Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital opened its doors to the new Larry H. and Gail Miller Campus in Lehi.
The newly finished hospital is the first of its kind to open with a six-state service area in over a century. Marking this significant milestone, hundreds of medical caregivers gathered Monday before the sun came up over Mount Timpanogos.
Medical staff and others danced and cheered to welcome Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital's first three patients.
Eleven-year-old Kaylee Rasmussen receives monthly infusions for a rare autoimmune disorder. She said her Primary Children's caregiver makes treatments better.
'She's really nice and super good at what she does,' Kaylee Rassmussen said.
President of the campus in Lehi, Lisa Paletta, said it is their goal to help ease the burden on children and parents by bringing the hospital closer to them.
'Having a sick child is hard enough,' Paletta said. 'But to add that burden of additional travel on top of those appointments and surgeries, and the follow up appointments in the surgeries, is just a really hard burden to bear.'
Kaylee's family said they are glad the hospital is closer to home.
'It's gonna make getting treatments a lot more convenient for mom and dad,' Cassie Rasmussen, Kaylee's mom, said.
This hospital currently has fewer beds than the Salt Lake campus, but it is built for growth.
'The hospital we are in today is actually built for a hundred beds,' Paletta said. 'So, we'll open with 66 (we'll have 34 shelved), and just as soon as we need that we will open up the other beds.'
The new Lehi campus provides nearly all the same services as the Salt Lake campus: trauma care, a helipad, an infusion center and other outpatient care.
Intermountain Healthcare said the Larry H. And Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi is part of their plan to create a national model for improving children's health.