In the News / Press Releases

Healthy babies are worth the wait
PHOENIX (July 18, 2011) -- Banner Health supports March of Dimes campaign to limit early deliveries in support of fetal development.

Banner Estrella recognized as Top Hospital in US News & World Report
PHOENIX (July 20, 2011) – Banner Estrella Medical Center, and three other Banner Health hospital, was recognized for multiple clinical distinctions in U.S. News & World Report's Phoenix-metropolitan area Best Hospitals rankings.

Nurses use a spoonful of peppermint, sage, lavendar and olive oil
PHOENIX (Feb. 10, 2011) – Would you like to receive aromatherapy during your stay? This might sound like a question you would be asked when checking into a spa or resort, but one Valley hospital is asking patients this very question—and getting a positive response.

Banner Estrella to hold free breast cancer event
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Oct. 6, 2010) – Banner Estrella Medical Center invites women to come learn the latest on the various aspects of breast health during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Local hospital playing matchmaker for 21-year-old hoping to find 'the one'
PHOENIX, AZ (Sep. 8, 2010) – Like most young men, Johnny Garcia is seeking his perfect match. But this 21-year-old’s search has nothing to do with movies or dinner dates. Instead, the Litchfield Park resident is focused on finding the one person who could help save his life. To help him, Banner Estrella Medical Center is playing “bone marrow matchmaker” in hopes of finding a donor who is just right for Garcia.

Banner Estrella honors friend former ER doctor
PHOENIX, Ariz. (April 5, 2010) – Emergency department staff at Banner Estrella Medical Center in West Phoenix will host an information table about organ donation in the hospital’s cafeteria, April 5-9, in honor of former emergency physician and friend, Dr. Joe Gibson.

New approach to hip replacement surgery now offered at Banner Estrella Medical Center
PHOENIX (April 2010) — Arthritis and limited hip mobility are two common reasons why approximately 200,000 hip replacements are performed in the United States each year—and that number continues to rise as the population ages. For patients, the hip replacement surgery generally means they will experience significant pain and lengthy recoveries, but now, there’s a new technique offered at Banner Estrella Medical Center that gets people back on their feet at a more rapid pace.

Po named president of infectious disease group
PHOENIX (March 16, 2010) — Banner Estrella Medical Center physician John Po, MD, PhD, has been selected as president of the Arizona Infectious Diseases Society (ARIDS) through a peer-selection process.

Banner Estrella Medical Center lifts flu-based visitor restrictions
PHOENIX (Dec. 29, 2009) – Because risk of H1N1 and seasonal flu transmission has subsided, Banner Estrella Medical Center will again allow children ages 12 and under into patient care areas within the hospital.

Banner Estrella offers free stroke check
PHOENIX (April 20, 2009) – According to the American Heart Association, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. And every three to four minutes, someone dies of stroke. What is your personal risk for stroke? Banner Estrella will offer a free stroke check on Saturday, May 16.

Banner Estrella names new CMO
PHOENIX (Feb. 17, 2009) – Ken Welch, MD, has accepted the position of Chief Medical Officer at Banner Estrella Medical Center. Dr. Welch replaces former Chief Medical Officer Charlie Agee, MD, who went to a new role as chief medical officer for Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center earlier this month. 

Banner Estrella celebrates its fourth anniversary
PHOENIX (Jan. 12, 2009) – Banner Estrella Medical Center, located on 91st Avenue and Thomas Road will celebrate its fourth birthday on Wednesday, Jan. 14 2009.

Eggs-citing Easter Egg Event to be held at Banner Estrella
PHOENIX (Jan. 1, 2009) – Nine local artists across Arizona and their egg creations will be judged at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 7 in the main lobby of Banner Estrella Medical Center. The artists will be competing for the chance to represent Arizona at the annual White House Easter Egg competition in Washington D.C. This is the fifth year that the hospital has hosted the event. All eggs will be on display at the hospital starting at 6:30 a.m.

Security Department at Banner Estrella Medical Center first in Valley to use Segway
PHOENIX (Sept. 3, 2008) –The Security Department at Banner Estrella Medical Center has found a new way of patrolling the exterior of the hospital’s campus with just two wheels—a Segway Personal Transporter. Banner Estrella, known for its high-tech facility, is the first hospital in the Valley to introduce a Segway to its campus. The Security Department will use the Segway as another measure to enhance security around the facility, while also being ecofriendly.

