1 / 5

Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at the Utah State Hospital's 140th birthday celebration Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

2 / 5

State and local leaders are pictured at the Utah State Hospital's 140th birthday celebration Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

3 / 5

Utah State Hospital leaders celebrate the treatment center's 140th birthday celebration Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

4 / 5

Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi speaks at the Utah State Hospital's 140th birthday celebration Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

5 / 5

Gov. Spencer Cox speaks at the Utah State Hospital's 140th birthday celebration Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

❮ ❯

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called for greater support for the Utah State Hospital during the mental illness treatment facility’s 140th birthday celebration Wednesday.

“I think we need to continue to invest in this place and places like it, so that we can give people the care that they desperately need,” Cox said in a ceremony outside the hospital’s Rampton Building in Provo.

Cox praised the resiliency of the hospital, which was founded in 1885, highlighting its efforts to remove outdated practices and become a “national model” of care.

But he expressed disappointment that the hospital services fewer people now than it did several decades ago. The institution provides 378 beds today.

“We’re not a smaller state than we were when there were 700,000 people and 1,000 beds,” Cox said. “There are, of course, now 3.5 million of us and fewer beds, unfortunately.”

He encouraged state legislators and other leaders in attendance to consider how the state can “expand what this hospital does.”

“We want people more integrated in society, wherever they can be,” he said. “We want that compassion and that giving back. I would just also say there is nothing compassionate about allowing patients who should be here, who are not here, (to kill) themselves slowly on our streets. There’s nothing compassionate about that.”

The care people receive at the state hospital was a central theme throughout the morning celebration, as speakers discussed the facility’s efforts throughout history to provide safety and compassion.

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Executive Director Tracy Gruber emphasized that the hospital’s success isn’t about how much the community loves the property and its disc golf course but rather the people and staff who work there.

“They come and show up day in, day out, providing love, compassion and care for the individuals who are here at the State Hospital, and that’s what the history has been, just people truly dedicated to provide a space for healing,” Gruber said.

Outdated treatments were replaced with a more modernized approach to treating mental health in the 1950s, and DHHS said the facility focuses on evidence-based, humane treatments for patients today.

Almost 1,000 staff members care for patients or oversee operations at the 312-acre hospital, which provides treatment facilities, medical clinics, a K-12 school, an adult education center and more. Over 800 volunteers support the hospital on an annual basis as well.

“For the people who are (offering care), God bless you,” Cox said. “We desperately need more of you. For those that are helping to fund this place, thank you. It’s desperately needed.”

Cox’s support for further investment in the state hospital comes after back-to-back years of the state Legislature considering relocating the hospital from its east Provo location; though those discussions were tabled each year.

In 2024, a bill initially proposed to sell the hospital to developers but was later modified to remove language regarding a land sale. After discussions surrounding the hospital continued in the latest session, KSL reported in February that state Sen. Mike McKell, R-Spanish Fork, said he does not want to look at the possibility of moving the hospital because Provo City had yet to weigh in on the issue.

In response to an inquiry of the land’s future, DHHS spokesperson Danielle Conlon told the Daily Herald on Wednesday that the hospital is committed to providing mental health care for its highest-need population.

“We’re always working with the Legislature and our other partners, including the Utah Behavioral Health Commission, to determine the best ways to continue growing and changing to serve the needs of Utahns,” she said

Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi did not address relocation rumors in her remarks Wednesday but expressed her appreciation for the historic partnership the city has had with the hospital, and even shared a personal anecdote from her childhood of her mother working part time at the facility.

“This institution has stood as a symbol of healing, compassion and unwavering commitment,” Kaufusi said. “When Provo opened its arms to the hospital all those years ago, we embraced the mission that reached far beyond the limits.

“Let’s make sure Provo remains a place where no one has to face their struggles alone. Here’s to 140 years of healing and to the hope of many, many more to come.”