Intermountain Healthcare: A Modern Healthcare Ecosystem

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Intermountain Healthcare: a modern healthcare ecosystem
Intermountain Healthcare, Headquartered in Salt lake City, Utah, was founded in April 1975, when the Church of Jesus Crist of Later-day Saints donated all of its hospitals to the community. IHC is a nonprofit organization. It is an example of an integrated delivery system, spanning the continuum of care. IHC is comprised of three divisions, hospitals & clinics, physicians, and health plans. It operates 22 hospitals, 185 Clinics. Its physician group includes over 1,000 doctors and its health plans insure approximately 600,000 people in the region (Intermountain Healthcare [IHC], n.d., para. 2).
In this essay, I will review key factors that shape how Intermountain Healthcare operates and delivers healthcare. These Factors include:
• The effect of rising healthcare costs on delivery of services.
• Comparing how IHC's core ideals translate into actions.
• Initiatives that continually improve quality.
• The use of informatics to improve patient outcomes.
• Responses to emerging healthcare trends.
Since 1985, the rapid rise of healthcare costs has had a ripple effect on the healthcare industry. Most of the cost increases are associated with medicines rapid advancement. Like most technological advancements, the newest treatments and most advanced diagnostic machinery have a higher cost. Understandably, patients expect the most advanced and effective treatments to be utilized for their care. The effects of rising healthcare costs are illustrated in the diagram below (Intermountain Healthcare [IHC], n.d.).

IHC has worked diligently to contain costs while improving the quality of the healthcare delivered. A report prepared by The Dartmouth Institute found that IHC ha...

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