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Milestones

| Present-2001 | 2000-1991 | 1990-1981 | 1980-1971 | 1970-1965 |
The new John A. Moran Eye Center

Present - 2001

2006

  • The new $54 Million 210,000 square foot John A. Moran Eye Center celebrated its grand opening, making the new center the largest most comprehensive eye center between the Mississippi River and the west coast.
  • University of Utah Hospital, for the 13th time, was named one of America's best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
  • The University of Utah School of Medicine was awarded a $2 million grant to help address one of the most urgent needs in U.S. health care: competent medical treatment for the nation's growing elderly population.
  • University of Utah officials announced a $3 million gift from Intermountain Healthcare to the University's College of Nursing. The gift will provide funding for the renovation of the nursing building and creation of a new simulation center.
  • The University Health Care Website received the Golden Spike Award, Gold Award, recognizing the website as one of the best displays of interactive communication in the state of Utah.

2005

  • One of the world's leading neurologists in Alzheimer's disease imaging and treatment joined the University of Utah to establish the Intermountain West's first academic Alzheimer's clinic and to become an investigator with the University's new Brain Institute.
  • University of Utah School of Medicine Celebrates 100 years, "A Century of Brilliance."
  • Researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine produced the first high-resolution images of a protein that the AIDS virus must use to replicate and spread through the human body-a possible step toward new drugs against the disease.
  • The National Children's Study announced that contracts were awarded to 6 Vanguard Centers to pilot and complete the first phases of the Study, one of which, Salt Lake County was named, including the University of Utah School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics with support from Primary Children's Medical Center and other government and health care groups.
  • The 158,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Spencer F. and Cleone P. Eccles Health Sciences Education Building opens and replaces teaching facilities that date back to the early 1950s and provide much needed classroom, lab, and health-care training facilities.
  • A $22.5 million gift was given to the University of Utah School of Medicine to help the school recruit and retain top researchers and clinicians in a variety of fields. The donation is from the estate of the late Arthur E. Benning.
  • It's an even dozen for University Health Care-named again this year as one of America's best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
  • The University of Utah announced that all of its patient care services will come under the new name of University Health Care.
  • University Health Care Hospitals & Clinics celebrates 40th Anniversary.
  • The University of Utah Hospital Stroke Center was named a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This national certification is a first for any stroke program in the Intermountain West and one of only 80 recognized hospitals nation wide.
  • The University of Utah School of Medicine's residency program in diagnostic radiology was rated No. 1 among 190 programs in the United States and Canada for the five-year period 2000-2004, according to the rankings by the American Board of Radiology.
  • A $7 million gift from U alumni Spencer and Cleone Eccles was given to provide major funding for the new, state-of-the-art Health Sciences Education Building for the U's nationally ranked medical, nursing, pharmacy, and health training programs.
  • Ongoing efforts to improve quality of care, operational efficiency, and financial performance earned University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics and its leadership team a spot on the annual roster of the country?s 100 most-improved hospitals. The list was reported in a recent issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.
  • The clinical director of the Infectious Diseases and HIV Clinic at University Hospitals & Clinics and a physician assistant received national recognition as outstanding leaders in the field of HIV.

2004

  • The University of Utah Rehabilitation Center and Miners Hospital opened to serve Utah's disabled miners.
  • One of the most prestigious acknowledgments an academic program can receive--an endowed chair--was established at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy through a $1.25 million gift from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.
  • Good Housekeeping ranked University Hospital among the best in the nation in caring for women?s cardiac care.
  • The U's diagnostic radiology residency curriculum was ranked No. 1 out of 191 programs from 1999 through 2003 by the American Board of Radiology.
  • University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics opened the South Jordan Health Center. The center specializes in family medicine and offers pharmacy, lab, X-ray and Moran Eye Center vision services.
  • Two University of Utah leaders: University Hospitals & Clinics' CEO and a Huntsman Cancer Institute's Ph.D. received the American Cancer Society's most prestigious honor, the Sword of Hope award.
  • University of Utah College of Health's Project GAIN was named the state's model program by the Utah Recreation and Parks Association. The annual award honors innovative parks and recreation programs.
  • A University of Utah heart researcher received a $1.6 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the elevation of intracellular calcium in heart cells-a critical component of cardiac output.
  • A University of Utah post-doctoral fellow in cardiology was one of two physicians nationwide to receive an ACCF/Pfizer Postdoctoral Fellowship Award in Cardiovascular Medicine for 2004.
  • The University of Utah School of Medicine's Department of Family and Preventive Medicine was the nation's No. 3 family medicine department in grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  • One hundred thirty-four faculty members of the University of Utah School of Medicine were included on the 2003-2004 list of The Best Doctors in America.
  • The University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics was named one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals for the 11th year--Utah's only health-care institution on the list.
  • Services such as the University of Utah's telemedicine program, datawarehousing, medical and clinical informatics and expanding wireless capabilities earned University Hospitals & Clinics a position among the nation's 100 Most Wired health-care systems for the fifth year.
  • The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah received a national award for a statewide initiative to provide Utah residents access to consumer health information and training via Internet connections at public libraries. The award was given by The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science.
  • The $36 million University of Utah Orthopaedic Center opened, giving Utah residents access to the latest and best in orthopedic care.
  • For the second year in a row, the University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center Web site was named one of the 50 best science and technology Web sites by Scientific American magazine online. The Web site also was rated as one of the top five in health and medicine.

