The University of Utah just scored a massive $75 million donation from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, paving the way for a new 800,000-square-foot hospital and medical campus in West Valley City. This marks a significant milestone as it will be the first off-campus inpatient hospital in the university’s long history.
This project is part of a larger $855 million initiative aimed at improving healthcare for over 725,000 people living west of I-15. This area currently struggles with shorter life expectancies and higher rates of diseases like diabetes and heart-related illnesses compared to other neighborhoods.
The new health campus will host about 100 hospital beds and offer outpatient clinics focusing on specialties such as heart care, orthopedics, women’s health, pediatrics, internal medicine, and urgent care. It’s expected to handle over 341,000 outpatient visits each year and create more than 2,000 jobs in the West Valley area.
Construction is set to kick off this summer, with the multi-specialty health clinic expected to open in 2028 and the hospital rooms by 2029.
“We’re excited about this investment, which reinforces the Eccles family’s long-standing commitment to enhancing healthcare access and education across Utah,” stated Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah. The Eccles family has a rich history of supporting the university, dating back to a significant donation in 1965 that helped establish its medical library.
Spencer F. Eccles, chairman of the Eccles Foundation, emphasized the project’s importance. He remarked that the community deserves access to top-notch medical care and hopes this facility will serve as a vital resource for health and education, boosting economic opportunities as well.
Looking at the history, the Eccles family has contributed nearly $1 billion in grants since 1982 to various causes in Utah, including health, education, and the arts. Their legacy continues to shape healthcare and education in the region and stands as a testament to their commitment to community development.
In today’s context, healthcare accessibility remains a pressing issue nationwide, especially highlighted during the recent pandemic. Areas like West Valley City often face barriers to receiving quality medical care, making initiatives like this critically important.
Overall, this monumental gift isn’t just about building a hospital; it’s about providing hope, better health outcomes, and economic growth for the community in the years to come.
Check out this related article: NC State Welcomes New Chancellor: A Bright Future for North Carolina’s Largest Public University
Source linkUniversity of Utah,Spencer F. Eccles,the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation,Higher education philanthropy