Banner Estrella opens high-tech operating room to accommodate growing demand
PHOENIX (June 2, 2008) – One of the most high-tech, efficient operating rooms in the Valley will soon be open to patients at nonprofit Banner Estrella Medical Center. The hospital has added a seventh operating room to accommodate the community’s growing demand for surgical services.

Banner Estrella Medical Center now offering effective treatment for thyroid cancer
PHOENIX (May 27, 2008) – The Nuclear Medicine Department at Banner Estrella Medical Center now offers an effective treatment to patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The procedure, called I-131 Ablation Therapy, uses a swallowed radioactive iodine capsule to destroy thyroid cancer cells in the body at both the primary source of the cancer, as well as at additional areas where the cancer has spread. Following treatment, I-131 whole body scans can detect both the recurrence and absence of the disease.

Banner Estrella Medical Center creates a bigger space for its smallest patients
PHOENIX (May 5, 2008) – Banner Estrella Medical Center received a special delivery for its smallest patients: an expanded Level II nursery. The newly-renovated nursery, Level II nursery and its highly trained staff care for newborns requiring extra medical attention. The expanded nursery grew from seven to 13 beds as part of the much-anticipated project.

Banner Estrella Medical Center honors Donate Life Month at hospital
PHOENIX (April 10, 2008) – Saving a life can be as easy as filling out a form. In honor of Donate Life Month, Banner Estrella Medical Center will provide information to staff about organ and tissue donation from those who know about it firsthand – recipients of donated organs.

Banner Estrella Medical Center launches new program designed to improve patients’ surgical experience and speed up recovery time
PHOENIX (April 8, 2008) – An innovative new program at Banner Estrella Medical Center helps surgical patients feel less anxious before surgery, feel less pain during surgery and heal faster after surgery.

Banner Estrella Medical Center creates safer environment for patients and staff
PHOENIX (March 28, 2008) – Banner Estrella Medical Center has launched a campaign to ensure a safer environment for patients and medical staff.

Banner Estrella Medical Center offers free stroke risk assessment and lecture series
PHOENIX (March 27, 2008) – According to the American Heart Association, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds. And every three to four minutes, someone dies of stroke. Are you at risk for stroke? Here’s how to find out.

Banner Estrella Medical Center names new Chief Nursing Officer
PHOENIX (March 24, 2008) – Karin Toci, RN, has accepted the position of chief nursing officer (CNO) at Banner Estrella Medical Center. Toci, who has served as director of Quality Management at Banner Estrella since March 2007, has served as interim CNO since Jan. 1, when former CNO Diane Drexler resigned to pursue other opportunities. Banner Estrella has immediately begun the search for a new Quality Management director.

Young artists showcase their talent at Banner Estrella Medical Center
PHOENIX (March 11, 2008) – The hallway connecting the medical office building to Banner Estrella Medical Center (BEMC) will soon be lined with the art of young artists. BEMC will host the second annual Sheely Farms Art Show, showcasing the talented work of student artists in the second to eighth grades at Sheely Farms Elementary School.

Banner Estrella Medical Center ready for Super Bowl Week
PHOENIX (January 11, 2008) – Super Bowl XLII will be unlike any given Sunday. No matter the score of the football game, the Banner Estrella Medical Center team is prepared to receive any patients that reach its doors.

Banner Estrella Medical Center opens sixth patient floor to meet community need
PHOENIX (January 9, 2008) – Banner Estrella Medical Center is opening a sixth patient floor to meet the growing health care needs of the community. The $13.8 million expansion project adds 36 beds – 12 dedicated to obstetrics patients and 24 to orthopedics and medical and surgical patients. This brings the total hospital bed count from 172 to 208. An 8-bed well baby nursery is also being added.

Baby Boom hits Banner Estrella Medical Center
PHOENIX (Jan. 7, 2008) – Banner Estrella Medical Center delivered a record number of babies in 2007 and to meet the demand will add a second nursery, four more labor and delivery rooms, and eight more postpartum beds. Additionally, the hospital will be launching a teen parent education program.