Each month, Andrea Burch, President of InterMountain Lutheran Hospital, shares insights on healthcare innovation, community wellness initiatives, and behind-the-scenes updates on how the new hospital is taking shape. From medical breakthroughs to heartfelt patient stories, this interview connects our readers with the pulse of local healthcare.
Lutheran recently earned an ‘A’ Grade from Leapfrog – what does this mean and why is it important?
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national healthcare safety and quality measurement organization that monitors patient safety at hospitals. They assign grades A through F to hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections. I’m extremely proud of our caregivers who are responsible for this achievement. To be recognized among the nation’s leading hospitals in providing the safest, highest quality care is a huge accomplishment, and a true testament to the care we provide for our patients every day. This is the 17th time Lutheran has received an “A” rating from Leapfrog. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring. This really shows the commitment of our caregivers to prioritizing processes to prevent patient harm and medical errors.
What is Lutheran doing to prepare the next generation of healthcare workers for entering the workforce?
I’m excited to share that we launched a new Student Engagement Program with Jefferson County high schools in October. Once a month through the end of the year, we welcome 20 students from local high schools to explore the diverse career paths available in healthcare. The students are divided into small groups, and they rotate through essential clinical and non-clinical departments
The program is designed to inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals, celebrate the meaningful work happening across our hospital, and build a future pipeline of talent through early exposure and connection. The students have been to various departments including clinical areas (imaging, lab, nursing and respiratory), Case Management, Nutrition Services, Facilities, Pharmacy, Security, the Sleep Center, Transport, and more.
We’ve had amazing feedback from the students so far. Some of the highlights they shared included learning about a variety of patient care environments, observing patient transport in action, discovering the Central Utility Plant building and its role in hospital operations, emergency management, and playing “Germy Jeopardy” while exploring infection prevention.
In December, they’ll learn about recruitment and current job opportunities, ask questions, meet with Talent Acquisition, and learn about career paths and tuition reimbursement programs.
We also recently had three nursing leaders participate in mock interviews for the Warren Tech Nursing Program. This was done to give the students valuable real-world experience to help prepare them for their future careers. After the students worked on their resumes and interview skills, our nurses took part in short mock interviews and a panel discussion to offer feedback and provide interview tips.
What do you do at Lutheran to train and promote entry level workers into higher positions?
We love to promote from within and foster an environment in which caregivers are encouraged to learn and grow. We want every person to reach their full potential and offer so many training and educational opportunities to allow them to do so.
One of my favorite examples of this is in our Transport department. They often serve as a launchpad for future healthcare professionals. Many members are at the beginning of their careers and are encouraged to explore various paths—from EMT roles to nursing and beyond. Chantelle Cobourn is our manager of Transport Services, and she has done a phenomenal job with her team. She encourages them to pursue their education and educates them on what other job opportunities exist in healthcare and inside the walls of our hospital. Over the past year, about 10 transporters have moved on to other roles within Intermountain. After a team member expressed interest in becoming a NICU nurse after shadowing one, she went to Chantelle. Within a week, Chantelle worked with her on a plan for the caregiver to go to nursing school.
