From first fascination to first medical staff president in a pandemic

With a sharpened crayon in hand, young Rod carefully shaded in his new human anatomy coloring book — a gift he requested and received when he was about seven years old. Did he realize then that this childhood obsession foreshadowed an impactful healthcare career?

“Since I was a kid, I’ve been fascinated with the human body. It’s such a miracle, how our bodies work,” said Dr. Rod D. McKinlay, a now celebrated general surgeon and bariatric surgery specialist who treats patients at St. Mark’s Hospital — Utah’s first hospital and the centerpiece of MountainStar Healthcare.

Discovering his place and specialty procedure

After thorough education and training in general surgery, Dr. McKinlay joined Rocky Mountain Associated Physicians — a practice he has dedicated himself to the past 18 years.

“I’ve loved it here ever since I joined,” Dr. McKinlay said. “There’s a great comradery amongst physicians and administrators within the practice and at St. Mark’s Hospital.”

As a general surgeon with a focus on minimally-invasive abdominal procedures, Dr. McKinlay didn’t set out to become a bariatric specialist. In fact, bariatric procedures were novel at the beginning of his career. Yet as Dr. McKinlay learned more about the concept and its life-changing results, he felt drawn to the specialty.

“Many people, despite their best dieting and weight loss efforts, live restricted professional, physical and family lives due to their weight. I’ve seen how, in addition to weight management, bariatric surgery can improve, if not eliminate, diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, acid reflux and other issues for patients,” Dr. McKinlay said. “Plus, bariatric surgeries allow me to perform advanced surgery and make a meaningful, long-lasting impact on someone’s life.”

For example, Dr. McKinlay remembers a weight loss surgery patient who had never dreamed of running a single mile before surgery, but went on to complete the St. George Marathon in 2009 — and Dr. McKinlay ran the race, as well.

Another patient felt motivated to pursue weight loss surgery so he could be more involved in his children’s lives, particularly their sporting events. Before surgery, he couldn’t comfortably attend the games; a year after surgery, and 100 lbs. lighter, the father ran the sidelines, participating as a referee.

“Seeing what people can accomplish is highly rewarding,” Dr. McKinlay said. “For me, it’s pure joy to see people have meaningful changes in their life for the better.”

Upgrading the level of care: Advancing St. Mark’s Hospital trauma services

In 2011, recognizing Dr. McKinlay as a capable, compassionate surgeon with tremendous leadership skills, Steve Bateman, St. Mark’s Hospital’s CEO at the time, approached Dr. McKinlay about advancing the hospital’s trauma services to a higher status. While he initially felt unsure if community needs justified the advancement, Dr. McKinlay determined the progression would benefit the hospital and community, and he agreed to spearhead the efforts.

“Without Dr. McKinlay, St. Mark’s would not have achieved its Level III trauma service designation, nor would its current Level II trauma service status have been achieved as rapidly and smoothly as it did,” Steve Bateman said.

After achieving Level III status, it was time for another first for Utah’s First Hospital: Level II trauma status. Dr. McKinlay arranged 24/7 on-call arrangements for the trauma surgeon, secured participation of other qualified and key physicians, and led by example by participating as an on-call trauma surgeon himself.

“He was absolutely instrumental. Without Dr. McKinlay’s reputation for excellence, fairness, seeing the big picture and leadership skills — especially among his physician colleagues — the Level II trauma center at St. Mark’s would not likely have been achieved without substantially more time and effort,” Bateman added.

Medical staff president in a pandemic: Leading with a listening ear

Dr. McKinlay’s leadership skills also made a tremendous impact while serving as medical staff president at St. Mark’s Hospital throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During a physically, mentally and emotionally taxing time in healthcare, Dr. McKinlay focused on providing support and maintaining open lines of communication.

“As a medical staff president, you’re called to work through difficult scenarios, because conflicts inevitably arise. During the pandemic, there were strong and varied opinions amongst physicians. I think if you listen to both sides of the story and give people benefit of the doubt, you can usually come to a mutually agreeable solution. More often than not, the key is stepping back to listen,” Dr. McKinlay said.

McKinlay served as medical staff president from January 2020 through December 2021.

When stepping back to look at the career, compassion and commitment of Dr. McKinlay, it is clear to see that he is a phenomenal physician!

“During my 35-year career as a hospital administrator, I never worked with a physician better in all respects (i.e., clinical skills, insistence on excellence, affability, and overall leadership skills) than Dr. McKinlay,” Bateman said.