In 2008, Banner Desert Medical Center celebrated its 35th anniversary of providing excellent patient care to East Valley residents. Here's a chronology of our history:
1921 – John & Geneva LeSueur of Mesa donate their home for the community's first hospital of six beds
1923 – The home is named Southside District Hospital to be eligible for hospital district funds
1936 – A 37-bed hospital is built with WPA funds
1958 – Southside District Hospital has grown to 146 beds
1968 – Southside Good Samaritan merge
1970 – Ground is broken on Desert Samaritan Hospital
1973 – First patients admitted April 15, 1973 to the new hospital
1982 – New Tower, Laboratory, Radiology, Food Services, & Loading Dock are built
1985 – Care Center opens
1988 – Behavioral Health Center opens
1993 – Emergency department expands to 49 beds, West Entrance opens and Radiation Oncology expands
1998 – Samaritan Health Sytstem signs Letter of Intent with Lutheran Health System and Banner Health is formed
2000 – Fourth tower is built to house Children's Center, expanded surgical suites, cardiac and ICU beds
2000 – Women's Center is expanded and remodeled to accommodate 8,000 annual deliveries
2002 – 65-bed neonatal intensive care unit opens
2002 – Hospital is designated as a Level III Perinatal Care Center by the Arizona Perinatal Trust
2003 – Hospital name is changed to Banner Desert Medical Center
2004 – Children's Center receives approval from state of Arizona to become Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center
2006 – Major expansion project begins. Project expands pediatric and adult programs and services at Banner Desert Medical Center.
2007 – Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center breaks ground on a new seven-story pediatric tower.
2009 – Banner Children's Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center is renamed for the Cardon family, becoming Cardon Children's Medical Center.
