Olympic venues and surrounding area. In addition to providing medical care during the Olympics, IHC's Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, in Murray, has already been helping members of the U.S. speedskating, skiing, snowboarding, and bobsledding teams for several years. The teams use the hospital for training, preventive medicine, surgery, and rehabilitation. IHC is the Official Sports Science and Medicine Provider for U.S. Speedskating and the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
For Zions Bank, Iím Fred Ball. Iím speaking on business.
