Medical Assistant - Cardiology

'The seagulls will find a new home': Intermountain Health, SLC mayor unveil plans for new downtown LDS Hospital. Posted: Sep 2, 2026 / 12:08 PM MDT Updated: Sep 2, 2026 / 06:29 PM MDT SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) - Plans for a new LDS Hospital campus in downtown Salt Lake City, at the site of "Sears Lake," were unveiled by Intermountain Health and the Salt Lake City mayor on Wednesday morning. Intermountain Health, LDS Hospital, and the mayor came together to discuss the new development coming to Sears Block at 754 S State Street. Heather Wall, the president of LDS Hospital, shared her excitement for the move, but began by looking back at the hospital's history in Utah. She noted that the hospital opened its doors in 1905 and "hasn't closed them since." Wall recalled that what was then called the W.H. Groves Latter-day Saints Hospital was placed in the Avenues to be above smog from coal burning lower in the valley. "LDS Hospital has been the location for a lot of the city, state, and country's firsts in medical innovation, medical technology, best-in-class patient outcomes, and we've been doing that for the last 121 years," Wall shared. Now, Intermountain Health and LDS Hospital have procured 9 acres of land on Sears Block, with the plan to build a hospital that will address community need in the area and escape the limitations of its current location. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall noted the importance of a hospital coming to this part of the city. "We've grown. Our population has grown, our economy has grown," Mendenhall explained. "And the needs of a downtown hospital are also growing, but extremely limited on the campus that they currently sit on up in our Avenues neighborhood." Wall noted that the location is centrally located, with access using nearby freeways, Utah Transit Authority buses, TRAX trains, and other modes of transportation. "There couldn't be a better location in the Salt Lake Valley for the city's first urban downtown hospital," Wall said of the new area in downtown. This location is the former site of Sears, which closed in 2018. Since then, it has been occupied by a large pit filled with water. Locals in the area often refer to the water as the Sears Lake, and Mayor Mendenhall addressed it as such with a laugh as she discussed the hospital on Wednesday. "Sure, it's the Sears Block, but it's also an iconic location that's anticipating positive change, and I know the seagulls will find a new home somewhere in downtown," Mendenhall shared. She later joked that the hospital's mascot should be a California seagull. While developing the hospital, community members and locals reached out to share comments, requests, and concerns. Wall recalled receiving a letter that led them to ask the community for guidance as they worked on plans. "They were things that we wanted to provide for our patients anyway. Things like green space on this block, things like a walkable campus, things like an outpatient pharmacy and accessibility to culinary services," she said of the requests from locals. The mayor noted that the city had a role in making sure that residents felt that the major project was considered with them in mind, and would be accessible rather than closed off nearby neighborhoods. "I really appreciate the work... of our partners at LDS Hospital and Intermountain," Mendenhall said. "...Projects of this scale are strongest when they're shaped by really thoughtful community input, and a real commitment to listening" Even local taco vendors had input, with Wall recalling that 90% of social media comments following the initial announcement were about where they would go. She stated that they worked out a design to include a culinary service space, and taco carts are welcome to park there and sell. "We're really excited to be a part of the downtown community; we're excited to add to the vibrancy and to the vitality of the downtown area," Wall added. The new LDS Hospital has been developed as a 10-story hospital building with more than 521,000 square feet of space and an attached seven-story medical office building. There will be a public plaza on the northwest corner, inviting the community to gather. "It's been an invigorating process to see the passion, the expertise, and the thoughtfulness that people have brought to the design of the new building. And you will feel it when you step through those doors and walk onto that campus to seek care," Doctor Harland Hayes, Chief Medical Officer at LDS Hospital, said. Currently, the plan for the construction is to break ground by the end of the year and work on building the hospital for the next three to five years. A timeline isn't set in stone, but Wall says they are hoping to open the hospital's doors as soon as possible. "We are grateful to the city; we are grateful to the State of Utah for partnering with us as we think through building a new hospital in this location," Wall said. "We are really excited for the next three to five years of construction, but more than that, we are really excited to open the doors to the new LDS hospital at this location" Additionally, while those already working at the LDS Hospital will maintain their roles as they move to the new campus, Wall said that new jobs will be created as new clinics and floors of the hospital are opened. "The legacy of LDS Hospital is not in the building; it's in the generations of caregivers who have given their lives and their careers to take care of the sick and the injured. And these people are coming with us, and they are going to carry that culture and that spirit of LDS Hospital to this new location," Dr. Hayes concluded. Intermountain Health notes that "no final decisions have been made" about the future use of the current Intermountain LDS Hospital in the Avenues. "It will continue to serve patients as a full-service community hospital while hospital leaders determine its long-term use when the new downtown hospital opens," Intermountain Health says.

