Intermountain Healthcare Welcomes NYC Nurses to Help Frontline Caregivers; Adds 200 Nurses to Assist in Response to Rising COVID-19 Hospitalizations

As Utah struggles with rapidly rising cases of COVID-19 in the community, hospitalizations, and deaths, Intermountain Healthcare continues to work to add resources to support frontline caregivers to ensure high quality care is available to all patients.

As part of an extensive surge plan that Intermountain developed more than eight months ago, 31 nurses from NewYork-Presbyterian have arrived and are now working in Intermountain’s ICUs, emergency departments, and medical/surgical units.

Last April, Intermountain deployed two COVID-19 response teams totaling 100 caregivers to assist New York City-area hospitals during that state’s major surge of COVID-19 cases. Due to a collaboration between two of the nation’s model health systems, NewYork-Presbyterian is now returning the favor and answering Utah’s call for help.

Intermountain is also hiring nearly 200 traveling nurses, adding ICU and medical/surgical beds, and allocating resources to optimize facilities and staffing as part of that long-standing surge plan.

During a Zoom news conference on Thursday morning, doctors, and nurses will discuss Intermountain’s surge plans. Nurses from New York will also discuss what it’s like working in the ICU caring for COVID-19 patients and why they are here to help Utah.