Draper families with asthmatic children now have access to the same emergency asthma treatment protocol that has prevented roughly one in four hospitalizations at Primary Children's Hospital, according to Intermountain Health data. The health system expanded the program to urgent care and KidsCare clinics across the Salt Lake Valley.

Intermountain Children's Health announced the initiative Wednesday, July 16. It standardizes how caregivers treat moderate to severe asthma attacks at every Intermountain emergency department, InstaCare, and KidsCare location in Utah, including the Draper InstaCare at 12473 South Minuteman Drive. That clinic is open seven days a week with extended hours and accepts walk-ins.

The core change: get oral steroids into a child's system before other treatments begin. Under the standardized protocol, about 70% of pediatric asthma patients in Intermountain emergency departments now receive a steroid within 60 minutes of arrival. At urgent care and KidsCare clinics statewide, more than 80% of children receive a steroid before albuterol breathing treatments start, giving the medication more time to reduce airway inflammation.

"By acting quickly, caregivers can stabilize symptoms sooner, prevent escalation and transfers that take a child far from home, and reduce the need for hospital admission," said Dr. Mike Johnson, a pediatrician in the emergency department at Primary Children's Hospital, in the announcement.

Angelene Hunt, pediatric acute care clinical program manager for Intermountain Children's Health, said the expansion means children across Utah can receive the same standard of care at any Intermountain clinic that they would get at Primary Children's.

The initiative also reaches beyond clinic walls. Intermountain has partnered with South Davis Metro Fire, which serves communities north of Salt Lake City, to administer oral steroids and breathing treatments before children arrive at the emergency department. Tanner Trujillo, director of respiratory care services operations for pediatrics at Intermountain Health, said the partnership lets first responders begin treatment in the field. Intermountain has not announced a similar partnership with fire agencies serving Draper.

For Draper residents, the closest KidsCare clinic is Alta View KidsCare in Sandy, about four miles away at 9450 South 1300 East. Cottonwood KidsCare in Murray is roughly eight miles out.

Statewide, about 5.4% of Utah children under 18 have asthma, according to the 2022-2023 National Survey of Children's Health. More than 83% of Utah children live in counties that received a failing air-quality grade from the American Lung Association's 2024 State of the Air report, a factor that can trigger attacks.

Intermountain leaders said they plan to expand the protocol across the health system's multi-state service area, though no specific timeline has been announced.