Move to new Intermountain Medical Center begins

MURRAY — The new Intermountain Medical Center in Murray opened today with the first emergency-room patient arriving by ambulance at 6:18 a.m. and two expectant mothers in labor by 9 a.m. and its first baby — a girl — born at 11:56 a.m.

Outside, LifeFlight helicopters ferrying intensive-care newborns being transferred from LDS Hospital swooped in low across State Street to the helipad on the east side of the new hospital complex.

On the ground, a steady stream of Gold Cross ambulances brought patients from LDS in a well-rehearsed transfer operation that will see 158 patients shuttled to the new hospital during the day.

Transfer patients began leaving LDS Hospital just before 6 a.m. in trips spaced 10 minutes apart to avoid congestion as the ambulances made the route along I-15 to the new medical campus, located just west of State Street off 5300 South.

The first helicopter arrived just after 6 a.m. carrying triplets Natalia, Conner and Janessa Nagel. Their father, Paul Nagel, was on hand with a camera, watching the helicopter's pre-dawn arrival. "It was pretty exciting," he said. "I got here just before 6 o'clock and took a picture of them coming in on LifeFlight."

Several sets of twins also made the helicopter trip together; other babies from LDS' critical care nursery arrived at the new hospital one at a time.

Cottonwood Hospital staff delivered that hospital's last baby this morning and then began shutting down the hospital's women's center for good. Mother and baby were then transferred to the new medical center.

David Grauer, administrator of the new medical center, greeted patients at the door as the flights and ambulances began arriving just after 6 a.m. He and others on the staff of the new hospital were quite emotional as the massive hospital complex came to life with the arrival of its first patients. Grauer said that emotion was expected. "This has been a very powerful morning so far."

By the end of today, a total of 158 transfer patients were expected through the east doors of the new hospital campus, said IHC spokesman Jess Gomez.

Cardiac patient Glenna Quigley Baker was one of the first patients transferred from LDS Hospital this morning. She said the staff at LDS awoke her a little before 6 a.m. A short ambulance ride later, nurses were tending to her in a private patient room at the new medical center. "I'd heard how beautiful the facility is, and now I know," she said.