Yoon Ju Kim-Butterfield, MD

Yoon Kim-Butterfield, MD, is hospital physician at Intermountain Health's Alta View Hospital and Riverton Hospital. She loves caring for patients with complex medical and social needs, and finds it rewarding to help patients and families feel supported and understood during hard times. That might mean caring for someone who is seriously ill in the hospital, helping a patient move safely from one care setting to the next, or tackling barriers like getting medications or finding safe housing. She believes careful listening, strong teamwork, and clear communication can make a big difference in each of these situations.

Her clinical interests include hospital medicine and transitions of care, health equity, and the social factors that affect health. She is also interested in Medicaid policy and quality improvement, care for people involved in the justice system and those returning to their communities, and community-based ways to improve access to care.

As a physician, Dr. Kim-Butterfield believes every patient deserves care that is compassionate, based on proven medicine, and respectful of their life story and circumstances. She sees her role as more than treating illness. She works to build trust, remove barriers to care, and walk alongside her patients through their healing journey.

Dr. Kim-Butterfield sees medicine as a partnership. She believes in clear, honest communication and in making decisions together based on each patient's goals and values. She pays attention to both the medical and social sides of health so her patients feel seen, heard, and supported. She is fluent in Spanish and Korean.

Dr. Kim-Butterfield grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Outside of work, she loves spending time with her husband and two sons. They enjoy hiking, skiing, camping, and cooking together. She also volunteers with local food justice groups and likes sharing her Korean heritage through family recipes like kimchi.