Utah Navajo Health System and Blue Mountain Hospital merge

by David Boyle
News Director
Employees, leaders and community members gathered on November 4 for a celebration of the merger of Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH) with Utah Navajo Health System (UNHS).
The event featured lunch for employees and the community as well as a performance by the Ryedale Largo Dance Group.
UNHS CEO Michael Jensen described the merger as more than a business decision.
“It really is a coming together of the minds of our missions and the talents of both organizations in very special ways so that we can help serve our communities better and more efficiently than we’ve been able to do in the past.”
Jeremy Lyman has served as CEO of Blue Mountain Hospital for nearly 10 years.
Lyman added the work to open the hospital took the work of many people.
“Over the years as we worked with UNHS, they’ve been really great community partners. We treat the same patient base, we share physicians, We do a lot to work together. It’s been a long time coming for us to be able to fully integrate and merge with UNHS. So, we’re excited for the future.”
Jensen shared that in the 25 years that UNHS has operated and the over 15 years for Blue Mountain Hospital the organizations have sought to offer the best health care possible.
“But I don’t think we could fully create a robust system, one that’s much more comprehensive without this merger we’re doing today. This is going to allow us to do things that we just couldn’t do, and it is really going to be a nice benefit to our communities.”
Lyman agreed with Jensen’s assessment that the merger will result in better service.
“The patients will have more continuity of care, a better health care system, and we’re just excited for the community, for the patients. We’re grateful for all of the dedicated employees we’ve had over the years that we currently have and for our board members, who helped make the merger a reality.”
Jensen also honored board members from UNHS and BMH to make the event happen.
He added that the plan is to see and address the communities needs.
“I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I’m very optimistic that we’re going to find a lot of really exciting resources, new programs and services, maybe new healthcare facilities so that we can continue to serve the residents of San Juan County, the Navajo Nation, the Ute tribe, and those that call our healthcare facilities home.”
UNHS Board President Wilfred Jones shared a history of UNHS and the Blue Mountain Hospital. Sharing that when he came back from college to the community he was placed on the board and wondered if the health center in Blanding could be built.
“TThe first building was about three blocks down where the city line was, this was nothing but sagebrush at that time. So it’s really something to look at today. We have been working together no matter who we are to provide healthcare. So I say that thank you for the community support in one another as well as my community to work as well as the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and that I think that we were all in one’s entity to advocate for good health for our people for our total community.”
Jones recalled advocating for healthcare services in Washington DC alongside Donna Singer and Lynn Stevens including when he was barred from the senate floor because he had a turquoise necklace instead of a tie. Jones shared Senator Orrin Hatch got him on the floor and afterwards gave him the tie off his collar to make sure he had one in the future.
Jones recognized local tribal leadership’s role in building up Blue Mountain Hospital recalling the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and UNHS both put up millions of dollars to get the doors open.
Longtime Blue Mountain Hospital board member Bradley Hiatt praised administrators and staff for improving healthcare in the region.
“In order to make this work for the community and for the people in the surrounding areas. We had to do something even though there was a lot of negative negativity against this, but we had to make it happen and it did. I’m really proud of Blue Mountain Hospital merging. We worked for at least three or four years to do something like this, but the people that were the companies that we’re working with, the tribe that we’re working, you know, They didn’t really understand what this was all about and now I thinkI hope they’re thinking we should have stayed on.”
Jones added his confidence in the future of healthcare.
“We’re looking forward to providing the best healthcare in the state of Utah. Why not? Even though we’re so isolated, we can accomplish a lot. And I think that’s my dream. That’s what I hope.”
Board member Gloria Begaye added that a hospital was a goal at the inception of UNHS.
“We had a dream, a goal that we had on our board in our meeting room and we just used magic marker and butcher paper and wrote what we wanted and one of the things was the hospital and everything else mostly has been accomplished by the board members, their goals and their blessings. The blessing spirit really do work. Our prayers have been answered and will be answered for the future of the younger generation.”