SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, March 18, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — The University of Utah on Tuesday announced a $75 million gift from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation to establish a new 800,000-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital and medical campus in West Valley City.
The gift will enable the construction of the university’s first off-campus hospital in its 175-year history and its largest multi-specialty health clinic, a news release from the U of U says.
“This expansion is a vital step in increasing health care access across Salt Lake County, ensuring that the more than 725,000 residents living west of I-15 have greater access to hospital care, where currently only one in 10 hospital beds serve the area,” the release says.
The new campus will anchor an innovative $855 million university initiative that extends beyond health care delivery, providing additional training, research, and educational opportunities and career development in health care while catalyzing economic development, the release says.
“This groundbreaking investment continues the Eccles family’s extraordinary legacy of expanding health care access and education across Utah,” said Taylor Randall, PhD, President of the University of Utah. “For 60 years, the Eccles family has offered both unwavering leadership and financial support for excellence in health care throughout the state. In fact, in 1965 a critical contribution from Spencer S. Eccles helped establish the U’s medical library, and George S. Eccles chaired the first fundraising campaign to build University of Utah Hospital in 1975.
“Most recently, the family made a monumental gift to the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine in 2021. We are so grateful to the Eccles family for their leadership in expanding access to U of U Health’s outstanding medical care, ensuring more westside communities have the high-quality health care they deserve.”
Hope Eccles, Lisa Eccles, Spencer Fox Eccles, President Taylor Randall, Katie Eccles, and Spencer P. Eccles stand for a photo at the University of Utah John R. Park Building on March 18, 2025, where a $75 million donation was announced from the Eccles Foundation.
Located in Utah’s second-largest city, the new University of Utah Health campus will feature a 90-bed hospital and comprehensive multi-specialty outpatient clinics including heart care, orthopedics, women’s health, and pediatrics, in addition to general internal medicine and urgent care. With 200 exam rooms, the clinics are expected to serve more than 341,000 outpatient visits annually. The campus will also provide additional pathways for education and career advancement in medical fields, creating over 2,000 new jobs in the West Valley area.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the West Valley community to expand access to high-quality health care on the westside,” said Bob Carter, MD, CEO of University of Utah Health. “Currently, westside residents drive more than 12 million miles per year to access U of U Health services. This new campus is exciting because it will bring comprehensive, top-tier health care closer to home. We also see this project as key to expanding educational opportunities and helping to address our shortage of doctors, which is five times greater in western Salt Lake County than in other Wasatch Front communities.
The need for expanded health care in West Valley City is critical to addressing various social determinants of health. Current data shows that West Valley residents experience:
- A life expectancy nearly 10 years lower than in eastside communities
- Nearly twice the rate of heart disease-related deaths compared to eastside communities
- A 44% higher rate of diabetes
- A 38% greater prevalence of stroke
“West Valley City is the second-largest city in Utah and has a growing demand for hospital and specialty services,” said West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang. “We are so excited to have this incredible commitment by the University of Utah, the Eccles family, and other donors whose support makes it possible. These new state-of-the-art medical facilities will be a wonderful addition for our entire community.”
Construction of the new health campus is anticipated to begin this summer. The multi-specialty health clinic is scheduled to be completed in 2028, with hospital rooms expected in 2029. The campus will be located on 22 acres in West Valley City at 3750 South and 5600 West.
