SALT LAKE CITY — Intermountain Healthcare last month announced its promise to create the nation’s model health system for children with innovative projects, programs, and facilities that serve kids the Intermountain West. Intermountain has dedicated $500 million to the plan, which also inspired a generous $50 million gift from Utah businesswoman, Utah Jazz owner, and philanthropist Gail Miller and the Miller family.
The new system is a collaboration of Intermountain Healthcare, Primary Children’s Hospital, and University of Utah Health.
Here are some of the ways the new model health system will help kids:
Address kids’ health needs before they get sick
- Kids experiencing traumatic events will be able to access help that can lower their risk for health issues later in life.
- Traumatic events don’t only affect a child’s mental health. They also put kids at far greater risk for developing disease, including heart disease and cancer.
- A Healthy Kids program will help kids experiencing traumatic events, and include partnerships with Utah schools and community groups.
Expand mental and behavioral health services
- This will include new locations, call centers, telehealth and response capabilities.
- It also will include collaborations with community organizations.
Build a second Primary Children’s Hospital campus in Lehi
- A second Primary Children’s campus will be built near 3300 West and 2100 North in Lehi.
- It will be 38 acres, and feature five floors, 66 beds, and a three-story medical office building, with a combined 468,000 square feet.
- Services will include pediatric trauma and emergency services, a newborn intensive care unit, a medical and surgical unit, inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services, infusion, imaging services, and more.
- The additional Primary Children’s campus will open in 2023.
Expand the Primary Children’s care network
- Families who live in other areas in Utah and surrounding states will receive better access to Primary Children’s services. TeleHealth technologies will expand to bring Primary Children’s expertise to other hospitals, and pediatric emergency clinicians will be more accessible in rural areas.
Strengthen Primary Children’s Hospital
- With University of Utah pediatric specialists, a new Fetal Center will allow expectant mothers to receive care for their unborn babies — including fetal surgeries to help babies thrive after birth.
- Upgrades to the Primary Children’s cancer treatment center and newborn ICU will promote excellent care in ideal healing environments.
- Research with University of Utah Health at the new Primary Children’s Center for Personalized Medicine will bring life-changing treatments to children with devastating diseases.
More information: intermountainhealthcare.org
