Garfield Memorial Hospital begins a new era with DeAnn Brown as the new administrator. She is pleased to take over the reins of a hospital that has been managed so successfully by past administrators, as many in the IHC offices point to Garfield Memorial as an example of the best way to do things in a small hospital. She doesn’t believe she will make any sweeping changes because the team at the hospital has worked well together, and she believes that will continue.
DeAnn Robinson Brown was born in California but moved back to Utah as a small child when her father got a job as a government trapper. She grew up in Paragonah and attended school in Parowan, graduating from Parowan High School. She knew early in life that she wanted to be a nurse and so attended school in Cedar City and St. George, graduating from the Weber State Nursing Program. DeAnn was always improving her skills and later earned her Bachelors from Wesminister, then a Masters Degree from UNLV in Las Vegas, in Nursing Leadership. She worked with a friend and received her Nurse Midwifery certification which allowed her to deliver babies at Garfield Memorial Hospital. DeAnn completed her schooling by earning a Doctorate of Nursing in 2017 from the University of Utah.
DeAnn married Robert (Hazard) Brown who worked for the Utah Department of Transportation. He came home one day asking if she would like to move to Panguitch. Coming from a small town, DeAnn found that agreeable and they started a new life on River Lane. Not getting children of their own, DeAnn and Hazard adopted two boys, Clayton and Carson, who both attended school in Panguitch and graduated from Panguitch High School.
DeAnn would like to continue the great legacy of Garfield Memorial Hospital. She stated, “Each year the hospital gets busier. We depend a lot on the tourism in Garfield County and the tourism depends on the hospital. Bus companies call to see if we have a hospital before they will stay overnight in the county.”
She is pleased with the modern changes in the medical field stating, “Telehealth is one way patients are still being seen when traveling to the doctor is an inconvenience. We can provide that service. We have four great doctors and an outstanding nursing staff. The support personnel at the hospital are the best and together we make a great team.”
DeAnn feels that the long term care is an important component of the Garfield Memorial overall health strategy. People want to be close to their loved ones, and in Panguitch, they can be cared for when it becomes something the family is not able to do any longer.
In the future the hospital staff would like to add another operating room. The current operating room has some ventilation problems and in the process of getting that repaired they would like to add another operating room in case they had an emergency while Dr. Mooney was performing a surgery.
These endeavors are assisted by the Garfield Memorial Thrift Store which is run by volunteers and provides money for needed equipment and services. The Hospital Foundation, of which the thrift store is a part, raises money that allows the hospital to expand its services. The foundation has a yearly golf tournament in July and a Foundation dinner which will be held August 25, at Ruby’s Inn. In the next two years their goal is to raise enough money to equip the new operating room.
Employees at the hospital are very important. They currently employ 140 people, many of whom have come from this area. DeAnn believes it is best to grow your own employees as not everyone is happy living in a small town. Those who grow up here adapt well to working in the hospital. The hospital gives some scholarships to deserving students who would like to have a career in the medical field. Returning students find good paying jobs and great benefits when hired at the hospital.
DeAnn Brown takes over the reins of the hospital from Alberto Vasquez, who did an outstanding job of running the hospital for 18 years. Alberto is now retired and leaves a lasting legacy of monumental service in Garfield County.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: DeAnn Brown is the new administrator for the hospital in Garfield County. Courtesy of Garfield Memorial.