MountainStar Healthcare is adding several new additions to benefit some of the fastest growing communities in Utah.

Late next year, a new emergency department is scheduled to open in Syracuse, bringing the total number of MountainStar Healthcare emergency departments in the state to 14. Those include eight hospitals and six off-campus emergency centers. The Syracuse Emergency Center, an off-campus department of Ogden Regional Medical Center, will be a 14,000-square-foot facility, providing 24/7 care.

“So often with emergency care, every second matters in terms of getting the patients in the right hands,” said Dr. Filip Roos, chief medical officer for MountainStar Healthcare. “Having these freestanding emergency centers in communities throughout Northern Utah enables us to better serve families that otherwise would have to travel farther for that type of care. When you’re hurting or sick, having emergency care five minutes away from your front door instead of 20 minutes away makes a big difference.”

Two additional CareNow urgent care centers will also open within the next few months in West Point and American Fork. MountainStar Healthcare has also partnered with Envision Radiology to bring two new imaging locations to Draper and Bountiful.

“Whether it’s a sprained ankle, a pesky sinus infection or a quick test, sometimes we all need care that’s convenient, close to home and more affordable,” said Jen Wagenaar, MountainStar’s chief nursing executive. “The CareNow network helps us treat patients with minor injuries, illnesses and non-life-threatening medical conditions.”

Other new additions include major operating room expansions and renovations to Brigham City Community Hospital and Mountain View Hospital in Payson.

“By making these upgrades, we’re able to combine the best of both worlds: the devotion of community hospitals with deep ties to the families they serve, coupled with the latest in surgical technology that can accelerate recovery and improve patient outcomes,” Roos said. “By upgrading our capabilities at the north and south ends of the Wasatch Front, we’re ensuring that more Utahns are close to the cutting-edge technology and high-quality care we’re known for.”

MountainStar Healthcare is also opening two Centers for Clinical Advancement, in Ogden and Draper, that provide state-of-the-art learning for nurses and clinicians.

“These centers couldn’t come at a better time, as there is such a need to prepare and up-train more clinicians in the face of a national nursing shortage,” Wagenaar said. “We’ve been working with leaders here in Utah to bring more passionate people into a career path as caregivers. This is our way of showing up to help nurture the pipeline of future nurses and technicians in the Mountain West.”

In addition to collaborative learning technology, Wagenaar said the centers will feature high-fidelity, lifelike simulation equipment so nurses and clinicians can practice their skills with mannequins that blink, sweat, bleed, cough and more.

“It’s incredibly realistic and provides our colleagues with a very authentic learning experience to prepare them for real-life care settings,” she said.

Lone Peak Hospital’s multiyear expansion effort is also nearing completion. The Draper hospital will nearly double its bed count with a new addition that includes more than 60,000 square feet of new or renovated space. The hospital will also have a 12-bed post-anesthesia care unit, an expanded operating room, new laboratory and pharmacy facilities, and improved kitchen and dining areas.

“Health care needs in our state are evolving rapidly as our communities grow and change,” said Greg Angle, president of MountainStar Healthcare. “We’re working to give more Utahns access to our award-winning network and respond to changes in the way people seek and receive care.”

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