The donation is in honor of University of Utah School of Medicine professor Kristen Ries and her three decades of service and care to the HIV/AIDS community in Utah.

"She has gone above and beyond," said George White, director of the U.'s Public Health Program.

The training center educates doctors, nurses, midwives, physician assistants, pharmacists, mental health counselors and other health professionals.

Challenges for Utah health professionals include the increase of patients with HIV/AIDS in the state, most dramatically in rural areas where access to health care is difficult; its complexity; and rapid changes in research and treatment.

Another imperative, said White, is to provide a referral system so professionals can get what they need to give the best care possible. The center supports new providers and offers refresher courses, he added.

"This wonderful partnership between Intermountain Healthcare and the University's Public Health Program will impact every community in Utah," said White. "Not enough people know that it's the little things like this that the university does to make the health care system work."

The center has been funded for about 20 years by a modest federal grant.

It will use the interest from the new donation to supplement current programs.

In the last fiscal year, the center collaborated on or was solely responsible for 107 training events across the state, involving 1,505 health care providers.

"Education and prevention are a basic tenet of public health," White said. "We protect the public and bring the best care to individuals suffering from this disease."