Cedar City Hospital Offers Expansive Surgical Options and Exceptional Outcomes

Cedar City residents have access to a wide range of surgical services close to home, thanks to Intermountain Health Cedar City Hospital. On a recent appearance on KSUB’s Big Picture Morning Show, Shawn Garfield, RN and Nurse Manager for Surgical Services, shared details about the hospital’s capabilities and growth.

Cedar City residents have access to a wide range of surgical services close to home, thanks to Intermountain Health Cedar City Hospital. On a recent appearance on KSUB’s Big Picture Morning Show, Shawn Garfield, RN and Nurse Manager for Surgical Services, shared details about the hospital’s capabilities and growth.

Garfield noted that Cedar City Hospital performs sinus surgeries, tonsillectomies, ear tubes, and procedures to evaluate neck masses. Orthopedic surgeries offered range from knee and shoulder scopes to total joint replacements. “We do total knees, total hips, total shoulder replacements… one of our podiatrists… actually does a total ankle, which is a fairly new procedure.”

The hospital now performs same-day total knee replacements. “You have the surgery and generally within 3 to 4 hours you’re going home,” Garfield explained. “We’ve found that patients do a lot better recovering at home rather than in the hospital.”

Cedar City Hospital Has Exceptional Low Rate Of Infection

The hospital's infection rate for total joint replacements is exceptionally low. “The national average is 2.5% and we are at .04%,” Garfield said. He credits this success to thorough patient preparation and strict surgical hygiene. “We do a Chlorhexidine scrub… you wipe the area down… cleanliness is probably the biggest key.”

A key part of that preparation is the Total Joint Class. “We make sure that the patients are the best prepared they can be going into the surgery,” Garfield said. “If you’re not strong going into it, you’re probably not going to do as well.”

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In addition to scheduled procedures, Garfield confirmed they handle many emergency surgeries, including gallbladder removals, appendectomies, and fracture repairs.

Garfield has worked at the hospital for 18 years and says his favorite part is “the people. We see people at their worst. To be able to make a little bit of a difference… that’s what makes it worth it.”

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You can hear the entire discussion with Garfield in the podcast below.