- St. Mark's Hospital dedicated the Holly Burke Memorial EMS Lounge on Thursday.
- The lounge honors late emergency medical services liaison Holly Burke, who died of cancer in 2023.
- CEO Matt Hasbrouck highlighted its role for collaboration education and strengthening patient care.
MILLCREEK — It may not be the largest room at St. Mark's Hospital, nor the most prominent, but dozens of first responders, family members and friends turned out Thursday for the ribbon cutting of a newly dedicated space because of who it honors.
Holly Burke was a well-loved emergency medical services liaison before she died of cancer in 2023, and hospital executives announced that her contributions to connecting ER workers and EMTs would forever be recognized at the new Holly Burke Memorial EMS Lounge.
"(It) is a space designed intentionally as a place for our first responders," said St. Mark's CEO Matt Hasbrouck. "It's a place for collaboration, education and training. It will give our EMS and hospital professionals a chance to further collaborate and learn together, share expertise, debrief cases — thus strengthening the continuity of care and improving the care and outcomes for our patients."
Burke was remembered Thursday as someone who deeply impacted those around her.
"If you know Holly and she spent any time with you, you felt like you were her best friend," said Brittney Gunther, a friend and advanced EMT with University of Utah Health.
Burke's husband was also present as she was honored.
"She wanted everybody to realize, 'live your life to the fullest,' all you can," Matt Burke said.
He cut the ribbon as the lounge opened for the first time.
"I feel it's so fitting that her contribution is being honored today with this break room bearing her name," he said.
I just hope her family knows that it's way more than a break room. It's a refuge from the storms of life that we deal with daily.
–Brittany Gunther, friend
Gunther turned emotional when talking about what the lounge meant.
"I just hope her family knows that it's way more than a break room," Gunther said. "It's a refuge from the storms of life that we deal with daily."
Burke expressed his gratitude for the hospital recognizing his late wife.
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart," he said. "As Holly would say, just continue to love life. Thank you."
