(SALT LAKE CITY) — University of Utah ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Care and Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County (MHSC) today announced their partnership and signing of a master affiliation agreement. David Entwistle, CEO of University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, and Sean J. Mulvihill, CEO of University of Utah Medical Group, attended the signing along with Memorial Hospital board members. "Many of my family members have used the specialists at the U of U," said Artis Kalivas, MHSC Board President. "We've had great experiences there and we want to use the resources of the U of U to bring that care here to Sweetwater County. This is a big deal."
The master affiliation agreement outlines the services of both entities will bring quality care and experience to the patients of Memorial Hospital. "The University of Utah and Memorial Hospital have had a relationship with our AirMed helicopter and fixed-wing plane transferring patients, long before I came into the picture," Entwistle said. "With this partnership, we can strengthen that relationship and also figure out solutions to keep the transfers going down and keep the care provided here in Sweetwater County." The agreement includes potential services that over time will be introduced to the community of Sweetwater County and the surrounding area.
Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County is currently building a new 80,000 square foot, 4-level medical office and cancer treatment center. It will feature the first cancer treatment center in Southwest Wyoming. The new building will serve as a potential location for the expansion of services included in the U of U affiliation agreement. The building has a scheduled opening of Fall 2013. "It's been a very exciting process for the few of us that have been putting this agreement together," said Jerry Klein, CEO at Memorial Hospital. "While working with the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the University of Utah, I could tell this was going to lead to something bigger for us."