2003

  • University of Utah School of Medicine biochemist received Amgen Award from the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for his research on how HIV assembles and spreads.
  • Intermountain Burn Center was verified by a national review team representing the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association. Approximately 65 of the 130 burn centers in the country qualify for national verification.
  • The $42.5 million George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Critical Care Pavilion opened, marking the hospitals first expansion in more than 20 years.
  • Two HSC programs ranked among the top 10 in the country. The Utah Physician Assistant Program ranks 5th and the Community Health program ranks 6th, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report magazine's annual graduate school rankings. The U was ranked in six categories, more than any other Utah school.
  • University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics was ranked one of the top 10 family-friendly companies in Utah by the Utah Department of Workforce Services Office of Child Development.
  • The University of Utah Health Sciences Center broke ground to build the $40 million Health Sciences Education Building to replace teaching facilities dating to the early 1950s.
  • University of Utah broke ground for the Orthopaedic Center. The 100,000-square-foot, three-level facility will incorporate the eight major orthopedic subspecialties including, foot & ankle, hand, oncology, pediatrics, spine, sports medicine, trauma and adult reconstruction.
  • University of Utah Hospital ranked seventh highest in the country for its organ donation consent rate, according to the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations. The hospital was one in only seven "A" ratings among 200 hospitals.
  • For the 10th straight year, University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics range and quality of care landed it on the U.S. News & World Report list of Americas Best Hospitals.
  • University Hospitals & Clinics won the Consumer Choice Award for the Salt Lake City metropolitan area for the fifth consecutive year-the only Utah hospital to receive the award for 2003.
  • University of Utah's John A. Moran Eye Center announced a $10 million grant from the ALSAM Foundation to help fund construction of a new 200,000 square-foot facility.

2002

  • University scientist is named one of six scientists in the U.S. selected to receive a 2002 Neuroscience of Brain Disorders Award from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience.
  • Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The University of Utah opened its campus and student housing to give the Olympic athletes a home. University Health Care physicians and medical team provided medical care during the games.
  • The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Utah School of Medicine was recognized among the top five departments in the country in research funded by the National Institutes of Health.
  • University of Utah School of Medicine faculty, 130 members, were included in the 2001-2002 list of The Best Doctors in America.
  • University of Utah orthopedic surgeon performed first implant of compress prosthesis in Utah and the Intermountain West, saving a child's leg.
  • University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics was named one of the nations 100 Most Wired health-care systems for the fourth straight year by Hospitals & Health Networks, a publication of the American Hospital Association.
  • University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics once again was ranked among America's Best Hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report's 13th annual survey of leading health-care institutions.
  • University Hospitals & Clinics was named a Consumer Choice Award Winner in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area for the fourth consecutive year.

2001

  • The University's Community Health graduate program received a third place national ranking in U.S. News and World Report. Other graduate programs ranked in the top 50 include medicine and nursing.
  • The hospital's Trauma Service was the first nationally verified Level 1 trauma program in the region, according to representatives from the American College of Surgeons.
  • The Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was awarded a $5.8 million, five-year contract to serve as a regional medical library in the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. The contract is one of eight awarded by the National Library of Medicine to competitively selected regional medical libraries.
  • University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics was named Consumer Choice Award winner in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area for the third year in a row. Top honors included best doctors; best overall quality; best image and reputation; and (tied) best nurses.
  • The Utah Diabetes Center at the University of Utah opened it doors as the state's first comprehensive diabetes care facility, caring for both pediatric and adult patients.
  • University of Utah Hospital's Trauma Service was nationally verified as the first Level I trauma program in the region by the American College of Surgeons.
  • The University of Utah College of Nursing, for the third straight year, moved up in rankings of National Institutes of Health Support to Nursing Schools.
  • The University of Utah's Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute received a three-year, $2.3 million award from the National Institutes of Health to create a Program of Excellence in Computational Bioimaging and Visualization.
  • The University's Community Health graduate program received a third place national ranking in U.S. News and World Report. Other graduate programs ranked in the top 50 include medicine and nursing.
  • The hospital's Trauma Service is the first nationally verified Level 1 trauma program in the region, according to representatives from the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

