Utah
Pediatric care capabilities decline nationwide, including in Southern Utah
ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — Researchers claim pediatric care capabilities are declining nationwide, with many hospitals not having full equipment or staffing for childcare units.
“If a patient or child is sick, they should go to their nearest emergency department, and they should be confident about the care they’re going to get,” said Dr. Ken Michelson, a researcher working at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “The capabilities of hospitals to provide care for children are declining. And it’s unfortunate to see, but over the past two decades, hospitals have either reduced their commitment to pediatrics or have gotten out of the business of pediatrics altogether.”
These limitations are felt in Utah. One family in St. George is celebrating their daughter’s health a year after she nearly lost her life. It was on her birthday last year that the family traveled to three hospitals across the state before receiving adequate care.
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“It’s just like sheer terror at the thought of losing a child,” said Taryn Bennion, mother of 3-year-old Penelope “Nellie” Bennion.
Last February, Bennion noticed Nellie having trouble breathing. Doctors told her she had RSV and two types of COVID. While she was rushed to the St. George Regional Hospital, just a three-minute drive away, they said they didn’t have the equipment to incubate her.
“It was so frustrating, and it got to the point where you just think, ‘Where am I supposed to go? Where do I take my child?’” Bennion said.
Nellie was then flown to Salt Lake, but Primary Children’s Hospital was full, requiring another transfer to Lehi. Bennion says she was worried whether Nellie would make it in time.
“It makes me rethink because if they don’t have the right equipment, if we don’t have what we need, then what’s the point?” Bennion asked, adding that she had chosen to live in the area due to the close proximity to the hospital. “I think that we need to change how the children are treated in hospitals. They need to get the equipment we need to actually take care of the children because they’re our legacy. They are the ones who are going to be here after we’re gone. They’re the ones who are going to inherit what we leave behind, and we need to take care of the next generation.”
2News reached out to Intermountain Health asking if they have changed or plan to update equipment in St. George and whether they expect pediatric units to be full with this year’s measles and flu outbreaks.
They said the region of Southern Utah has seen major escalations in RSV, flu, and measles cases, which may cause hospital patients to be referred to other areas. They also say they are always looking to address pediatrics in the area, but more severe cases will be referred to larger pediatric units in Salt Lake City, Lehi, or the new children’s hospital groundbreaking in Las Vegas later this year.
“St. George Regional Hospital provides high quality care to all our patients and is one of the leading hospitals in the region,” said St. George Regional Hospital. “As part of an integrated health system, we provide access to specialized care across the region to ensure that area residents have access to the best care possible.”
Nellie is now back to what her mom calls her “sassy self” and says she’s excited to meet Donald Duck at an upcoming birthday trip to Disneyland.
While the family is grateful to have her back, Bennion says they still live nervously, worried they won’t notice or fix a sickness in time.
“If it’s anything respiratory, I get paranoid,” she said. “I always in the back of my mind am wondering if it’s going to happen again. I’m kind of afraid to like leave the house nowadays because of all that that’s breaking out.”
Intermountain Health shared that it is always important to get your children seen if they show signs of fast, hard and sustained breathing.
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A Utah physician is warning that 21 data centers in various stages of development could significantly worsen air quality along the Wasatch Front.
Dr. Brian Moench, with Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said the planned data centers are cause for alarm. Each facility is expected to generate its own electricity using natural gas power plants.
While natural gas is cleaner than coal, Moench said it still produces nitrogen oxide, which contributes significantly to ozone, particulate formation, and smog.
“There’s no safe level of air pollution. All of it is harmful, even at the very lowest doses,” Moench said.
Moench said health advocates have legitimate reasons to be concerned about what the facilities could mean for public health in the region.
“There is a real legitimate concern on the part of any health advocates about what this impact will mean to the Wasatch Front and public health if all these data centers are built or even if just a few of them are, and that’s not to address the impact on the Great Salt Lake shrinking up and becoming a toxic dust bowl. That’s the next leg of this argument,” he said.
Moench also raised concerns about electronic waste. As computer chips and equipment become obsolete and are replaced, he said the volume of e-waste produced is something no one has yet addressed.
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UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
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