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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
On Monday, I spoke about Utah's oldest hospital. Today, I'd like to mention the newest. It is Mountain West Medical Center in Tooele County.
As I mentioned earlier this week, hospitals across the nation are celebrating National Hospital Week. It seems fitting then that this new hospital officially opens its doors today for patients.
Mountain West Medical Center represents a $20 million dollar investment by Community Health Systems, a leading provider of non-urban acute healthcare services. The new hospital more than doubles the size of the facility it replaces, which is Tooele Valley Medical Center located three miles away.
The new hospital covers more than 75,000 square feet and offers 35 beds. Some of its improvements include CT and MRI equipment, nuclear medicine and full digital radiology imaging, an additional operating room, expanded emergency room and outpatient services and a meeting room, which will be used for public education purposes. In addition, the hospital features enhanced obstetrics facilities to provide new fetal and pediatric monitors as well as home-like birthing suites. The hospital has also added specially selected physicians and employees to its staff.
All this week, patients have been transferred over from Tooele Valley. With Mountain West now in operation, Tooele Valley will close its doors today after 50 years and no longer receive patients.
Earlier this month, Mountain West celebrated its opening with a series of open houses and festivities. Area residents enjoyed a variety of free screenings for blood pressure and blood sugar. There were also hands-on demonstrations of some of the new medical equipment, including digital radiology imaging. And some of the area's new and expectant mothers were give a tour of the hospital's obstetrics facilities.
Brent Cope, CEO of Mountain West Medical Center, said, "We are thrilled to open our doors to the area communities and their families and to all who have helped make this top-quality hospital become a reality."
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
