Valleywise Health opens 10-story medical center in place of legacy structure
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Valleywise Health recently opened the doors to its new 673,000-square-foot, 10-story medical center to patients, replacing the legacy hospital that has served the community for more than 50 years.
Valleywise Health officials report moving more than 200 patients from the existing tower to the new state-of-the-art facility.
The new Valleywise Health Medical Center has been decades in the making,” said Steve Purves, Valleywise Health president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to open it to the community today and grateful for all the support we’ve received since our funding measure was passed in 2014.”
Within the new hospital, the Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center occupies an entire floor, providing three dedicated trauma bays, a dedicated pediatric wing, a large physical occupational therapy room, a hyperbaric chamber and space for research and teaching.
“It’s hard to overstate the value of having a world-class public teaching hospital right here in this neighborhood,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, while attending a tour of the new facility.
“Valleywise Health has been a fixture in our community for over 100 years, and I think it’s safe to say the $935 million commitment to bring this new facility to fruition couldn’t have been put to better use.”
Also open to patients today, the new 34,550-square-foot emergency department includes three trauma bays, 88 private rooms, a dedicated pediatric space, indoor and rooftop decontamination showers as well as ground floor and rooftop helipads.
By 2026, Valleywise Health anticipates nearly 86,000 emergency visits annually, officials tell the Digital Free Press.
“The new hospital was designed to put patients first,” Mr. Purves said. “It incorporates both the latest technology and design improvements that will ensure comfort for both patients and their families. Beyond that, it makes unprecedented resources available to the hundreds of residents that Valleywise Health doctors train every year.”