Utah Valley Hospital Records

The need for a regional hospital in Utah country arose from the rising number of deaths, patients, and accidents occurring in Orem and Provo during the 1930s. The surrounding community came together to pledge for a commonwealth fund to raise the monies necessary to build the first hospital from 1937-1939. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center opened its doors in 1939 as a small, 55-bed hospital. In 1950 the first expansion began on the Four Wing West building for $575,000. 1952 brought BYU opening a school of nursing, closely tied to Utah Valley Hospital which began offering bachelor's degrees. Utah Valley Hospital received full approval from the American College of Surgeons for accreditation at this time. During 1953 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints assumed ownership of Utah Valley Hospital at the request of the hospital's Board of Directors, which had operated the not-for-profit hospital up to this point. The third expansion of Hospital was completed in 1958 for $2,000,000. The fourth expansion occurred in 1960 of the third floor of the West building for $1,000,000, more than doubling its size to 240 beds. With this new expansion the Pink Ladies Organization in 1961, represented by Mrs. Veva Berg, presented 100 televisions for use in patient rooms, greatly increasing healing times and quality of care for patients. In 1970 The hospital opened the first fully staffed 24-hour emergency center south of Salt Lake City, promoting the development of an ICU. In 1975 construction began on the seven-story East Tower for $14,000,000. 1975 was also the year that the hospital gained its first neurosurgeon, Dr. Lynn Gaufin and when the LDS Church gifted its hospitals, including Utah Valley Hospital, to the community and Intermountain Healthcare was created. The hospital would continue to change and grow, gaining Same-day and Open-Heart surgery departments in 1978.In 1984 Utah Valley Hospital became Utah Valley Regional Medical Center and constructed the Physician's Plaza Building. 1998 brought the construction of multiple projects, creating more space for Women's and Children's Services, Intensive Care and Same-Day Surgery. In 2000 UVRM gained the use of the LifeFlight Helicopter to expedite arrival times and transportation to the facility for high trauma accidents and patients.