As heart rhythm problems quietly rise across Utah, Intermountain Health is expanding specialized heart rhythm care across the state to help people get earlier diagnosis, safer treatment, and faster access to experts close to home. This article explains what arrhythmias are, why they’re called a “silent epidemic,” how Intermountain’s statewide expansion of electrophysiology services can help, and what you can do if you’re worried about your own heart rhythm.

Cardiology specialist reviewing a heart rhythm scan with a patient in a clinical setting

A Growing but Often Silent Heart Rhythm Problem in Utah

Heart rhythm disorders, known as arrhythmias, affect millions of Americans—and Utah is no exception. Many people don’t realize anything is wrong until they feel a strange flutter, a racing heartbeat while resting, or they suddenly become dizzy or short of breath.

Intermountain Health is now expanding its heart rhythm (electrophysiology) services across Utah—including Central Utah, Utah County, Salt Lake County, Davis County, Weber County, Washington County, and Cache County—to make sure people can get expert care before a silent issue becomes a serious emergency.


What Are Arrhythmias and Why Are They Called a “Silent Epidemic”?

An arrhythmia is any problem with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat. Your heart may beat:

  • Too fast (tachycardia)
  • Too slow (bradycardia)
  • Irregularly (such as atrial fibrillation, or “AFib”)

Many arrhythmias are mild and manageable, but some can raise the risk of stroke, heart failure, or sudden cardiac arrest if they’re not diagnosed and treated.

Doctor showing a heartbeat graph to a patient on a tablet
Many arrhythmias are discovered only when a doctor reviews heart rhythm tracings like ECGs or wearable monitor data.

They’re often called a silent epidemic because:

  1. Symptoms can be subtle—or completely absent.
  2. People may dismiss them as “just stress” or “getting older.”
  3. Access to heart rhythm specialists can be limited, especially outside big cities.
“We’re seeing more patients with arrhythmias than ever before, but many arrive only after a stroke, a fainting episode, or a heart failure diagnosis. Expanding access to specialized care across Utah is about catching these issues earlier, closer to home.”
— Electrophysiologist affiliated with Intermountain Health

How Intermountain Health Is Expanding Heart Rhythm Care Across Utah

To respond to the growing need, Intermountain Health is adding heart rhythm specialists (electrophysiologists) and cardiovascular experts across multiple regions:

  • Central Utah
  • Utah County
  • Salt Lake County
  • Davis County
  • Weber County
  • Washington County
  • Cache County

This expansion means patients who previously had to travel long distances—sometimes hours—to see an electrophysiologist will increasingly have access to:

  • Specialized arrhythmia clinics
  • Advanced heart rhythm testing and monitoring
  • Complex ablation procedures and device implants at key centers
  • Coordinated follow-up care closer to home
Medical team working together in a hospital setting
Coordinated teams of cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and nurses are central to comprehensive arrhythmia care.

What Expanded Electrophysiology Services Mean for Patients

The heart of this story isn’t just about new clinics—it’s about how your care can change. With broader access to electrophysiology services, more Utah patients can expect:

  1. Earlier, more accurate diagnosis
    From ECGs and echocardiograms to wearable or implantable monitors, expanded services help identify arrhythmias that might have gone unnoticed.
  2. Personalized treatment plans
    Based on your specific heart rhythm problem, history, and preferences, options may range from watchful monitoring and medications to procedures like ablation or device implantation.
  3. Closer-to-home follow-up
    Many check-ins, medication adjustments, and device checks can be done at local clinics or via virtual visits, reducing travel and time away from work or family.
Woman consulting with a doctor about heart health in a clinic
A detailed conversation with a heart specialist is often the first step to building a safe and effective plan for managing arrhythmias.

In my work with patients facing new heart rhythm diagnoses, one pattern stands out: people feel less anxious when they have a clear plan and a team they can easily reach. Geography should not be the barrier between a patient and that sense of safety—and this statewide expansion aims to shrink that gap.


Evidence-Based Approaches to Treating Arrhythmias

Modern arrhythmia care is guided by strong scientific evidence from major organizations such as the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology. Intermountain Health’s expanded services align with these guidelines, offering treatments like:

  • Medications to control heart rate or rhythm, or reduce stroke risk (for example, blood thinners in atrial fibrillation when appropriate).
  • Catheter ablation, where tiny areas of heart tissue causing abnormal electrical signals are carefully targeted and treated to restore more normal rhythm.
  • Pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) for certain slow or life-threatening fast rhythms.
  • Lifestyle and risk-factor management such as blood pressure control, sleep apnea treatment, weight management, and limiting tobacco and excessive alcohol.
During some procedures, specialists use detailed rhythm mapping systems to pinpoint and treat problematic electrical pathways in the heart.
“Catheter ablation and guideline-directed medications have transformed outcomes for many arrhythmia patients. The key is matching the right treatment to the right person at the right time.”
— Cardiovascular specialist, summarizing current clinical guidelines

Common Obstacles Patients Face—and How Statewide Access Helps

Even when someone knows something feels “off” with their heart, several barriers can delay care:

  • Travel distance to specialists, especially in rural or semi-rural communities.
  • Time away from work or caregiving responsibilities.
  • Uncertainty or fear about what tests or treatments might involve.
  • Misunderstanding symptoms as “normal” stress, aging, or anxiety.

