It is hard to imagine Park City, Summit County, for that matter, without its handsome hospital on the hill at Quinn’s Junction. But, on the city’s venerable timeline, the local medical center is a relatively new amenity it is celebrating its fifth year in business on Friday.

Before the doors opened, local officials debated long and hard about the practicality of establishing a hospital in Summit County. Park City’s old Miners Hospital built with union contributions in the early 1900s eventually withered and closed, a small hospital in Coalville suffered the same fate, closing in the late 1970s.

Skeptics argued that, with a major metropolis less than an hour away, patients (and their physicians) would gravitate toward the bigger, established facilities in Salt Lake City. They also cited the expense of today’s sophisticated medical equipment and concluded that local patient demand couldn’t support the type of medical care that was needed to be competitive.

A committee of local citizens proved them wrong.

Perhaps it was their timing. Summit County’s population has steadily increased and much of that growth has come from its reputation as an active community for high-level athletes and health-minded residents.

But that original band of devoted supporters also deserves credit for careful planning, concentrating on services that addressed local needs and choosing the right partner, Intermountain Healthcare.

In the late 1990’s, it was IHC that offered to subsidize and staff the town’s only round-the-clock emergency clinic which had curtailed it hours, leaving middle of the night patients, and local ambulance services with nowhere to go but over Parley Summit or to the Heber Valley.

IHC, which operates 22 hospitals and a net work of nearly 200 clinics in Utah and the West offered to staff the clinic while conducting a needs assessment for the future hospital.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and that sense of wellbeing has continued to grow as the hospital has cautiously expanded its facilities.

According to the hospital, more than 4,000 surgeries were performed last year and the emergency room handled over 10,000 cases. That means that about 14,000 patients and their families got treatment faster and were able to recuperate closer to home.

Local athletes can also now test the boundaries of their sport, with a little extra piece of mind knowing there is a hospital right around the corner that specializes in getting them back on top of their game as quickly as possible.

Another side effect of having a local hospital is a healthier overall economy. The medical center has created a new segment of jobs, many of them offering professional development and excellent benefits.

The Park City Medical Center’s is celebrating its 5th anniversary with a “Treasure Your Health” theme. Amid the pirate flavored activities residents should take a moment to appreciate the little hospital that has itself become a local treasure.

The public is invited to the Park City Medical Center’s 5th anniversary celebration Friday, Sept. 12 from 3-7 p.m. There will be tours, games for kids and educational exhibits including a giant inflatable brain. The hospital is located at 900 Round Valley Drive.