Utah Business has selected 10 women with enduring careers and exceptional impact, who we’ve named our “Most Influential Women.” Through their innovative efforts and inspiring examples, these women have significantly improved their workplaces, industries and Utah as a whole.
MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN: Heather Wall
LDS Hospital President | Intermountain Health
Heather Wall leads in Utah healthcare with a steady focus on what matters most: patients and the people who care for them. As president of LDS Hospital at Intermountain Health, she is responsible for aligning clinical quality, operational performance and team culture in a setting where the stakes are high and the margin for error is small. In her five years as president, she has helped shape a post-pandemic reset centered on both patient experience and sustainability.
Heather’s career spans multiple disciplines across healthcare leadership. Her combination of skills gives her a broad view of how healthcare systems function and where they break down.
“With my background in finance, clinical consulting, operations and strategy, I have a unique ability to bring together all of the moving parts of healthcare to identify areas of strength and weaknesses that benefit patients, stabilize and improve healthcare operations and strategize for what comes next in healthcare,” she says.
Her perspective has been especially critical in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many hospitals, LDS Hospital faced disruption across staffing, operations and patient expectations. Heather’s focus was not just on recovery, but on recalibration.
“I am extremely proud of the work done with and by my LDS Hospital team after the pandemic to build and focus on the things that matter most — an extraordinary clinical experience for our patients and a great work experience for our teams,” she says.
Her approach to building high-performing teams combines setting high expectations with reinforcing trust and accountability, creating an environment that fosters continuous improvement.
Earlier in her career, Heather had an experience that expanded the way she thinks about scale and impact. She worked with Intermountain Health system leaders to establish a nonprofit drug manufacturing company, building operations from the ground up and distributing medication to 1,500 hospitals. She says this experience was “stretching” and “career-changing.”
Heather’s willingness to step into unfamiliar territory continues to shape how she leads today. She shares the mindset she has developed over time with others, which is particularly valuable in an industry that is constantly evolving and under constant pressure.
“Find the world changers,” she says. “Surround yourself with them. You will be a better person and a better leader because of it. Learn from others, especially those who do not think like you. … There will be extremely difficult times in your career. This isn’t a bad thing. Whenever there is turbulence, there is opportunity.”
Heather’s leadership reflects that belief. She brings together diverse perspectives, pushes teams to think beyond immediate challenges and keeps them focused on what comes next. In a healthcare landscape defined by constant change, her ability to integrate strategy, operations and people has made her a steady and forward-looking leader.