By Jessica Parcell | [email protected]

Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) joined the A-listers in U.S. News’ 28th annual rankings of the nation’s top healthcare facilities.

The publication ranked IMC’s Pulmonology Program as the 48th top pulmonary program in America, and also ranked it high for high-performing services for diabetes, endocrinology care, nephrology care, and urology care.

“Our teamwork with our multidisciplinary colleagues ensures we treat each patient with the best current evidence,” Denitza Blagev, director of the Schmidt Chest Clinic and a pulmonologist at Intermountain Medical Center said. “And more importantly, with the most empathy.” 

IMC compared with 4,500 other healthcare facilities in the nation in 25 different specialties, procedures, and conditions.

The medical center stands out as it is known for its exceptional focus on patient care. IMC specialists treat some of the most complex pulmonary cases, and their research program focuses on clinical outcomes.

Intermountain Medical Center administrator, Joe Mott, said what makes the IMC’s pulmonary service unique to other facilities is the digital pneumonia protocols designed to quickly identify, diagnose and treat patients with the best evidence-based treatments.

“This is great recognition for our team of physicians and caregivers in the Pulmonary Program and throughout the Intermountain Medical Center campus,” Mott said. “This is further recognition of our commitment to providing the very best care possible to our patients.”

Staff in the IMC’s Pulmonology Program are respected leaders in clinical outcomes across the nation. These specialists often collaborate with colleagues in other hospitals around the country.

The medical center’s pulmonary team is constantly finding innovative ways to improve and deliver care including: telehealth visits and remote patient monitoring, and research on how air quality affects patients.

Blagev said that of all the work they do at IMC the care of their patients in at the very center.

“We help train medical students, residents, and pulmonary and critical care fellows from the University of Utah so we can share our expertise to train the next generation of physicians,” Blagev said.