St. George hospital expands services for cancer, seeks to reduce helicopter response times

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Intermountain Health has expanded St. George Regional Hospital's cancer and emergency services.
The cancer center now offers more specialty care, including neuro-oncology and supportive services.
A new ambulance and helicopter base aims to reduce response times by five to 10 minutes.

ST. GEORGE — Intermountain Health celebrated two expansions at the St. George Regional Hospital this week — one to its flight and ambulance services and anther to its cancer center.

A new emergency base will improve coordination and response times, while the cancer center expansion will help bring comprehensive cancer care to more southern Utah patients close to home.

Cancer center

Intermountain Health says the expansion to its cancer center is a "significant investment" in care for cancer patients in southern Utah. It provides more access to cancer specialists, has a dedicated treatment space for infusions, adds a neuro-oncology expertise and introduces new supportive care services.

"The expansion reflects Intermountain Health's ongoing commitment to meeting the growing healthcare needs of the region by ensuring patients have access to specialized cancer care without needing to leave their community," the announcement said.

Dr. Terence Rhodes, the senior medical director of oncology in the region for Intermountain Health, said it allows more specialized care and supportive services in one place.

"Cancer care is not just about treating the disease. It's about caring for the whole person. By expanding access to palliative care, survivorship services and specialized expertise, we're building a more connected continuum of care for the families we serve," he said.

Rhodes said the addition of a neuro-oncologist will strengthen and refine the care provided at the center. The neuro-oncology services will be provided by Dr. Colby Cevering, a neurologist specializing in primary brain tumors, hereditary tumors and metastatic cancers in the nervous system.

A ribbon cutting for the new cancer center was held on Wednesday.

Flight and ambulance

The new flight and ambulance base was also opened on Wednesday and adds more crews, equipment, maintenance and support spaces to the hospital's emergency department. The new facility is near the emergency department and includes a shared team area for caregivers to rest between calls, centralized supplies, and support for maintenance.

The flight and ambulance teams previously worked from multiple locations and had supplies and crews spread throughout the hospital's campus, requiring coordination between spaces. Now, Intermountain Health says each caregiver has more access to needed supplies, and the communication between flight, ambulance and other hospital teams is simplified.

With the new base, the hospital expects to get medical helicopters to patients about five to 10 minutes sooner.

Rex Jacobsen, the operations manager for Intermountain Health's flight and ambulance services in southern Utah, said those few minutes can change an outcome.

"This new space is designed to remove barriers and help our teams move faster when patients need us the most," he said.

The base will respond to emergency calls and help with inter-facility transfers within 150 miles of St. George.

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