New surgical tower at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital made possible through generous community donations to the 2023 Jubilee of Trees community fundraiser.

(PRUnderground) February 5th, 2025

Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital leaders broke ground on a new surgical services tower expansion to help meet the growing needs of area residents and the millions of tourists and adventurers that venture to the national parks and scenic outdoor red rock country.

The new space will house additional operating rooms and state-of-the-art surgical services were made possible through generous community donations to the 2023 Jubilee of Trees community fundraiser.

St. George is Utah’s third-fastest-growing city and is in an area with the highest percentage of seniors in the state.

Additionally, Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital is a Level II trauma center, which requires 24-hour trauma services and surgical coverage by general and specialty surgeons, including cardiology, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology, and critical care.

“As we strive to fulfill our mission to help people live the healthiest lives possible, we continuously work to address the changing needs of our community,” said Natalie Ashby, president of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “We’ve seen tremendous growth in our area and are so pleased to begin this expansion of our surgical services to meet the needs of our increasing population.”

“The hospital has been adding up to seven new surgeons every year to meet rising demand for services. Additional space and technology, however, is needed to keep pace and optimally serve the community,” she added.

“We are excited to begin construction on this surgical expansion,” said Patrick Carroll, MD, chief medical officer of Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “We have incredible surgeons, anesthesiologists, and surgical staff. This expansion will allow us to care for more patients with shorter wait times. We are committed to the health and wellbeing of our community and always strive to provide access to world-class care.

Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital cares for patients from the community, as well as outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe.

This also leads to numerous trauma events that can send people into the hospital for critical surgical care needed.

Karen Conner of Lander, Wyoming, was one of those.

As a critical care nurse for 28 years, Conner never thought she would be on the other side of trauma care, but that’s exactly what happened in April 2023.

What started out as a leisurely walk that April day along a dirt road in La Verkin, Utah, with her husband and three dogs ended with Conner being flown in an Intermountain Life Flight helicopter to the trauma center at Intermountain St. George Hospital.

Conner had smelled something foul by a cliff side and went to check it out, when she tripped on a rock, fell, and slid down the side – headfirst – falling more than 40 feet. Only a small rock and a bush on a ledge kept her from falling further below into the Virgin River.

Her spine and neck were broken in multiple places. She fractured several bones in her right leg and left ankle, as well as receiving a serious head injury, cuts, and bruises.

“I felt very grateful I was still alive and not paralyzed,” said Conner. “Intermountain Health did a great job putting a mess back together.”

Conner still drives eight hours for her post-hospitalization care. Including this past September for follow-up surgery on one of her knees.

“I had to have complex surgery. They knew what was performed and it was important to continue the continuum of care,” Conner said. “Trauma surgery is not always the easiest. The trauma program in St. George is pretty advanced compared to other parts of the country.”

Proceeds from the Jubilee of Trees community fundraiser are helping to build the new space, which will improve patient access to needed surgeries. Proceeds also support technology upgrades to allow more precise, less invasive surgical procedures that yield better outcomes and shorter healing times.

“Our community steps up and helps each other,” said Loriana De Crescenzo, executive director of the Intermountain Foundation at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. “We are truly blessed to be a part of a community that embodies the spirit of giving.”

The generosity of the community has been vital to the recent opening of the partial hospitalization program for pediatrics behavioral health, neuroscience services, cancer care, and establishing Intermountain Life Flight services in St. George, in additions to numerous other contributions.

The annual Jubilee of Trees, hosted by the Intermountain Foundation at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital, has raised funds to advance community medical services at the hospital since 1983.

NOTE TO MEDIA: Images available upon request.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health 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://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.

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