Banner breaks ground on children's hospital tower

Donning hard hats and manning bright yellow Tonka Trucks, a pint-sized crew of four to 16-year-olds today broke ground for the new 7-story Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center patient tower that will be built on the corner of Dobson Road and Southern Avenue in Mesa.

The groundbreaking event marks the official construction launch of Arizona’s first children’s hospital designed from the ground up "through the eyes of a child." From its inception, pediatric patients and their families have been part of the planning process in designing the kid-friendly and family-centered hospital.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Kevin Smith shared a story about his daughter Shannon’s hospitalization at Banner Children’s Hospital. Thinking she only had a cold or the flu, Kevin said they brought Shannon to the hospital only to learn she had a brain abscess.

Smith said, "This hospital is not a stuffy sterile bricks and mortar facility. The people in this organization took the time to make sure we felt comfortable, felt informed and we were part of the process. We were part of the "family centered care" that Banner prides itself on."

Instrumental in guiding that family centered care is Rhonda Anderson, administrator of Pediatric Services, who is leading the children’s hospital’s growth and expansion.

"I want to thank Rhonda for her passion and her tireless efforts on behalf of this project and the children and families it will benefit," said Bruce Pearson, CEO of Banner Desert Medical Center and Banner Children’s.

Through Anderson’s leadership, ‘Theming’ has been a critical component of the interior design of the hospital, with interaction, nature and learning as key elements throughout. Family areas and patient floors will encompass a neighborhood theme, with room entrances that look like doorways into a home – complete with a doorbell to gain entry.

Banner Health President and CEO Peter Fine said, "What weaves throughout this project is one word, and that word is passion. Nothing gets done without passion, nothing gets created without passion and nothing gets accomplished without passion," he said.

"We have a very simple mission statement – Making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care. Within that statement is the message that Banner Health is not bricks, it’s not mortar, it’s not dollars, it’s not things…we are a company intended to make a difference."

Also making a difference, are the many community members, families and businesses that are supporting the $15 million Through the Eyes of a Child fundraising campaign for the children’s hospital tower. One such family has stepped up significantly with a $1.5 million donation to the campaign.

"Tom and Ruth Nesbitt saw the advantage and the value that this project will bring to the community, and they wanted to be a part of that," Fine said. "Unfortunately, Tom passed away recently, but I want to thank Ruth and her family who are here today to celebrate with us."

When the new tower opens in Summer 2009, Banner Children’s Hospital at Banner Desert Medical Center will grow from its current size of 137 pediatric hospital beds to 248 beds, and will have the capability to build an additional 120-bed tower for a future total of 368 pediatric beds serving children in Arizona.

The children’s hospital tower is the centerpiece of a $328 million expansion project underway on the campus of Banner Desert Medical Center. The new facility will include dedicated pediatric operating rooms, pre-op and recovery space, an expanded pediatric emergency department, a new pediatric outpatient treatment center and dedicated clinical ancillary and therapy services, such as medical imaging just for children.

It will be accented by soothing colors, large windows and outside gardens with fountains, sculptures and other relaxation elements.

"Everything we know about pediatric health care leads us to one conclusion: kids are not miniature versions of adults and their health care setting must reflect that," said Pearson. "Our current model of operating the children’s hospital inside the adult care setting has served its purpose, but we have run out of room and must now expand to meet the needs of children in a new and larger facility."

Pearson acknowledged the many partners that have been and continue to be involved in the children’s hospital expansion. He thanked all of the pediatric physicians and physician leaders who are critical to the project’s success. He gave special thanks to Dr. Norm Saba, chair of Pediatrics for Banner Children’s Hospital.

Saba said, "I started my practice here in 1988, when there were 24 pediatric beds, a small nursery and no pediatric ICU. I remember saying, ‘gee, wouldn’t it be great if we could build a tower just for pediatrics,’ and now, 19 years later that vision is being carried out.

"It’s an honor to be associated with this project," Saba said.

Adding the new children’s facility will free up space needed to care for the growing number of adult inpatients at the hospital, increasing by 70 the number of beds that will be available for use by adults. This 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, cardiovascular, oncology and women’s services.

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 Valley metro area.

As Arizona’s largest health care provider, Banner Health is in a unique position to be able to meet growing community needs, as evidenced by the scope of this project and other major projects underway.

Banner Health Arizona Region President Susan Edwards said, "Looking around this campus, you can see the tremendous amount of work already underway as part of Banner’s investment in growth and expansion in Arizona.

"What you can’t see are the many other major growth and expansion projects either planned or underway in Arizona to ensure we are meeting the health care needs of our communities – these include Banner Gateway Medical Center, which will open in September; a new 200-bed patient tower at Banner Thunderbird; a new 150-bed NCI designated cancer hospital downtown; a 200-bed hospital with the University of Arizona downtown; additional beds at Banner Baywood; and another tower at Banner Estrella.

"But, today is all about kids and I’m just thrilled that Banner is capable of making such an investment in the health of our children now and into the future," Edwards said.