Banner Health's strategic growth plan focuses intensely on providing convenience and access for our patients, insurance plan members and their families. The residents and families we serve today – and those we will serve tomorrow – need the full range of health care choices close to where they live and work, when they want it, at the moment they need it. The new Banner Scottsdale Medical Center will make it easier for our 50,000 members in Scottsdale and nearby to get the care they need without having to drive across the Valley.
Absolutely. Between 2020 and 2030, the northeast Valley will add 100,000 new residents, according to Census statistics. This 17 percent surge in population represents a new city larger than Goodyear or Yuma – new residents who will demand quality health care close to home. Today, many Banner members who live in and around Scottsdale face drives over an hour for specialized cancer care or surgical procedures. That's a hassle at a time when they need the best possible care close to home and available right now. The same goes for the residents of tomorrow who will join Banner rightfully expecting to have all their health care needs met nearby, efficiently and cost-effectively.
Access to a variety of health care providers and insurance companies creates more options and convenience for consumers and real cost savings for families and employers. The new medical campus will be “one-stop shopping” for residents who need quality medical services, from an emergency room visit to an elective surgical procedure, physical therapy to cancer treatment to medical imaging and prescriptions.
Banner has become a national leader in solving our industry's shortage of qualified workers. We have partnered with private, state and community colleges to develop feeder programs to staff Banner openings with well-trained college graduates.
Banner is also fully committed to addressing physician shortages through proactive efforts like expanding our graduate medical education program. In partnership with the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine, Banner administers the largest residency program in the state. Last year the program trained nearly 1,100 residents and fellows across 91 programs, and we recently announced plans to add hundreds of new seats to address critical needs in Arizona like primary care and rural medicine. We invest in this space because we know it is critical for our state and the health care industry. We know many of these physicians will stay and practice in Arizona upon graduation.
Finding the best and the brightest to work for us in the northeast Valley will not be an issue.
In March 2024, Banner submitted an application for the Banner Health Center plus to Scottsdale's Planning Department. Planning Department staff will review the application and send comments to Banner. Banner will work collaboratively with city staff to address any comment... Ultimately, the city's Development Review Board will hold a public hearing on the proposal. Banner Health Center plus is allowed by right under the existing and approved zoning. The Development Review Board will only be reviewing the site design and architecture for the building.
The union representing Scottsdale firefighters has expressed opposition to Banner's project. While we cannot speak for the union, we have reached out in an attempt to address their concerns. We have met with the Scottsdale Fire Department, Scottsdale Police Department and a number of surrounding agencies to share our plans and gather their feedback. They have been receptive, collaborative and welcoming – providing us with great input that has helped to improve the access, design and flow of the new hospital. We want to ensure that this campus is most convenient for them, so they are spending less time at the hospital and more time out in the community serving your emergent needs.
Absolutely. Banner Health Center plus will comply with the city's adopted Green Building Program that mandates adherence to the International Green Construction Code®. Design features will include EV-ready charging infrastructure, renewable energy solutions, and water use reduction strategies.
Banner stands committed to solutions that reduce water use without compromising patient care, including use of targeted areas through landscape design and low water use plant species. Open space and pedestrian pathways are planned to either have natural bioswales to promote water movement or depressions to increase water infiltration. Basins are designed to be integrated into the natural landscape design character and treat the first flush of any on-site collection. The project includes no expansive turf areas. The landscape will consist of indigenous and adapted desert plant species.