West Valley City community members joined University of Utah Health, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and Okland Construction on October 9, 2026, to celebrate a major milestone for the Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital. The group gathered to mark the placement of the final steel beam at the new site.
The topping off ceremony highlighted the collaborative nature of the project. Before the beam was raised, faculty and staff signed the beam as it traveled to University of Utah Health clinics, while West Valley residents and community partners added their signatures during a separate community event.
Community feedback has influenced various aspects of the campus, including interior colors, landscaping, gift shop offerings, and the use of English and Spanish signage. This input aims to shape healthcare access, education, and career opportunities while creating a welcoming environment. Rosie Peralta of Westside Community United stated that the hospital represents a dream that will change the lives of the whole West Valley City community and expressed gratitude that community thoughts and suggestions were considered in the planning and design.
The project has involved community participation for five years through groups such as the Westside Community United Resident Committee and the West Valley Steering Committee. The latter includes more than 150 community members, local leaders, and nonprofit partners.
Gina Hawley, System Associate Chief Operations Officer at University of Utah Health, noted that the milestone reflects years of learning from West Valley and westside communities. She stated that the partnership will continue long after the doors open to ensure the campus grows alongside West Valley and reflects the needs of the people served.
The approximately 720,000-square-foot campus is scheduled to open in 2028 and is expected to create approximately 1,200 jobs in health care and supporting services. The facility will include University of Utah’s largest multispecialty outpatient center, featuring more than 200 exam rooms, an emergency department, urgent care services, surgical and procedural suites, and imaging services.
An inpatient hospital at the site is planned to open in 2029. Currently, West Valley City is home to more than 140,000 residents, and approximately 85,000 residents make more than 600,000 outpatient visits to University of Utah Health each year, traveling a combined 12 million miles for care.
The Eccles Health Campus and Eccles Hospital are intended to bring more care closer to West Valley and surrounding westside communities. The topping off marks an important construction milestone for the project.
