Utah Navajo Health Systems, Blue Mtn Hospital win health honors

Blue Mountain Hospital (BMH) and Utah Navajo Health System, Inc. (UNHS) were honored at the Rural Health Association of Utah’s annual conference, on December 1 at Dixie State University, in St. George, UT.
BMH and UNHS were both recipients of the 2017 Clinical Training in Rural Utah Award for their contributions to rural health in Utah, according to Rita Osborn, Director of the Rural Health Association of Utah.
The Award was bestowed upon Blue Mountain Hospital in recognition of its commitment to training future healthcare providers.
From pre-health students to medical residents, Blue Mountain Hospital has opened its doors and provided training opportunities to students from all over the country and especially to students from Utah who want to serve rural Utah.
Logan Monson, RN, Assistant Director of Clinical Services accepted the award on behalf of BMH.
UNHS was also honored for its commitment and accomplishments working with graduate healthcare students, as they pursue their future career, and along the way develop a commitment to serving rural communities.
Through this, UNHS educates health providers to be culturally sensitive and self-empowered. UNHS Dental Director Dr. Brian F. Olsen, DDS accepted the award for UNHS.
The awards were presented by Dr. Mike Magill, MD, who specifically mentioned that the real “stars of the show in rural areas” are these two facilities helping in education and in health.
Not only do these facilities serve those individuals facing poverty, low health outcomes, and food insecurity, but they work diligently to educate future healthcare providers with a passion for rural medicine, Magill explained.
UNHS started in 2000 with a mere 20 employees and one physician, and has since grown to more than 300 employees in primary care, dental, behavioral health, optometry, specialties, and telehealth programs.
Blue Mountain Hospital, in Blanding, is an eleven-bed Critical Access Hospital, providing needed care to residents and visitors of San Juan County.