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RIVERTON — It has been 15 years since Intermountain Hospital opened its doors for its Riverton location. The hospital has grown into a robust medical facility serving the southwest part of the valley.
Radiologic technologist David Olsen remembers before the hospital was built when it was just an empty field. They worked out of trailers.
"When I got here, there was nothing here," he said. "There were cattle behind us; there were horses behind us. We put an X-ray machine inside of (the trailer), and we put a lab inside of it. And we just built it up."
On Nov. 2, 2009, the newly constructed Intermountain Hospital started accepting patients.
"Really, it's remarkable when you look at the growth that we've had in this area," chief medical officer Dr. Denitza Blagev said.
Adding new services
The Riverton hospital added four new services in the past year: a cardiac rehabilitation clinic, a mobilized PET/CT scanner, an ambulatory surgery center and a second surgical robot.
"It's really incredible how quickly things are changing," Blagev said.
The new cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab clinic in Riverton is one of a few in Salt Lake Valley, alongside the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, and provides coaching and education for patients following a heart attack, heart surgery or other heart-related events.
"It's been great to be able to bring rehab closer to our patients where they live," she said.
"They can get them to a higher level of care so much faster because we have resources here," Olsen added.
The newly mobilized PET/CT scanner aids in diagnosing and treating cancers, Blagev said. The Ambulatory Surgery Center allows patients to receive same-day surgical care at a lower cost.
The hospital also added a second surgical robot.
"We added a robot a couple of years ago, and it was so busy that we now have two. So, we're able to provide access to those minimally invasive surgeries and really good patient outcomes," Blagev said.
Looking toward the future
Blagev said advancements like these allow for quick access to care, without patients having to travel long distances.
"Being able to bring it closer to home and kind of eliminate at least one barrier for people has been really helpful," she said.
With continual medical breakthroughs, Riverton caregivers are looking forward to what the future will bring.
"We're excited to be here, and we're excited for the next 15 years," Olsen said.
Intermountain Riverton Hospital is located at 3741 W. 12600 South in Riverton.
This article was written in partnership with Intermountain Health.
