The East Valley has gained quite a few new hospitals in the past couple of years, and now it is the West Valley’s turn for hospital expansion. As cities like Buckeye, Goodyear, and Surprise are growing faster than most, the healthcare system must be prepared to handle increased patient volumes.
In Buckeye, a new Banner hospital is set to open in 2024. Offering most basic hospital services off the I-10 and Verrado Way, it is supposed to be four stories tall and hold about 120 beds with the possibility to grow.
Buckeye will also soon be home to an Abrazo medical campus. Doctors’ offices and plans for an acute care hospital are in the works.
Phoenix Children’s Hospital recently came to an agreement with Mercy Gilbert hospital in the east valley, but will soon be opening an independent Arrowhead campus in Glendale. As a three story tall building, it will have plenty of beds and room for growth to take care of children in the west valley.
In the past 80 years, the east valley has seen many hospitals open to care for the growing Arizona population:
1944 – Tempe St. Luke’s
1961 – Chandler Regional
1973 – Banner Desert
1984 – Banner Baywood
1984 – Banner Casa Grande
2006 – Mercy Gilbert
2007 – Banner Gateway
2007 – Mountain Vista
2010 – Banner Ironwood
2020 – Banner Ocotillo
Many hospitals are built with a floor plan that allows for growth and expansion as the needs of the community grow. As more people move to Arizona, the housing shortage and nursing shortage will need to be addressed.
Arizona is home to over 7 million residents, but ranks 21st in healthcare. This ranking is determined from health care access, health care quality, and public health measures of obesity, smoking, etc.
The states best-ranked for healthcare include Hawaii, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and California. It is not surprising that these states have some of the highest median household incomes out of the United States. They also have some of the highest rates of citizens with at least a bachelor’s degree.
Education and health go hand-in-hand. With the increased health care system presence in Arizona, hopefully the public health outreach and health education improves as well. Arizona high schools do not require physical education or a health class at the state-level, individual school district boards decide the additional 7 credits needed to graduate.
Chandler Unified School District requires a physical education credit that can also be fulfilled by a sports “locker” hour during the school day that focuses on their sport. They also require a health class credit which is a semester-long and where they also fulfill the Arizona High School CPR requirement.
Implementing the infrastructure needed to maintain Arizona residents’ health is important, and with new hospitals being built-staff will be needed next. Physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, and other medical personnel will be crucial to providing patient care in the Phoenix area. With only one public medical school in Arizona, University of Arizona, making the valley an attractive place to live will be paramount to bringing in physicians.
Paige Ellsworth BSN, RN is a travel health specialist for Away Clinic. Paige educates international travelers on yellow fever, typhoid, and Japanese encephalitis vaccines. She enjoys hiking, running, and teaching CPR classes in her free time.