Hospital history

The decision to build Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful, Utah, emerged from overcrowding challenges faced by South Davis Community Hospital, built in 1961. Even though the hospital increased its capacity by 1964, it was not large enough to meet the population boom that had made Davis County the fastest-growing county in Utah.

During this time of capacity constraints, the citizens of Davis County depended on healthcare provided by hospitals in Salt Lake City and Ogden to serve south Davis and north Davis county residents. It was at this point that hospital administrators, county leaders and citizens agreed a new hospital was needed.

In 1972, securing the proper financing to build the new hospital became problematic. Funds from the Federal “Hill Burton” program, which granted money to establish hospitals in communities, ended just prior to hospital construction plans and no other local organization contributed financial support for the new hospital. At this time, Dr. Thomas Frist Sr., founder of the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), expressed interest in Davis County, purchased the proposed hospital site, and broke ground on what would become Lakeview Hospital.

Today, the modern 128-bed, 210,000 sq. ft. acute care hospital has kept pace with advances in technology while still maintaining its original friendly, quality care. New services have been added, such as an Orthopedic Spine Center, a medical stabilization service known as New Vision, a comprehensive spine center, and a wound and hyperbaric medicine service.

The medical staff at Lakeview Hospital has also grown in number and in expertise. With more than 200 physicians, representing over 25 specialties, Lakeview Hospital is able to treat patients with nearly any diagnosis.

On Aug. 20, 1974, a four –handled shovel was thrust into the grassy orchards of the Bountiful slope, marking the beginning of construction for the $8 million, 150,000-sq-ft hospital.

On Sept. 18, 1976, Lakeview Hospital was dedicated and presented to the community with great pride. The new hospital included 73 private rooms, 42 semi-private rooms, five isolation and eight intensive coronary beds for a total of 128 beds. The original medical staff included 45 active staff physicians, 19 courtesy staff physicians and 12 dentists. The latest advances in medical science were included in each department, including X-ray, laboratory, respiratory therapy, physical therapy and coronary and intensive care. With each succeeding year, Lakeview has witnessed improvement, growth, progress and comradeship. Lakeview assumed its role as a full-service, community hospital with pride.

• Since 1976, Lakeview Hospital has supported the medical needs of the residents of Davis County. The first hospital department to undergo significant expansion was radiology. Not long after that came the ongoing process of expanding and improving the emergency room — what is now the waiting room was once the entire emergency room. The operating room has been expanded to include five suites and Same Day Surgery was moved to their new and current location on the first floor. Comfortable birthing rooms have been added to Labor & Delivery on the second floor.
• While remodel was occurring on the inside, the outside of the hospital was also undergoing a major change. In 2004 a new modern stucco exterior replaced the older white paint exterior giving Lakeview Hospital a major facelift. The parking lot was completely redesigned, and a beautiful fountain and tables were added to the front of the hospital.
• To help create a more convenient location for physicians, administrators at Lakeview Hospital saw the need for a medical office building to be erected. In November 2005, Lakeview Hospital hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Lakeview Medical Arts Building. Today, the building is home to pediatricians, family practitioners, gastroenterologists, a plastic surgeon, the Lakeview Endoscopy Center, the Lakeview OB/GYN Clinic, the Lakeview Sleep Disorders Center, the Lakeview Neurosurgery Clinic, and the Lakeview Women’s Center where mammograms, ultrasounds and bone density screenings are performed.