Banner Mesa Corporate Center opens

MESA, Ariz. (April 14, 2009) -- Banner Health debuted its Banner Mesa  Corporate Center as a part of $130 million overhaul of a closed hospital. The center will house one of the country's largest simulation-education programs in addition to information technology and other programs.

Complete Transcript of Banner Mesa Corporate Center Ribbon Cutting 

audio: Opening Theme Music 

[text: Banner Heath Video eNews] 

[image: Crowd gathering around for ribbon cutting ceremony, Banner leaders cut ribbon] 

audio: Dozens of Banner leaders got together with Mesa city officials recently for a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Banner Mesa Corporate Center- formerly known as Banner Mesa Medical Center.  

[text: Ron Bunnell, Banner Health Exec. Vice President Chief Admin. Officer Chief Financial Officer ] 

[image: Ron Bunnell talking, crowd reaction, and exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

audio: I want to begin by holding up a copy of the Mesa Tribune and look at this headline.  It’s all about Banner’s rebirth, when this facility was shut down as a medical center, we really did not know what to do with it.

[image: Exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

audio: The new facility now has a brand new face and a brand new purpose thanks to a  $130 million top-to-bottom upgrade.

[text: Kip Edwards Banner Health System vice president design & construction] 

[image: Kip Edwards talking, interior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

audio: It’s a hundred and thirty million dollar investment by Banner and we call it a repurposing of the facility because it’s really taking what was a medical center and converting it to a whole new purpose and giving it a whole new life.

[image: Exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center, Ron Bunnell talking] 

audio: You know as a corporate center, it pulls people together from around the Valley so we’ll have two main centers, one here, and one on 12th Street.  In addition to that, we’re going to have a Sim Center and a state-of-the-art Data Center which are really critical as we continue to grow and focus on quality. 

[image: Construction, exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

audio: This rebirth of the old Banner Mesa Medical Center into a high-tech corporate and educational hub is an investment in people, education, and the community.

[text: Mayor Scott Smith City of Mesa, crowd reaction, exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

[image: Mayor Scott Smith talking] 

audio: It was Banner who decided that they would be willing to make a long term investment in our community.  We can never express how grateful we are for Banner’s commitment to Mesa… for their investment in Mesa.

[image: Construction, exterior of Banner Mesa Corporate Center] 

audio: Banner Corporate Center Mesa is scheduled to be fully operational and ready for business around the end of the summer of 2009.