Banner Board Approves Growth Projects
(PHOENIX) December 10 – Banner Health's board of directors approved expansion plans that will bring more than 300 beds into the Phoenix metro area by 2008, and the funding for the second phase of the Legacy project at Banner Health's McKee Medical Center in Loveland.
The plans include a seven-story pediatric tower that will be the centerpiece of a 92-bed expansion at Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center (bringing the total number of 128 licensed beds at the children's hospital to 220), an additional 200 beds at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, and an extensive remodel at McKee Medical Center that will result in a much-needed new Emergency department.
Children's tower will be centerpiece of Banner Desert project
The new facility at Banner Desert Medical Center will be built with the unique needs of children in mind. Construction of the new tower and consolidation of pediatric services will enable Banner Children's Hospital to increase its pediatric bed capacity by 62 beds and its neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) capacity by 30 beds.
The new tower and expansion of the NICU will be built with all private patient rooms that will include more space for parents. Banner Children's Hospital will encompass units for general medical and surgical pediatrics, pediatric intensive care, pediatric hematology/oncology, neonatal intensive care, and adolescent psychiatry.
With the addition of the new children's facility, Banner Desert Medical Center will have more space needed to care for the growing number of adult inpatients by increasing by 70 the number of beds available for use by adults.
The added capacity and the related program expansion will further the development of Banner Desert as a major referral center in the East Valley for the most acutely ill and complex adult and pediatric patients. Banner Desert continues to enhance and grow its programs in various surgical specialties, oncology and women's services.
The project also encompasses a major investment in infrastructure, including a new 1,200-space parking structure. Fifteen hospital operating rooms will be constructed, increasing the net available from 19 to 24, not counting the six operating rooms at the adjacent outpatient Banner Surgicenter. Other areas slated for expansion or reconstruction in this project include Banner Desert's Emergency Department, which will increase from 54 to 82 treatment beds; kitchen, cafeteria and dining areas; pharmacy, materials management, central plant and other support service functions. Infrastructure work is already underway and completion of the project is slated for the fourth quarter of 2008.
Adding to the approval of this project, the Banner Health Board of Directors previously approved a $75 million expansion of Banner Desert Medical Center bringing the total investment to $328 million.
Facilities will be constructed with future expansion capability so that the hospital can be prepared to meet future population growth needs as well.
"This very large project clearly marks the emergence of Banner Desert Medical Center as a comprehensive tertiary center serving the health and wellness needs of both adults and children in the Phoenix area," said Banner President and CEO, Peter S. Fine.
Patient tower with 200 beds to be added at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
The Banner Health Board of Directors also approved $198 million for construction of a new 200-bed patient tower, expansion of the Emergency department and growth of other key services of the Banner Thunderbird Medical Center campus in Glendale, Ariz.
With the expansion, Banner Thunderbird will have 594 acute care beds and a new 64-bed Emergency department. The additional capacity will allow the hospital to pursue growth opportunities while becoming a tertiary level facility. Areas of focus will be pediatrics, high-risk obstetrics and neonatology, cardiology and cardiac surgery, vascular services, oncology, general surgery, neurosciences and neurosurgery.
Currently, Banner Thunderbird has 394 acute care beds, which includes a 24-bed Children's Center and a 42-bed Behavioral Health Center. The expansion will allow the Children's Center to grow to 52 beds, which includes a 12-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Construction is set to begin in early 2007 after City of Glendale approval. Completion is projected for November 2008.
Emergency department to be foundation of McKee Medical Center Project
A new Emergency department will be the main feature of a $21 million project approved for the McKee Medical Center campus in Loveland, Colo. Titled "Legacy II," the effort will expand and improve a number of services within the hospital including a new Emergency department tower and improvements in the Outpatient registration and waiting areas.
Legacy I, which was completed earlier this year, was a $40 million addition which now houses the McKee Surgery Center, an expanded Family Birthing Center and a larger Intensive Care Unit. The project also included expanded areas for support services such as Materials Management, Plant and Environmental Services, a new morgue and expanded main and Emergency department areas.
The new Emergency department will have 19 private patient rooms with more room for equipment and medical staff. An expanded waiting and registration area also will offer more privacy for patients and their loved ones.
Part of the existing Emergency department space will be used to house a state-of-the-art PET CT scanner that combines computed tomography (CT) and nuclear scanning. PET CT scanners are often used as an effective test for detecting and evaluating cancer, such as of the lung or breast. McKee's Legacy II project also will include:
- Renovation of current operating rooms
- Construction of a new pharmacy and a new laboratory
(within existing hospital space) - Completion of a pneumatic tube system
- Expansion of the chapel
- Expansion of the McKee Cancer Center
- Expansion of the dining area
- Update of the entire first floor hallway and Outpatient lobby
"We are excited to move forward with our Legacy II project," said Rick Sutton, McKee Medical Center CEO, "and to continue our journey toward being the best hospital in Banner Health, in
These expansions are significant investments by Banner Health that are financed through tax-exempt bonds. More importantly, the expansions represent Banner Health's non-profit commitment to meeting the health needs of all segments of our communities – from the youngest of children to our most senior adults.
Phoenix-based Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 20 acute-care hospitals, long term care centers and an array of other services, including family clinics, home care services, a nursing registry and home medical equipment services, in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.
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Banner Health
1441 North 12th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85006
Contact: Bill Byron (602) 747-4702