By placing more specialists throughout Central, Northern, and Southern Utah, Intermountain Health’s expansion can help:

  1. Shorten wait times for initial consults and follow-ups.
  2. Reduce travel time and costs by keeping many visits local.
  3. Encourage earlier evaluation, since getting to a clinic feels more manageable.
  4. Support coordinated care between primary care, general cardiology, and electrophysiology.

One patient I worked with had ignored intermittent palpitations for months because the nearest major heart center felt “too far” to visit for “something that might be nothing.” When a nearby clinic added arrhythmia services, they finally made an appointment. Testing showed atrial fibrillation, and starting treatment significantly lowered their estimated stroke risk. Access changed their trajectory.


What to Do if You’re Worried About Your Heart Rhythm

If you live in Utah—especially in Central Utah, Utah County, Salt Lake County, Davis County, Weber County, Washington County, or Cache County—and you’re concerned about a possible arrhythmia, here are practical, evidence-informed steps you can take:

  1. Pay attention to your symptoms
    Note any palpitations, racing or pounding heart, irregular beats, chest discomfort, dizziness, shortness of breath, or fainting. Write down:
    • When it happens
    • How long it lasts
    • What you were doing at the time
  2. Talk with a healthcare provider
    Start with your primary care clinician or directly with a cardiologist if you already have one. Ask whether you should be referred to an electrophysiologist within the Intermountain Health network.
  3. Ask about appropriate tests
    Depending on your situation, this might include:
    • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
    • Holter or event monitor
    • Echocardiogram
    • Blood work to check for contributing conditions
  4. Consider wearable devices as a supplement, not a replacement
    Some smartwatches and phone-based ECG devices can help detect irregular rhythms, but they’re not a substitute for formal medical evaluation. If your device flags an issue, share that data with your doctor.
  5. Address lifestyle factors that affect heart rhythm
    Evidence supports:
    • Managing blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol
    • Getting screened and treated for sleep apnea if you snore or feel very tired
    • Limiting alcohol and avoiding tobacco
    • Maintaining a healthy weight and moving regularly, as advised by your clinician

Before and After: How Access to Arrhythmia Care Can Change a Patient’s Journey

While everyone’s story is different, this simplified “before and after” scenario highlights how expanded care can make a difference.

Before Local Electrophysiology Access

  • Patient notices palpitations and fatigue for months.
  • Delays evaluation due to long drive to a major heart center.
  • Eventually presents to the ER with shortness of breath and is found to have atrial fibrillation and early heart failure.
  • Starts treatment later than ideal, after significant symptoms affect daily life.

After Statewide Expansion of Services

  • Patient notices similar palpitations but has a clinic with arrhythmia services 30 minutes away.
  • Sees a provider promptly; monitoring confirms atrial fibrillation.
  • Starts guideline-based treatment earlier, reducing estimated stroke risk.
  • Ongoing follow-ups occur mostly at the nearby clinic, with occasional visits to a larger center for specialized procedures if needed.

Not every case will be this clear-cut, and no health system can prevent every complication. But easier access to specialized heart rhythm care increases the chances that problems will be caught and managed before they become crises.


Moving Forward: Listening to Your Heart and Using the Care Around You

The expansion of Intermountain Health’s arrhythmia and cardiovascular services across Utah is a meaningful response to a real and growing problem. While it doesn’t guarantee any single person a specific outcome, it does make it more realistic for thousands of Utahns to access:

  • Earlier evaluation of worrisome heart rhythm symptoms
  • Evidence-based arrhythmia treatments matched to their needs
  • Coordinated follow-up care that fits into everyday life

If something about your heartbeat doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to wait for a crisis to “deserve” care. Talk with a healthcare provider, ask about heart rhythm evaluation, and, if you’re in Utah, find out what services are now available closer to your home within the Intermountain Health network.

Your heart’s rhythm is one of your body’s most fundamental signals. Paying attention to it—and using the expanding resources around you—is a powerful step toward protecting your long-term health.