Intermountain receives $50 million donation for pediatric project
INTERMOUNTAIN HEALTHCARE committed to fund at least half of a $500 million project that will bolster children-oriented programs and facilities, spurring a $50 million donation.
Salt Lake City-based Intermountain aims to build a second Primary Children’s Hospital campus in Lehi, Utah; expand telemedicine and digital services; increase the number of pediatric emergency clinicians in rural areas; grow Primary Children’s Hospital and its services in Salt Lake; and add behavioral health services.
Intermountain said it will fund at least half of the $500 million and tasked its foundation to raise the rest of the money. Gail Miller, who is chair of Intermountain’s board and owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of Cos. that includes the Utah Jazz basketball team, pledged $50 million.
Primary Children’s is the only pediatric hospital in the Intermountain West, which spans more than 400,000 square miles, said Katy Welkie, CEO of Primary Children’s and vice president of Intermountain’s Children’s Health.
“Last winter, Primary Children’s had more patients than beds,” Welkie said, adding that the population is growing in Utah, particularly in the Lehi area. “That indicated a need to expand.”
The hospital reported to CMS that its operating profit in 2018 was $106 million on operating revenue of
$664 million, which resulted in an operating margin of 16%, according to Modern Healthcare Metrics.
The second pediatric hospital in Lehi will feature 66 beds across five stories.
Primary Children’s in Salt Lake will expand its cancer treatment center and its pediatric research with University of Utah Health, as well as its Level 4 neonatal intensive-care unit. Intermountain also plans to develop an advanced fetal-care center that will offer in-utero treatments such as fetal surgery.