Kane County Hospital welcomes Kanab Area Chamber of Commerce for monthly luncheon

Chamber of Commerce members and guests were welcomed to the Hospital Ambulance Barn by em­ployees, Chamber Board Members … and a new ambulance! Nearly 50 at­tendees sat down to enjoy a nutritious boxed lunch provided by the Food and Nutrition Department at Kane County Hospital. Chamber Vice President Ron Thomas was the meet­ing’s MC.

Photos by Nicholas Meyeres.

KCH 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 additional expansion op­portunities. He also spoke about current and future physician recruiting. He ended by noting that the KCH mission is to provide as much top-notch healthcare as possible close to home.

Next, OR Manager Cari Giles talked about working with Revere Health and KCH providers, pointing out the hospital’s cur­rent physicians and their specialties. She also gave a surgical department update, including the fact that clinic numbers are up 37 percent YTD compared to 2024. There are 34 sur­geries scheduled between August 12 - November 6, 2025, with more to come. Recent staffing additions include a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) to support the clinic and assistant clinic manager.

Next, Dr. Michael Hewitt provided updates on sports medicine and orthopedic surgery. Said Dr. Hewitt, “Taking care of patients is an honor and a privilege.” Dietitian Brittney Johnson concluded the presentation with a discussion of the importance of microbiome gut health and its effects on overall health. She also explained what an outpa­tient dietitian does and who benefits from nutrition support.

Businesses in attendance included Best Friends Ani­mal Society, Best Friends Roadhouse & Mercantile, Brown Box Café, Buckskin Tavern, Burro Flats High Desert Lodge, Cricket’s 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. It was an enthusiastic crowd!

Visit kanabchamber.org for more information about the chamber, as well as a calendar of events.