Lehi People
New Lehi hospital CEO Chris Stines, profiled
Megan Waldron | Lehi Free Press
Lehi’s only currently operating hospital has a new owner, new management, and a new mission. In May, CommonSpirit Health, the largest faith-based healthcare group in the country, took over Mountain Point Medical Center, now known as CommonSpirit Holy Cross Hospital-Mountain Point. The Lehi hospital is one of five Holy Cross facilities now in Utah.
Holy Cross CEO Chris Stines said the healthcare company has long-held ties to Utah. CommonSpirit Health is associated with the Sisters of the Holy Cross, who came to Utah in 1875 to care for coal miners and railroad workers. They founded the first Holy Cross Hospital in Utah and operated it for over a century. It was eventually sold and is now known as Holy Cross Hospital – Salt Lake. “Bringing faith-based health care back to Utah is very exciting for us,” Stines said.
“The most exciting thing about CommonSpirit is our mission. We are not for profit. Our mission is to make the healing presence of God known in our world by improving the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable while advancing social justice for all,” Stines said.
As a non-profit, Stines said Holy Cross is uniquely positioned to partner with organizations in the community to meet the needsof people in Lehi and the surrounding communities. Holy Cross is in the process of conducting a needs assessment that will involve community stakeholders. It will look at healthcareequity, food insecurity, transportation, behavioral health, and psychological needs that aren’t being met. Holy Cross will then partner with other organizations to form a three-year plan for meeting those needs in the community.
“Every year since 2021, CommonSpirit has contributed $5,000,000 in grants to non-profits in communities we serve,” said Stines. We supported eight organizations in Utah this year with $50,000 to $150,000 in grant funds.”
Stines said Holy Cross is also bringing back hospital volunteers as part of its community outreach. “We are actively looking for people who would like to dedicate a few hours to help serve the community here at the hospital by volunteering. One of the things they’ll be doing is helping patients find their way through the hospital. Many times, hospitals can be confusing places to find your way around. We need volunteers to help greet, answer questions, and work alongside employees to provide a great experience,” he said.
The hospital will also be hosting a food drive in November. “One of the things with our outreach is food insecurity. We are doing a food drive in November and donating food to some local food banks,” said Stines.
Those looking to volunteer or participate in community outreach programs may visit the Holy Cross Hospital website.
According to Stines, the strength of Holy Cross is, first and foremost, the people who work there. The hospital has roughly 350 employees. “The people who serve here deliver top-qualitycare to our community. Many have worked here for the eight years since the hospital opened. We have a strong team of administrators, managers, and providers that are the heart of our hospital,” said Stines.
The 40-bed full-service hospital also provides the latest technologies in health care, including state-of-the-art surgeries performed with robotics.
Stines has 30 years of experience in healthcare administration. He most recently served as Vice President of Service Lines with Centura, partnering with leaders, physicians and patients to achieve operational excellence in neuroscience, heart and vascular, trauma and orthopedics. Before that, he served as CEO for two hospitals in large systems, including CommonSpirit in Arkansas and Aspirus in Wisconsin.
New to Utah, Stines is enjoying the beautiful scenery and outdoor activities the area offers. “I’m very excited as a new leader and a new citizen of the Lehi community to be involved. I’ve enjoyed the four months I’ve been here so far. I love the Lehi community and the outdoors. I am really looking forward to spending many years here enjoying the people and community here.”
