Hospital To Create Jobs; Impact West Valley Economy
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Banner Health’s plans for a regional hospital campus in the Southwest Valley took a significant step forward with the acquisition of 62 acres of land in Buckeye from DMB Associates, Inc. The hospital campus site is located north of I-10 and west of Verrado Way in the planned community of Verrado. The purchase price was not disclosed.

Estimates by Banner Heath, one of the largest non-profit hospital providers in the country, show a regional hospital could have a significant economic impact from the combination of development and construction costs, construction employment, hospital employment and the creation of secondary jobs from private labs, new physicians’ offices, restaurants and other businesses supporting the medical industry.

“The hospital campus will create thousands of jobs and attract a highly skilled workforce to the region,” said George Casey, Verrado’s general manager. “It’s a major component of Verrado’s master plan and will help drive additional development of commercial and office space within Verrado.”

“We chose the location based on the Southwest Valley’s population growth, regional accessibility and the outstanding setting at Verrado, which will help attract the physicians, nurses and technicians that will work on campus.” said Banner Health president and CEO Peter S. Fine. “We want to be part of one of the fastest-growing areas in the West Valley.”

The campus will begin operations as a smaller, community hospital that will transition into a highly specialized, tertiary institution as the population in the West Valley expands. The hospital campus will be built in phases and will provide a comprehensive range of services for the West Valley when completed.

“While it’s difficult to provide details about this site at this time, we’re working closely with our Verrado partners so that we’re able to time the campus and hospital development to the coming growth in the next few years. The location inside the beautiful Verrado community is ideal to serve people throughout the Southwest Valley,” Fine said.

The non-profit Banner Health is Arizona’s largest health system and the state’s second largest employer with more than 20,000 employees. In the Valley, Banner operates eight acute care hospitals, a behavioral hospital, eight surgicenters and home care and hospice services. Recently, Banner and Sun Health – with two hospitals and other facilities in the Sun City area – announced the intent to merge Sun Health into Banner.

Verrado is a modern community nestled in the foothills of the White Tank Mountains. Recognized for its use of town-building principles and regionally appropriate architecture, Verrado is a place to experience the best of home, town and Arizona. With its engaging lifestyle and celebration of learning, Verrado fosters a sense of community and expression of individuality that captures the friendly spirit of a 21st century Arizona town. The community is a development of Scottsdale-based DMB Associates, Inc.