August Lunch at Kane County Hospital

Chamber of Commerce members were warmly welcomed to the Hospital Ambulance Barn by employees, Chamber Board Members, and a brand new ambulance! Guests were encouraged to tour the inside of the ambulance before the meeting began, and many took the opportunity to do so. We then gathered inside of the barn for lunch.

It was standing room only with nearly 50 attendees, excited for the presentation. The Food & Nutrition Department at Kane County Hospital provided a wonderful, nutritious boxed lunch for everyone. Chamber Vice President Ron Thomas was our MC.

Chief Executive Officer Kurt Loveless spoke at length about expanding care at the hospital after renovations. This includes new surgery suites, clinical services like IV therapy, dialysis, and chemotherapy; a sleep study center, as well as future expansion opportunities. He also spoke of current and future physician recruiting. He ended by exclaiming that the KCH mission is to provide as much top notch healthcare as possible close to home.

Next up OR Manager Cari Giles talked about working with revere health and KCH providers. She went into great detail about all of the current physicians, their specialties, and what they offer. She also gave a surgical department update.

This update included the fact that the clinic numbers are up 37% YTD compared to 2024, and that their goal is a 40% increase in surgeries from 2024 to end of 2025. There are 34 surgeries scheduled between Aug 12 - Nov 6, 2025, and more to come. There are also recent additions, including a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) to support the clinic and assistant clinic manager.

To round out the afternoon’s meeting, Dr. Michael Hewitt provided updates on sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. Said Dr. Hewitt, “Taking care of patients is an honor and a privilege.” And finally, dietitian Brittney Johnson discussed the importance of understanding microbiome gut health and its effects on the brain, as well as the mind. She spoke of what an outpatient dietitian does, and who benefits from nutrition support. She also mentioned ‘success in action’ stories that she has personally experienced at KCH.

Businesses in attendance were Best Friends Animal Society, Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile, Brown Box Café, Buckskin Tavern, Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, Crickets Creations, all three Kane County Commissioners, Dark Sky RV Campground, East Zion Adventures, ERA Utah Properties, Gus Thomas Photography, Hampton Inn, Hirschi Electric, Kanab City, Kanab Create, Kane County, Rascal Rodeo, Ron’s Fresh Baked, Southern Utah News, Kanab Healthcare, Stellar Vista Observatory, Utah Dept of Workforce Services, MACU, Kane County Hospital, Cliffview Chapel Baptist Church, Raven’s Heart Gallery, Road Eazy, Barrett Financial, Town of Fredonia, Rafter H, Healing Strong, Sun Moon Healing, Hughes General Contractors and Santa Nicholas & Friends.

Be sure to save the dates for our August Chamber Breakfast at Parry Lodge at 8 AM on August 19th, and our September Lunch at  Southwest Tech at 11:30 AM on September 11!