2000 - 1991

2000

  • The hospital is ranked 17th nationally in orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report.
  • In a nationwide survey of ophthalmology department chairs, the Moran Eye Center's graduate physician training program is ranked number nine.
  • Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator, Badley Cairns, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences, was chosen as a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator. Cairns was one of 34 biologists chosen from 430 nominees and was the only Utah scientist appointed to this prestigious position.
  • The Doctor of Pharmacy program ranked 16th nationally by U.S. News & World Report.
  • For five consecutive years, the College of Pharmacy ranked second in the nation for peer-reviewed research funded by the National Institutes of Health.
  • The College of Nursing ranked 27th out of 175 masters degree programs nationally.
  • The College of Nursing has one of only three programs nationally to train nursing and health informatics graduates.

1999

  • The Utah Cardiac Transplant program performed the 700th heart transplant.
  • UUHSC was awarded the 1999 Consumer Choice Award for the Salt Lake area, by the National Research Corporation, a leading health-care performance management firm.
  • The Intermountain Burn Center received three-year accreditation from American Burn Association and the American College of Surgeons. The burn center is the only accredited burn center between Denver and the West Coast and received the maximum accreditation possible.

1998

  • The hospital is the first in the state to offer implant devices described as "pacemakers for the brain" for patients with refractory epilepsy those unable to control epileptic seizures with traditional drug therapy or surgery.

1997

  • The hospital introduced third-generation lithotripter which painlessly breaks up kidney stones in 45 minutes or less and also treats previously-unreachable kidney stones in ureters.
  • Surgeons began using cryosurgery to treat patients with liver cancer. Only facility in Intermountain Region which performs the procedure.
  • The hospital's Andrology/Embryology Laboratory is awarded the certificate of accreditation and is the only facility in the Intermountain West accredited for specialized reproductive testing and embryology work associated with in vitro fertilization.
  • The telepharmacy program was started. It combined computer and communication technology to enable hospital pharmacy to receive and process prescriptions from remote health centers.
  • The 8th annual U.S. News and World Report lists UUHSC among the leading centers for cardiology, gynecology, pulmonology, and orthopedics.

1996

  • A young child at a Wendover clinic was examined by a nurse practitioner in Wendover while consulting with doctors at the University Hospital through the hospital's Telemedicine Link.
  • The first double lung transplant in Utah was performed on a 62-year-old woman with end-stage emphysema.

1995

  • UUHSC was named one of the nation's leading centers in the specialties of cardiology, geriatrics, gynecology, and rheumatology in the 6th annual listing of U.S. News and World Report.
  • UUHSC opened new Community Health Centers: Red Butte Clinic and the Park City Family Health Center.
  • The Cardiac Transplant Program performed the 600th transplant since the program began.

1994

  • The Comprehensive Preventive Cardiology program was established.

1993

  • The hospital's Bone Marrow Transplant program and Home Care Service jointly performed the first outpatient bone marrow stem cell transplant for a Boise, Idaho, woman with advanced breast cancer.

1992

  • The first single-lung surgery was performed.

1991

  • The Bone Marrow Transplant program began after the hospital's fifth floor was remodeled to create 10 patient rooms, including three highly-specialized laminar airflow rooms.

1990 - 1981

1988

  • University Hospital's Wasatch Clinics opened.

1985

  • On March 8, 1985, the first heart transplant was performed on a 16-year-old Idaho boy.
  • The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History recognized the hospital for pioneering efforts in laser surgery. The display included 10 laser "firsts."

1984

  • The first in vitro baby was born.

1982

  • The first artificial heart transplant was administered to Barney Clark. More than 300 media representatives from around the world flocked to the hospital.

1981

  • The new University Hospital was dedicated on September 11, 1981. It was double the size of the old one.

1980s

  • The in vitro fertilization program began.

Years 1980 - 1971


1977

  • The AirMed helicopter system was initiated to transport patients.

1976

  • The Intermountain Burn Center opened within the hospital.

1973

  • The U medical school was the first in the United States to organize a formal, degree-granting department of medical information.

1971

  • The Lions Eye Bank was established within the hospital.

1970 - 1965


1970

  • A Cerebrovascular Disease Unit, the only one west of the Mississippi, was established.

1968

  • The Newborn Intensive Care Unit was started. The four-bed center was in the pediatric unit. During its first year, 196 babies were admitted.

1968

  • The hospital began transporting newborns and burn patients by air.

1966

  • The Clinical Research Center, one of the first in the country to be funded, was opened.

1965

  • The University of Utah Medical center opened its doors July 10, 1965. Since then, it has served as the major referral center for the Intermountain West.