Program-specific Information

Patient Care

Banner Good Samaritan has again been named one of America's Best Hospitals by US News & World Report.  Specifically, this year, we were ranked 36th in the nation for gynecology (which also includes obstetrical care).  Each year approximately 5,500 babies are born at Banner Good Samaritan, and approximately 2,500 major gynecological operations are performed.  Residents have the support of 24 hour in-house teaching and supervising physicians from key faculty.

Banner Good Samaritan's inpatient obstetrical service includes intensive care labor rooms, birthing rooms and a special facility reserved for sophisticated antenatal evaluation.  A multi-million dollar renovation project was completed several years ago and much of the renovation benefits women and infant services.  

Banner Good Samaritan hosts an 80-bed NICU operated by Phoenix Children's Hospital.  A dedicated OB ultrasound team services our triage unit 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  An electronic medical record, PeriBirth, has been implemented along with digitally stored fetal heart rate tracings.  The implementation of PeriBirth has allowed us to continue on our goal to reduce medical errors, improve consistency in patient care and improve clinical outcomes.  PeriBirth also allows us the ability to pool data not only from our deliveries here at Banner Good Samaritan, but also across the Banner Health system.  The potential that this provides for research into clinical outcomes is endless.

Banner Good Samaritan's gynecology service is a major referral center for patients from around the Valley and around the state as well through our outreach program.  Our residents gain surgical experience at our own inpatient center as well as the outpatient surgicenter located on campus and the surgicenter located right across the street.  The hospital uses dual console DaVinci Robot technology in gynecologic surgeries and residents can learn on our robot in the Simulation Center.  The hospital has begun a multi-million dollar renovation of their main OR's to be completed in November 2012.  Residents train in our 5,000 square foot Simulation Center.  The center offers state-of-the-art education through weekly didactic sessions and is also open for use in their free time.

The Women's Center (TWC) is a full-service, urban neighborhood center that connects residents with patients whom they can follow for four years of their residency.  The clinic is located on the hospital campus and registers more than 6,000 patient visits each year.  This service provides primary care and continuity of care learning opportunities.  Electronic medical records are used within the clinic both at TWC and at the VA.

Unique Learning Opportunities

We have many unique features to our educational experience.  Highlights of these include:

• Special Curriculum:  Our interns are provided with a month-long orientation on our service.  This allows residents to rotate through the primary services of obstetrics, surgical gynecology and the outpatient clinic.  They are in a role of a full PGY-1, but are given ample opportunity to get oriented to EMR, staff and the hospital.
• NAPS (Nightime Alternative Program - Study)
  With the 2011 ACGME work hour restrictions to 16 hour shifts for interns, most programs have a night float system.  At Banner, we feel night float is not conducive for resident well-being or resident education.  We instead have NAPS, which is a variation of night float where interns work 15 hour shifts followed by 33 hours off of work.  NAPS is done 4-5 months during the year.  NAPS also includes a dedicated study and testing plan to set interns on the road to life-long learning.
• SimET Center:  Banner Good Samaritan is fortunate to have a 5,000 square foot simulation training facility on our campus.  This affords residents hands-on training opportunities in both obstetrical emergencies and gynecologic surgeries.  It also provides tremendous options for research in the area of simulation.  We are fortunate to be one of a handful of training centers in the U.S. with a DaVinci Robot in their Simulation Center.  A new curriculum of robotic training will be used this academic year.  We are also unique to have implemented the general surgery Fundamentals of Laparoscopy (FLS) program to our curriculum this year. 
• Research:  Banner Good Samaritan places a high priority on patient safety and clinical outcomes. Part of this is a value for research.  Every resident conducts and presents a research project during their four years.  The most commonly utilized opportunities are within the SimET Center or in conjunction with Phoenix Perinatal Associates, but all other areas of interest are encouraged as well.
• Didactics:  The program incorporates a full range of teaching activities including conferences, clinics, journal clubs and a visiting professor program.  Individual interests are encouraged, i.e. community health or leadership training.  We spread our conferences throughout the week into 1-2 conferences per day.  We have found this to optimize resident learning by having this breakfast or lunchtime opportunity as a break in the resident's day.  Also, in following the ACGME work hour guidelines, residents are dismissed in the morning when they are postcall.  With this conference schedule, only one conference per day will be missed on a postcall day.
• Day Float:  Although many programs provide a night float rotation, we have determined that a day float system provides our residents with the optimal and safest learning environment while allowing us to be in compliance with the ACGME guidelines on work hour restrictions.  It is very difficult for people to acclimate to working nights, especially on a part time basis.  When on this day float rotation, residents rotate to whichever service their postcall classmate would have been on that day.
• Outpatient gynecology:  Several years ago, residents began rotating through through the ambulatory women's center at the nearby VA hospital.  This has been a tremendous opportunity for outpatient gynecology training.  The program has continued to expand and the VA is now building a Women's Center of Excellence, which will serve the increasing numbers of female veterans throughout Arizona.
• Elective:  Residents have a remarkable opportunity to explore any unique interests they have during their elective rotation of their third year.  The possibilities are extensive and recent graduates have traveled to Africa, South America, China and Italy, as well as many residents who stay in Phoenix to focus on a distinctive learning prospect.

Living in Arizona

Arizona is a fantastic place to live.  Phoenix is a large metropolitan area which affords a wide array of cultural opportunities including professional basketball, football, hockey and baseball.  We are also home to Arizona State University with its associated sports activities, fine arts presentations and educational prospects.  Phoenix is a large valley which gives many opportunities for either city or suburban living.  It is an excellent place to raise a family.  We enjoy sunshine most days of the year, making Phoenix a wonderful place for those who love the outdoors.  Although Phoenix is a desert valley, we are within close proximity to several mountain regions for skiing and snow.

Other program advantages:

• Board sign-out at 4 p.m. M-TH, 3 p.m. Fridays
• Annual resident retreat
• Newly remodeled L&D
• Hospital-wide Electronic Medical Records
• Mealcards for on-call meals
• Individual call room facilities and resident workout room.