Intermountain Health to relocate LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. By carter williams, KSL | updated - sept. 2, 2026 at 1:15 p.m. Posted - sept. 2, 2026 at 10:32 a.m. A rendering of the proposed hospital in downtown Salt Lake City. The Utah-based healthcare provider said it will be home to the new LDS Hospital. (Intermountain Health via Salt Lake City). *  *  *  *  Save Story KEY TAKEAWAYS * Intermountain Health plans to relocate LDS Hospital to downtown Salt Lake City. * The new hospital will be built on land purchased near 754 S. State. * Construction is expected to take three to five years once it begins. SALT LAKE CITY - LDS Hospital will be relocated to downtown Salt Lake City following years of speculation. However, it's unclear what's next for the old hospital site, which has been a fixture of the city's Avenues neighborhood for over a century. Intermountain Health's board officially approved the new hospital last week, which will be located on land it purchased near 754 S. State almost five years ago. The project still has some remaining planning approvals, but the healthcare provider hopes to break ground before the end of this year, officials said on Wednesday. Construction is expected to take three to five years to complete once it begins. "This is a perfect location for a healthcare campus - we are really excited about that," said Heather Wall, president of LDS Hospital, standing at the center of the open lot, pointing to its proximity to major freeways, large roads and public transit. LDS Hospital, 325 E. 8th Avenue, first opened in 1905, seeking to provide patients care away from the valley's coal-burning smog. It's grown over the past 121 years, but officials have been concerned about its facilities and its location. The neighborhood's narrow, hilly streets can be tricky for ambulances and other vehicles to navigate, especially in the winter. Intermountain Health acquired the approximately 8-acre former Sears block property in 2021, three years after the department store closed. It received rezoning approval for an "urban hospital" in 2024 and reached a development agreement with Salt Lake City to outline certain conditions for the project. Wednesday's briefing marked the first time the company has spoken publicly about the project since submitting several new renderings and other details in documents filed with Salt Lake City last month. Those outlined a multibuilding facility with the tallest building topping out at a little over 200 feet. The new campus, Wall said, will feature a 10-story hospital with more than 521,000 square feet of space, along with a seven-story medical office building. Many existing inpatient and outpatient services at LDS Hospital will also be moved to the new site, including specialized care, intensive medicine and care for women, newborns and families, such as a Level 2 neonatal intensive care unit. These services will be mostly split between the two primary buildings, said Trevor Cottam, vice president of Intermountain's Salt Lake Valley medical operations. Planning for how to transfer existing services to a new hospital i s starting to begin now that planning for the new facility is all but over. The campus will also include behavioral health options, addressing a concern brought up by the county. KSL obtained a letter that Salt Lake County leaders sent the Salt Lake City Council last week, asking it to include more behavioral health resources than LDS Hospital currently provides. It was the only hospital in Intermountain Health's network that offers inpatient behavioral health beds before new beds were added at Alta View Hospital, Wall said. She said those and other behavioral health resources will remain in the new hospital, although inpatient beds are currently slated to remain the same. It's something that could change depending on needs over time. "We will assess that as we see how the beds at Alta View are used for our patients (and) how that balances with the rest of the valley, and it will evolve," she told KSL. "We know it's going to have to." Residents previously asked for amenities like green space and an outpatient pharmacy, as well as space to allow the block's revered taco carts to remain in the area. Those are all included in the project, as many of those were included in the development agreement. In all, the project is expected to support approximately 2,000 jobs, which Intermountain Health estimates will generate more than $1.1 billion in annual economic impact. The new site should also help a growing Salt Lake City, said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. She believes options are "extremely limited" to expand the growing needs of the city within the current hospital site, but that can be fixed with the new site. "This site creates an opportunity for them to carry forward the history of their service and their medical professions in a modern hospital that's built for their growing needs and our growing needs," she said. What's next for the old hospital? Planning for how to transfer existing services to a new hospital is starting to begin now that planning for the new facility is all but over. Intermountain Health wants to open both its new hospital and medical facility at about the same time, though some services might be available before others. The company has yet to determine what it will do with its outgoing hospital in the Avenues. City leaders are curious about what's next for the Avenues. Mendenhall lauded Intermountain Health for considering neighborhood feedback on the new hospital site. She believes the healthcare provider will do the same for the outgoing site. Some services, such as internal medicine, may remain in the neighborhood, while parts of it could be redeveloped over the next few decades, Wall said. "The part that we just don't know yet is what we're going to be doing with the current main hospital," Wall said. Photos. Show All 19 Photos The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Plans for new Intermountain Health LDS Hospital in downtown Salt Lake City unveiled. Sep 2, 2026 New downtown Intermountain Health Hospital will expand access, enhance patient care, and strengthen community for generations to come Salt Lake City, UT (PRUnderground) September 3rd, 2026 New plans for the Intermountain Health LDS Hospital in downtown Salt Lake City were recently shared, marking a transformational investment in the future of healthcare for Utah residents and reaffirming a commitment to serving the community for generations to come. The new hospital will be located on an approximately eight-acre site at 745 South State Street, which