City of Maricopa Partners with Banner Health to Bring Primary Care Services to Community

PHOENIX — Residents in the rapidly growing city of Maricopa, Ariz., and people in surrounding areas will have convenient access to a major primary care center by mid-2012.

The center, which is the first major medical facility in the community, is the result of a public/private partnership between the city of Maricopa and Banner Health approved by the Maricopa City Council Tuesday.

“This is a tremendously important development that will bring much-needed health care services to people living in and around Maricopa,” said Maricopa Mayor Anthony Smith. “Today, people in Maricopa have to drive a fair distance to reach primary care services, so we’re thrilled to be working with Banner on a project that will improve the health of our community,” he added.

The Banner Health Center will be located at The Wells retail center on the southwest corner of Alan Stephens Parkway and Porter Road. Construction will begin on the health center in the summer of 2011. It will be built in phases that will allow the center to expand to more than 80,000 square feet. The first phase will build out more than 40,000 square feet, with space for as many as 18 physicians and ancillary services such as X-ray and laboratory services.

As the population around the center increases, Banner will expand the development and increase the number of physicians in the center, which will include selected specialists to support their primary care colleagues.

“The advantage to bringing an organization like Banner to Maricopa includes its ability to identify and fill service needs rapidly, such as assigning a specialty care physician to the area on a part-time basis as soon as a large enough demand warrants it,” noted Economic Development Director Danielle Casey.

Banner Health is purchasing approximately 11.13 acres of property for this project, which will be planned and developed in phases over time. In Phase I of the project’s operation, it is anticipated to create up to 30 jobs increasing to 65 by the end of the fifth year of operations. These would include primary care physicians and related support staff. All totaled, Banner Health will create an economic impact of $129.9 million on the city of Maricopa over the next 10 years.

In exchange for Banner’s investment in this area – designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a “Medically Underserved Area” and a “Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area” – the city of Maricopa will provide public improvement assistance and grant funds to the project.

“We’ve been in discussions with Maricopa for a number of years, and we’re grateful to the Mayor and the Maricopa City Council for their determination to bring excellent primary care services to the people who in live in this terrific community,” said Jim Brannon, chief executive officer of the Banner Medical Group. He added, “The city’s willingness to partner with us on this project is allowing it to move forward much faster than we would have been able to do otherwise.”

Banner Medical Group operates physician clinics in six states that Banner Health serves. “We are excited to move forward with this development in the city of Maricopa that will mark the start of a long-term Banner presence in the community – we are in this for the long haul and look forward to growing our health care services delivery along with the city’s growth,” Brannon said.

About Banner Health
Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health is one of the largest, nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns or manages 23 acute-care hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services including family clinics and home care and hospice services. Banner Health is in seven states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming.

Banner Health has several major facilities in metro Phoenix’s East Valley including Cardon Children’s Medical Center and the nation’s largest simulation education center. Recently Banner Health opened Banner Ironwood Medical Center in San Tan Valley and will be opening the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert in the fall of 2011. To learn more about Banner health, go to www.bannerhealth.com.

About Maricopa, Ariz.
Maricopa, Ariz., is a thriving community located in the Sun Corridor. Incorporated in 2003, the city has a highly educated population of more than 40,000 residents and sits approximately 20 minutes south of the Phoenix metroplex and only 35 miles from Sky Harbor International Airport. One of the youngest cities in the state of Arizona, Maricopa is a growing economic development destination with new companies entering the market each year.

The mission of the city of Maricopa is to be open, responsive and accountable while serving the public with integrity. To learn more about this city with a proud history and a prosperous future, visit www.maricopa-az.gov.