Cedar City Hospital Celebrates Major Emergency Room Expansion

Cedar City Hospital unveiled its newly expanded emergency department this week in a ribbon-cutting ceremony that highlighted the facility's commitment to keeping healthcare close to home for Iron County residents.

The $7 million project, which took nearly one year to complete, adds 4,500 square feet of floor space to the hospital, including nine new emergency rooms for a total of 22 rooms.

Hospital President Jamison Robinett shared impressive results from the expansion during the ceremony.

If you have been a patient since the expansion has been completed, you have had a 20% less wait time, Robinett told attendees gathered in the parking lot adjacent to the newly expanded areas on the north side of the hospital.

Cedar City Hospital saw more than 21,000 visits to the emergency department in 2025, and is on track for another 22,000 patients this year, including over 4,000 so far as of mid-March.

Advanced Imaging Technology Comes to Cedar City

The expansion also includes a state-of-the-art molecular imaging suite featuring a new PET/CT scanner.

We are the only hospital that has this PET/CT technology for now, and I'm sure there will be others who will chase us with it, Robinett said during his remarks.

The imaging department is expected to perform 50,000 procedures this year with the new equipment.

National Recognition for Rural Healthcare

Cedar City Hospital was recently named one of the top 20 hospitals in the country by the National Rural Health Association, an honor it has now received 11 years in a row.

One of the hospital's overarching goals is to enable local patients to stay within their own community as they receive medical care.

This expansion demonstrates what we're all about, and that is to keep individuals from Iron County and the surrounding communities in Iron County, Robinett said.

That is our North Star, and that will forever be what we strive to do here.

Real Impact on Patient Experience

Emergency room physician Dr. Mike Wilson spoke about the tangible difference the additional space has made.

It's so neat to come in at 10 o'clock at night for the night shift, and there not be 10 patients waiting in the waiting room to be seen, because we have space for them to come back when they arrive, and they are a lot more appreciative, Wilson said.

Since the expansion went live in January, the emergency department has reduced average patient length of stay by over 16%.

Iron County Commissioner Mike Bleak praised the investment during the ceremony.

Having a high-level quality of health care strengthens local resources, enhances safety and really puts an anchor in the economic stability of our region, Bleak said.

The expansion project was completed by Jacobsen Construction, with GAF Building Materials donating the roof for the new facilities.

Following the ribbon-cutting, refreshments were served and attendees were given guided tours of the newly added spaces.