Intermountain Press Release

Sandy, UT —By Tim Bricker, Administrator

I'm excited to update you on some important progress on Intermountain Healthcare's new hospital campus in Riverton at 126000 South and Bangerter Highway. There is a lot of enthusiasm in the community to have this wonderful resource available to residents and people are always asking me when the hospital will open.

Let me begin by updating you on the selection of a name of the hospital. The name that has been chosen: Riverton Hospital.

Our planning team went through a detailed and comprehensive process to choose the name and it lead us right back to the choice that was simplest and clearest. We involved a lot of members of the community in the process and they're very pleased to have a name that identifies what we are and where we'll be.

Naming Process. The process of naming the hospital started with about 25 potential names. Most of our options came from a couple of sources: Geographic features (such as the nearby Oquirrh Mountains), locations (such as Riverton or the southwest valley) or historical links (such as the old Kennecott Copper Mine or names of prominent people from history). The results from all our research were astoundingly mixed. When our community advisory council went back to where we started, Riverton Hospital, emerged as a clear and self-evident choice that everyone liked. Our systemwide community Board of Trustees agreed and approved the name.

While Riverton Hospital will be physically located in Riverton, it will serve residents in communities throughout the southwest Salt Lake Valley, as well as some cities in northern Utah County.

Riverton Hospital will include in- and outpatient hospital care, a full service emergency department, a state-of-the-art women's center, a surgery center, medical office building with space for about 40 physician offices, a wonderful pediatric outpatient center that will be run by Primary Children's Medical Center, and a design that will allow us to easily expand as the communities around the hospital grow. Currently three pediatricians, an ob/gyn physician, an InstaCare, and a KidsCare are located on the site, and are doing a great job meeting the needs of the community. If you have any medical needs, please visit them at 126000 South and Bangerter Highway.

Groundbreaking this Fall. I'm excited to let you know that ground will be broken for the new hospital early this fall. We've chosen a general contractor, Jacobsen Construction, and are working on the site plan and schematic design of the buildings and campus. We continue to work closely with city officials to ensure that the look of the buildings will be consistent with the design standards established by the city. We're also working with the city to conduct a traffic study to better understand the impact the hospital will have on traffic flow in the area.

Our goal is to open the hospital in the fall of 2008.

Our community advisory council continues to be very active in implementing healthy community initiatives in Riverton, Herriman, and Bluffdale.

Healthy Herriman is holding their first event in May. Herriman residents are invited to get out and walk on Saturday, May 20, as part of Healthy Herriman's annual summer kick-off event.

Residents of all ages are invited to join the Gold Medal Mile community walk, which starts at 9 a.m. at Rose Crest Park, near 13800 South and 5600 West. Participants will have a chance to win a number of prizes including bike helmets, walking pedometers, sunscreen, Gold Medal Mile pins, and other items. For more information about the Gold Medal Mile walk, or if you'd like to help with Healthy Herriman events, please call Marilyn Steadman at (801) 254-1049.

I welcome your comments and feedback. If you have additional questions about anything in the column or about Riverton Hospital, please email me at tim.bricker@intermountainmail.org or call me at (801) 501-2600.