MountainStar Healthcare announces expansions to its No. Utah facilities

Brice Wallace

Mountainstar Healthcare has announced a group of additions to its care site portfolio in Northern Utah.

The additions include a new emergency room in Syracuse, urgent care centers in West Point and American Fork, and expansions and renovations at Brigham City Community Hospital and Mountain View Hospital in Payson.

The changes add to previously announced expansions at two Salt Lake County hospitals — St. Mark’s Hospital and Lone Peak Hospital — and two new HCA Healthcare Centers for Clinical Advancement in Ogden and Draper that will use technology to train nurses and other clinicians.

“With Utah’s continued growth, we are making smart choices about how we can better serve the people of the Beehive State by enhancing our care network,” said Greg Angle, MountainStar president. “We’re adding access points, improving continuity of care, and bringing the knowledge and best practices from HCA Healthcare’s 35 million annual patient interactions to the communities we live in and love.”

The new ER in Syracuse, an off-campus department of Ogden Regional Medical Center, is expected to open late this year. The 14,000-square-foot facility will bring the number of MountainStar’s emergency departments in Utah to 14, including at eight hospitals and six off-campus emergency centers.

“So often with emergency care, every second matters in terms of getting the patients in the right hands,” said Dr. Filip Roos, MountainStar’s chief medical officer. “Having these freestanding emergency centers in communities throughout Northern Utah enables us to better serve families that otherwise would have to travel farther for that type of care. When you’re hurting or sick, having emergency care five minutes away from your front door instead of 20 minutes away makes a big difference.”

Two other emergency centers opened in October: Lone Peak Hospital’s Herriman Emergency Center and Timpanogos Regional Hospital’s Westlake Emergency Center in Lehi/Saratoga Springs.

The urgent care centers in West Point, which was scheduled to open in December, and American Fork, opening in early 2023, bring the total of Utah CareNow locations to nine. All have been added to the MountainStar network in the past 24 months.

“Whether it’s a sprained ankle, a pesky sinus infection or a quick test, sometimes we all need care that’s convenient, close to home and more affordable,” said Jen Wagenaar, MountainStar’s chief nursing executive. “The CareNow network helps us treat patients with minor injuries, illnesses and non-life-threatening medical conditions.”

Brigham City Community Hospital recently completed a major operating room expansion and upgrade. Payson’s Mountain View Hospital just began work on its own O.R. renovation and upgrade. It is a $25 million project that will modernize and expand surgical capabilities at the 124-bed facility.

“By making these upgrades, we’re able to combine the best of both worlds: the devotion of community hospitals with deep ties to the families they serve, coupled with the latest in surgical technology that can accelerate recovery and improve patient outcomes,” Roos said. “By upgrading our capabilities at the north and south ends of the Wasatch Front, we’re ensuring that more Utahns are close to the cutting-edge technology and high-quality care we’re known for.”

The Centers for Clinical Advancement in Ogden and Draper will offer continuing education for existing colleagues as well as orientation and training for newly hired nurses and technicians. HCA Healthcare’s Center for Clinical Advancement now has 14 locations, including these two Utah centers.

“These centers couldn’t come at a better time, as there is such a need to prepare and up-train more clinicians in the face of a national nursing shortage,” Wagenaar said. “We’ve been working with leaders here in Utah to bring more passionate people into a career path as caregivers. This is our way of showing up to help nurture the pipeline of future nurses and technicians in the Mountain West.”

MountainStar’s network handles about 1 million patient interactions each year. It has eight hospitals from Logan to Payson and more than 60 care sites in all. It is part of Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, which has 182 hospitals and approximately 2,200 ambulatory sites of care.

“Healthcare needs in our state are evolving rapidly as our communities grow and change,” Angle said. “We’re working to give more Utahns access to our award-winning network and respond to changes in the way people seek and receive care.”

MountainStar also has partnered with Envision Radiology to bring high-quality, affordable diagnostic capabilities to community-based imaging centers. Two Envision Imaging locations opened last year in Draper and Bountiful.

Other projects underway include a new patient tower at St. Mark’s Hospital. It will add 125,000 square feet of space to the hospital, and the project also includes a renovation of 42,000 square feet of existing space. It is scheduled for completion in 2023. Lone Peak Hospital’s multi-year expansion effort is also nearing completion. The Draper hospital will nearly double its bed count with a new addition that includes more than 60,000 square feet of new or renovated space. As part of the expansion, Lone Peak will now feature a 12-bed post-anesthesia care unit, an expanded O.R., new laboratory and pharmacy facilities, and improved kitchen and dining areas, among other improvements.

MountainStar representatives say Utahns can expect to see more announcements as the network keeps pace with one of the nation’s fastest-growing states.