Southern Utah community leaders, along with former and current Intermountain Health presidents, recently unveiled new permanent displays at\u00a0Intermountain Health St. George Regional Hospital<\/a>\u00a0that bring the region\u2019s medical history to life.<\/p>\n The exhibits\u00a0showcase\u00a0historic medical instruments, physician keepsakes, and preserved artifacts from those who helped shape healthcare in Washington County.<\/p>\n The new displays are\u00a0located\u00a0on the hospital\u2019s main floor and include historical artifacts that trace the evolution of care in the region over the past 100 years.<\/p>\n Natalie Ashby, current president at St. George Regional Hospital helped unveil the displays with three\u00a0previous\u00a0presidents: Mitch Cloward, Terri Kane, and Steve Wilson.\u00a0She said\u00a0this was an honor to\u00a0have\u00a0them together\u00a0as their vision\u00a0helped bring the hospital to where it is today.<\/p>\n \u201cI stand on the shoulders of giants. I am so thankful for what they did,\u201d Ashby said. \u201cWe\u2019ve\u00a0all been blessed, and I know each of them in their tenure had unique challenges. Since I have sat in this chair, each one of them\u00a0has\u00a0given me advice, counsel, and shared stories. I can never repay that.\u201d<\/p>\n The\u00a0displays\u00a0include\u00a0a\u00a0vintage\u00a0wheelchair,\u00a0a preserved nursing uniform,\u00a0surgical tools,\u00a0and notes featuring quotes and historical lessons.<\/p>\n Returning the historical items back to the hospital\u00a0required\u00a0time, persistence, and community effort.\u00a0Some were even\u00a0discovered\u00a0by sure luck\u00a0when\u00a0community members\u00a0found them\u00a0collecting\u00a0dust in a home garage. They reached out Terri Draper, a longtime caregiver from St. George Regional Hospital. Draper decided\u00a0to make it a mission to start collecting more\u00a0memorabilia\u00a0and historical items.<\/p>\n Draper, who retired from Intermountain Health this past January, was able to work with team members to get them\u00a0permanently\u00a0preserved and now on display for the public.<\/p>\n The origins of healthcare and St. George Regional Hospital date back to 1913, when Washington County Hospital first opened their doors to\u00a0the\u00a0community. Several iterations of the hospital would come as the surrounding area grew. In 1975, the hospital was part of 15 hospitals system\u00a0operated\u00a0by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church donated all the hospitals in Utah, and turned operations over to the new Intermountain Healthcare\u00a0system.<\/p>\n \u201cAs\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0grown older,\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0come to fully appreciate how difficult it was for those first pioneer families to make a settlement\u00a0in this desert community. That would have been 1860, back before air conditioning and ice cubes,\u201d said Steve Wilson, former president\u00a0at St. George Regional Hospital. \u201cI appreciate\u00a0progress. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0happen\u00a0easily;\u00a0it\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0happen\u00a0simply.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, St. George Regional Hospital has a wide, extensive campus\u00a0located\u00a0on River Road. Plaques honoring each version of the hospital\u00a0were created several years ago along the first-floor hallway. The new historical artifact displays are now in place in the same area \u2013 creating a\u00a0gallery\u00a0dedicated to honor important history.\t\t<\/p>\n \n About Intermountain Health<\/strong>\n <\/p>\n Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health<\/a><\/b> is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health<\/a> with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https:\/\/news.intermountainhealth.org\/<\/a>. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org\/<\/a> or call 801-442-2000.<\/p>\n
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