History

Banner Heart Hospital has provided a decade of excellent cardiac service in the East Valley.

Much has changed since the hospital opened in November 2000. There have been five expansions, two name changes, and many new faces.  But one thing has remained constant: the hospital’s commitment to providing exceptional patient care.

Here are a few major milestones from the last 10 years:

2000

• Lutheran Heart Hospital received its operating license and opened its doors on Nov. 3.
• At 5:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, the first patient was admitted to Lutheran Heart Hospital. At 8 a.m., he had a cardiac catheterization to insert a stent.

2001

• Banner Health became the sole owner of Lutheran Heart Hospital upon the purchase of the ownership rights of a group of physician investors.
• Lutheran Heart Hospital’s name is changed to Banner Baywood Heart Hospital.

2002

• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital holds its first Guardian Award ceremony. Deb Ricketts is named the inaugural Guardian of the Year.

2003

• A new piece of technology, the Cypher stent, is introduced to patients at Banner Baywood Heart Hospital.
  
  This stent is coated with the drug Sirolimus and works to prevent the reclogging of a treated coronary artery.

2004

• The hospital expands from 60 to 111 inpatient beds, making it  one of the largest freestanding heart hospitals in the country.

2005

• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital opened its fifth Cath lab. The construction cost is $3 million.
• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital celebrated its 5 year anniversary.

2006

• Kathy Bollinger, the first CEO of Banner Baywood Heart Hospital, leaves to become CEO at Banner Estrella Medical Center. John Harrington becomes the new CEO of Banner Baywood Heart Hospital.
• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital earns recognition as a Top 100 hospital for cardiovascular care and would go on to receive this recognition for three years.
• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital begins using robotic surgery very successfully. 

2007

• Banner Baywood Heart Hospital changes its name to Banner Heart Hospital.
• Banner Heart Hospital is named a Top 100 hospital for heart care for the second consecutive year.

2008

• Banner Heart Hospital becomes the first in the state of Arizona to launch a Cardiac Alert Program.
• Banner Heart is named a Top 100 hospital for the third year in a row by Thomson-Reuters.
• In partnership with Banner Baywood Medical Center, the hospital begins therapeutic hypothermia treatment to prolong the lives of those who experience heart attacks outside of the hospital.

2009

• Banner Heart Hospital breaks ground on its $35 million dollar third-floor expansion project.
• Banner Heart Hospital becomes an Accredited Heart Failure Institute.
• The hospital launches the Women’s Heart Center.
• Laura Robertson becomes CEO of Banner Heart Hospital, replacing John Harrington, who becomes CEO of Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center.

2010

• Banner Heart Hospital opens its third floor expansion project, which includes new electrophysiology labs, state-of-the-art technology, recovery areas, outpatient treatment rooms, and the state's first hybrid operating room.
• Banner Heart acquires the Hansen Sensei X Robotic Catheter Ablation system.
• The hospital launches its Heart Rhythm Center and Pulmonary Hypertension Program.
• Banner Health is named a Top 10 health system in the country by Thomson-Reuters.
• Banner Health announces that Laura Robertson will move to Banner Baywood Medical Center as CEO on Jan. 1, 2011. Debbie Flores, from Banner Boswell Medical Center, will take over as Banner Heart CEO.
• Banner Heart Hospital celebrates a decade of exceptional cardiac care in Arizona and looks forward to the future.