was previously the longtime home to Sears retail store, which closed in 2018. The new hospital will anchor a major downtown development and provide a modern, patient-centered environment designed to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Salt Lake County, South Davis County, and the broader Intermountain region. "For more than 120 years, Intermountain LDS Hospital has been a trusted healthcare destination, serving generations of families since opening in 1905," said Heather Wall, president of Intermountain LDS Hospital. "What began as a small pioneer community hospital has grown into one of the nation's most respected healthcare facilities. The new hospital will honor that legacy while creating a foundation for the next century of extraordinary care." Following extensive analysis of community health needs in Salt Lake City, patient trends, facility requirements, and long-term growth projections, Intermountain determined that constructing a replacement hospital would provide greater value and flexibility than modernizing the existing campus, which is in a residential neighborhood in Salt Lake City's Avenues District. "We're thrilled to have a downtown Intermountain LDS Hospital built to support our thriving downtown community and the entire city with improved access to world-class healthcare," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall. "This will be a tremendous benefit and resource for all of our residents." The new hospital will be designed to deliver advanced state-of-the-art care in an urban downtown setting while creating an accessible and patient-centered environment for those receiving care along with their families, and caregivers. "This project is about preparing healthcare for the future while honoring more than 100 years of service to the community," said Wall. "The new Intermountain LDS Hospital campus will expand access, provide a modern healing environment, support economic growth, and help ensure that Salt Lake City remains home to exceptional healthcare for generations to come." Patients at the new Intermountain LDS Hospital will benefit from improved access to emergency and critical care services with convenient freeway access, including Interstate 15, Interstate 80, and Interstate 215. There are also many public transit options adjacent to the new hospital campus, which will improve access for everyone. "This is a once-in-a-generation investment in the health and well-being of our community," said Ralph Jean-Mary, president of Intermountain Health's Utah Central Market. "The new Intermountain LDS Hospital reflects our unwavering commitment to providing safe, high-quality, accessible care to residents. It will allow us to better serve patients, support our caregivers, embrace innovation, and meet the healthcare needs of the community for future generations." Intermountain Health leaders say the hospital will continue its long-standing role as a trusted healthcare provider while strengthening key service lines including trauma care, women's health, orthopedics, cancer care, intensive care, behavioral health, and newborn services. Designed with patients and caregivers at the center of every decision, the new hospital will feature advanced technology, flexible clinical spaces, and welcoming healing environments. A signature atrium and dedicated respite areas will offer patients, families, and caregivers places for reflection and renewal. Sustainability also will be a key focus, making the facility one of the most energy and water efficient healthcare buildings in the region. The new campus will include a 10-story hospital with more than 521,000 square feet of space and an attached seven-story medical office building. The development will also feature a public plaza at the northwest corner of the site, creating a welcoming gathering space that connects Main Street and State Street, enhancing the surrounding neighborhood. "Our vision extends beyond building a hospital," said Eric Liston, president of Intermountain Health's Canyons Region, which includes Utah and Idaho. "We're helping create a healthier, stronger downtown Salt Lake City. This investment supports economic growth, expands healthcare access, and contributes to a vibrant community where people can live, work, play, and thrive." The project is expected to strengthen the regional economy while supporting approximately 2,000 jobs and generating more than $1.1 billion in annual local economic impact. The new hospital will also continue Intermountain LDS Hospital's longstanding commitment to specialized care for women, newborns, and families. "Services will include an advanced Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, personalized birthing suites, maternal-fetal medicine, midwifery services, and family education programs designed to support parents before and after childbirth," said Wall. Additional services planned for the new downtown campus include a full-service emergency department, behavioral health access center, imaging center, ambulatory surgery center, endoscopy services, pharmacy, laboratory, dialysis center, 24/7 intensive care unit, orthopedic services, neurology, cardiology, pulmonary medicine, rehabilitation services, gastroenterology, urology, wound care, and other specialty programs. Intermountain Health leaders emphasized that the project would not be possible without the collaboration and support of caregivers, physicians, donors, community leaders, public officials in Salt Lake City, construction partners, and countless others who share a vision for the future of healthcare in Salt Lake City. "The story of Intermountain LDS Hospital has always been a story of community and service," said Wall. "This new hospital represents our promise that we will continue caring for families across Salt Lake County and South Davis County not only today, but for decades to come. We are building on a remarkable legacy while creating new opportunities to improve health and advance care for future generations." Construction planning and development activities for the hospital are currently underway with work to prepare the site for the building project. Additional details regarding project milestones and timelines will be announced as they become available later this year. No final decisions have been made regarding the future use of the current Intermountain LDS Hospital campus in the Avenues after the new hospital opens. It will continue to serve patients as a full-service community hospital while hospital leaders determine its long-term use when the new downtown hospital opens. Press Contact. Name: Lance Madigan Phone: 801-442-3217 Email: Contact Us