MountainStar Healthcare broke ground Monday on a new freestanding emergency room in Herriman that will be operated by Lone Peak Hospital and its board-certified physicians.
The project will help Utah patients like Dani Werth, 31, who was diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT) in 2020 shortly after moving from Nebraska.
SVT is a condition characterized by extra electrical pathways in the heart that cause abnormal rhythms and can result in abnormally erratic heartbeats.
Since her diagnosis, Werth’s heart condition has given her family a handful of scares that have landed her in the emergency room.
“The first time I went since moving here, I learned that that hospital wasn’t in network,” Werth explained. She said that meant a pricey, unexpected medical bill.
After that unfortunate experience, Werth said she went to Lone Peak Hospital in Draper, which accepts her insurance and is where she’s found a cardiologist she likes. From her home in Herriman, she said it takes as long as 15 minutes to drive there.
“Probably 10 to 15 minutes – which in the middle of an emergency feels like a lifetime," Werth said. "I remember driving all the way to Draper, and that car ride over there was really stressful."
The new freestanding emergency room is the same hospital Werth already goes to for treatment.
The facility, which will be known as Herriman Emergency Center, will become the first ER built within Herriman city limits. Its location will cut the trip down by miles and minutes for patients like Werth and for emergency crews.
“We have about a 10 to 15-minute transport time. This [freestanding ER] that they’re building right here in Herriman city is actually going to provide us with a two to five-minute transport time,” explained Ryan Love, a representative with Unified Fire Authority.
In addition to offering a faster transport time, Love said the new facility will also give residents another network option.
Something residents like Werth can appreciate.
“Just being able to know in an emergency, when the only thing you’re thinking about is that emergency itself, to be able to quickly get to a place where you know you’re going to have a good experience and that will be covered by insurance, is really comforting for me,” Werth explained.
The ground breaking comes as Herriman continues to anticipate rapid population growth. City leaders said the population has nearly tripled in size since 2010.
Currently, the city’s population is estimated at approximately 63,000 people. In 2010, the U.S. Census showed it was only as large as 21,000 people.
“This is a great day for our community,” Herriman City Councilman Clint Smith announced Monday during the ground breaking presentation. “It solidifies the city’s commitment to a safe and healthy community.”
The Herriman Emergency Center will improve access to emergency healthcare services by providing 24/7emergency care to people living and working in Herriman, Riverton, South Jordan and West Jordan, and their surrounding neighborhoods.
The freestanding ER will also be accessible from 11400 South, 12300 South, and Bangerter Highway.
Still, Smith said more access to healthcare like this is needed in the city.
“Will this be enough? I think that this is a great start,” Smith said.
After all, he said, access to healthcare has been a struggle for the developing community.
“We are a little bit of a cul-de-sac community, which means some of the bigger retail stores that those types of things that have a draw may not have that same access in other communities,” he added.
The freestanding ER will be located at 5073 W. Herriman Rose Blvd. (13300 South), North of the Walmart Neighborhood Market located on 13400 South.
The emergency facility will include 10 patient exam rooms and comprehensive laboratory and imaging services, including CT scans, X-rays and ultrasounds. It is expected to open its doors in 2022.
In 2013, Lone Peak Hospital began as a freestanding ER in Draper. Since then, the facility has grown into a 32-bed hospital with two medical office buildings, and by next year, this freestanding ER in Herriman.
For more information about the project, visit www.HerrimanER.com.