High caliber health care and professionals.
Park City is world renowned as a place where a healthy lifestyle is easy to achieve. While it’s true the local residents participate in a vast range of sports, that’s not the only reason Summit County was recently found to be one of the fittest regions in the country according Gallup. Another reason is that Utah has some of the most progressive health care systems and professionals to be found anywhere in the world.
Cancer” may be the most frightening word in the English language. But, once heard, Huntsman Cancer Institute may be the most encouraging phrase. Part of the University of Utah’s Health Care mega-consortium, Huntsman Cancer Institute is a research front- runner in the race to find cures. Dr. Randall Burt, Senior Director of Prevention and Outreach, sees a bright future for innovative methods of treatment. “Our databases of multi-generational genetic information is the most expansive and reliable in the world. Labs from around the globe request access to our data, which we gladly share. Because of this, we have been able to discover hereditary markers that make different kinds of cancers probable in a particular family or social group and begin to prevent them before they develop,” said Dr. Burt. “Further, the citizens of Utah are aligned with our efforts and willingly participate in research and clinical trials at a rate seen nowhere else.” HCI is a cancer treatment facility like no other. It feels more like a grand home than a hospital. “Cancer is the great leveler of society—it doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, where you’re from, or what you believe. Every single person in this facility is treated with equal respect, dignity, and compassion. We know that it does no good to heal the body and not care for the heart. Providing the best care possible for our patients is our inspiration and purpose,” Burt said with a smile.
Picture a cat trying to get out of a bag in your chest. That’s how sufferers of Atrial Fibrillation, or A-Fib, describe what it can feel like. One out of four people have a lifetime risk of developing these irregular heartbeats associated with palpitations, fainting, chest pain, and congestive heart failure. Fortunately, the University of Utah Medical Center has good CARMA—The Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management Center. “What makes us the world leader in research and treatment is the cooperative collaboration of groups of experts from all across the medical spectrum that are right here at the University,” said Dr. Nassir Marrouche, Executive Director of CARMA. MRI imaging and processing, software development, experimental and clinical research, administrators and volunteers are all members of the team that is working diligently to bring innovation to how A-Fib is treated. “We are currently the only research facility in the world that brings cutting-edge MRI technology into the clinical realm of A-Fib preventions and treatment,” stated Marrouche. “We want to share our knowledge with all willing research facilities so the progress through collaboration that we’ve experienced here can expand exponentially.”
Is there any other organ in our body as precious to us as our eyes? They speak volumes when we’re mute, bring us understanding when our minds are clouded, and allow others to glimpse our soul. The Moran Eye Center, headquartered at the University of Utah with clinics all over Utah, is dedicated to preserving and restoring our most valued sense: sight. “There is a synergy here that creates openings for breakthroughs in both research and clinical applications that would otherwise not be possible,” said Dr. Randall Olson, CEO of Moran. An example of this is their work on macular degeneration, the major cause of blindness in adults over age fifty. “We have an internationally renowned research and clinical team committed to finding innovative ways of diagnosing, preventing, and treating this debilitating condition,” said Olson. Further, many of Moran’s professionals volunteer their time and talents to outreach efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. Moran Ophthalmologists have carried out medical missions in over 30 countries that have given sight to individuals who would have no other way to access this care.
When you’re zooming down a ski run with the chill on your face and your mind laser focused, you have your priorities straight: forget the office and feel the thrill of your body conquering nature. In those rare cases when nature won, Park City Clinic has been close by to care for you and thousands of others for over 30 years. Recently they expanded their practice to include
all the advantages of being associated with the Intermountain Health Care Network. Dr. William Pidwell, one of the 16 health care providers at Park City Clinic, is thrilled with their recent growth. “We were the emergency care docs in town for a very long time. We continue to be your best choice for an acute sprain, break, or dislocation, and after joining with Intermountain we can now better facilitate higher levels of care at the hospital if needed. And now with our new Round Valley facility, we have an entire team focused on taking care of every member of your family for everything from preventative checkups, to internal medicine, and yes, still set your broken arm.” World-class health care doesn’t begin in the operating room, it starts in your primary care physician’s office seeing a doctor you’ve come to know as a friend and neighbor too. As Dr. Pidwell puts it, “Park City Clinic really is our family taking care of your family.”
When it comes to breast health, women today want every cutting-edge technology available to them, as well as a compassionate friend who will take 
care of them. Park City Medical Center’s Dr. Vanessa Hart is a breast care specialist with 20 years experience to her credit. “I have the mind of a scientist, the hands of a surgeon, and the heart of a friend,” said Dr. Hart. “When I look at a woman, I see a whole, beautiful being, not just a body.
Our Breast Care Center brings all the latest in science and all the compassion in our hearts under one roof.” Using the latest techniques in digital mammography, radiologists who specialize in breast care read the results onsite. If needed, minimally invasive biopsies can be performed quickly and efficiently. “Whatever the ups and downs of my client’s particular situation, I am there for them. That gives my life a great deal of meaning and gives my patients unrivaled care.”
The health care industry is a gargantuan business sector that has made independent family practices rare. Doctors Julie Dolan and Brian Rush of Mountain Family Health not only have one of these exceptional practices, but are extraordinary individuals too. “We’re not business people who happen to be physicians, we’re physicians who happen to be in business,” said Dr. Rush. “When we opened this office, we promised ourselves that we would do whatever it takes to keep our focus on the patients, not the income statement. That may cost us money, but the personal rewards of practicing medicine this way cannot be matched.” Mountain Family Health schedules longer appointments for each patient so there is time to really talk about what is bothering them. “We still believe face-to-face conversation is the best way to diagnose, prevent, and treat health care issues,” said Dolan. “We’re staying small by choice so we never have to put dollars before people.”
There’s no question that Park City supports an active lifestyle for full-time residents and visitors. The young and old play sports of every kind with near-professional enthusiasm. This athletic zeal often brings with it stresses or injuries to the musculoskeletal system, causing less than optimal performance or even pain. The physicians at Rosenberg Cooley Metcalf Orthopedic Clinic are globally recognized as experts in the treatment of orthopedic injuries or degenerative conditions. The fact that high-profile professional athletes such as Tiger Woods have sought them out attests to their brilliant skills. “We use the most current techniques to help ensure robust healing. We want our patients to return to their normal routine as quickly as possible, pain free and fully functional,” said Dr. Charles C. Lind, a specialist in hip and knee health. “Today, good orthopedic care can keep active adults on the ski runs or running trails decades longer than what their parents experienced.”
Dr. Stephanie Singer has made it her life’s purpose to help her clients achieve the healthy body and beautiful appearance they’ve always wanted. As any woman knows, being treated for feminine conditions by a female brings with it empathy a man just can’t provide. In addition to all medical procedures related to gynecology and obstetrics, Dr. Singer also counsels her patients on nutrition and exercise so they can live their healthiest possible lives. As well as her gynecological practice, she offers aesthetic treatments such as Botox, skin rejuvenation and resurfacing therapies, and laser hair removal. “Now I take care of my patients on the inside and out,” Singer smiled.
It’s been said that when we lose our money we are merely broke, but if we lose our health we are truly poor. In addition to enjoying all the benefits of Park City’s active lifestyle, the amazing network of world-class health care professionals and resources in this area ensure that we can enjoy the riches of good health.
