Cardon Children’s CEO To Chair
2011 March of Dimes March for Babies in Arizona

(PHOENIX) Dec. 8, 2010 – March of Dimes Arizona Chapter is honored to announce that Rhonda Anderson, CEO of Banner Health’s Cardon Children’s Medical Center has accepted the important role of 2011 March for Babies Arizona Chairperson for the March of Dimes.

The nation’s premier walking event, March for Babies is held in 900 communities across the country and involves more than 7 million people each year, raising more than 2 billion dollars.

“Because I have worked with premature babies throughout my career, and seen first-hand the dramatic changes that research has made in care and survival, supporting the March of Dimes was an easy decision,” said Anderson.  “For decades, March of Dimes has funded Nobel Prize winning research that has led to these medical breakthroughs and saved precious lives.”

For the 2011 Phoenix March for Babies, held on April 9 at Wesley Bolin Plaza, Anderson committed to raise $100,000.  To reach that goal, Anderson is encouraging all Banner employees in Arizona to become actively involved in the campaign.

In an average week in Arizona, close to 2,000 babies are born. Of these babies, 251 will be born premature. Each year in the United States, over a half a million babies are born too soon and more than 120,000 babies are born with serious birth defects. Through the March for Babies event, Cardon Children’s Medical Center will be actively involved in raising awareness and vital revenue to help the March of Dimes prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

The most urgent infant health problem in the U.S. today is premature birth In November, the March of Dimes issued its third annual Report Card on Premature Birth, giving the nation a D and Arizona a D. Babies born too soon are more likely to die or have disabilities. The March of Dimes is committed to reducing this toll by funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families who are affected.

About Cardon Children's Medical Center
Cardon Children’s Medical Center provides comprehensive pediatric care for children, from newborns to teens. Services include emergency care, intensive care, neonatal care, general pediatrics, surgical and rehabilitation services, oncology, outpatient services and community education on topics related to prevention and children’s wellness. They partner with highly qualified physicians in a wide range of pediatric specialties.  Offering a new, state-of-the-art facility at U.S. 60 and Dobson Road in Mesa, Cardon Children’s has greatly expanded the scope of pediatric care in the Valley including 248 inpatient pediatric beds. Cardon Children’s Medical Center is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, one of the largest, non-profit health systems in the country with 23 hospitals in seven states.  In 2010, Thomson Reuters and Modern Healthcare named Banner Health one of the Top Ten Hospital Systems in the U.S. To learn more about Banner Health go to http://www.bannerhealth.com/.
 
About March of Dimes
March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies®, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com  or nacersano.org.