Merger anniversary finds hospitals in good health

It’s been a busy and productive year since Banner Health and Sun Health merged, bringing Sun Health into the Banner Health network.
The anniversary also coincides with Banner’s 10th anniversary.
“Bringing one organization into another is an extremely challenging and complex proposition,” said Kathy Bollinger, president of Banner’s Arizona West Region. “At the outset, the team was committed to make this happen without sacrificing the excellent patient care that residents have come to expect from our facilities.”
“From a company perspective, through this experience, we have learned how to integrate facilities and people into Banner with the end result being improvement for all parties,” Bollinger said. “Banner Health recognized the importance of honoring the rich history of the Sun Health facilities and then worked methodically to plan and manage the human side of this significant change.”
Lee Peterson, CEO of Sun Health Services, said he was pleased with the “large and complex transition” that started a year ago.
“Right after this time last year is when the economy began to suffer a great deal,” Peterson said. “But also during that time, the medical centers had the advantage of increased size and improved buying power.”
Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City has focused on maintaining its strong community partnership.
“Area residents have a vested interest in this hospital and seeing its medical services grow,” said Boswell CEO David Cheney. “We cannot grow as well without the community’s support and our partners, Sun Health Foundation and Sun Health Auxiliary.”
Some of the changes that have occurred in the past year include implementing a stroke alert response in the emergency and inpatient areas of both Boswell and Del E. Webb that expedite assessment and treatment of patients with stroke symptoms, and an inpatient fall prevention program.
“We now offer a new intensive outpatient rehab program for Parkinson’s patients,” Cheney said. “This novel integrated treatment protocol simultaneously targets speech and limb motor impairments.”
Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City West has undergone a tremendous physical change since the merger.
“What changes in a short year — a new six-story wing housing a completely new emergency department, a new pre- and post-operative care floor and a new cardiac/telemetry unit,” said John Harrington, CEO. “With 404 beds we are now the eighth-largest hospital in the Valley.”
The women and infant services department is serving more families from El Mirage, Surprise and surrounding communities. There also will be e-Learning childbirth classes for those who can’t attend in person.
New technology also is on the way.
“This fall our medical imaging department will offer digital mammography, as well as breast specific gamma imaging,” Harrington said. “Banner Del E. Webb will be the only facility in the valley to offer BSGI.”
Both Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb have rolled out 11 new clinical software applications on the road to integrating with Banner Health’s informational systems and moving towards fully electronic medical records and physicians’ order entry by 2010.
The Sun Health Research Institute continues its Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other research, now with the resources of a second institute.
“Looking ahead, we see tremendous opportunity in more closely collaborating the research and  care provided at Sun Health Research Institute on the campus of Banner Boswell and the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute on the campus of Banner Good Samaritan in downtown Phoenix,” Bollinger said. “We have a terrific opportunity to build on the synergies that exist between the two facilities to further enhance our medical research capabilities and get us closer to finding new treatments for age-related diseases.”
“On more than one occasion, I’ve heard the Sun Health Research Institute referred to as a 'real gem’ that is now working under the Banner umbrella to improve the lives of our patients,” Bollinger said.
Some of the new cardiac programs scheduled to be introduced in the near future include a healthy heart screening program, digital vascular imaging and the  Heart Club, which provides patients and families educational information prior to open heart surgery, while hospitalized and after they are released.
When Banner Boswell and Del E. Webb joined the Banner network, it doubled Banner’s volunteer staff with adding in the 4,000 volunteers that handle more than 100 assignments at the two facilities.
“We’re working closely with our volunteers to ensure we are providing the right kinds of opportunities for them,” Harrington said. “As the next generation begins to retire and become volunteers in their communities, we want to be sure we are able to offer the types of volunteer roles that are attractive and interesting to them.”
The Sun Health Foundation remains focused on its mission of philanthropic support on behalf of Banner Boswell and Del E. Webb medical centers, the Sun Health Research Institute and all of the other facilities and programs now part of the Banner Health system.
“Each donor’s designation as to the purpose of their charitable contribution is followed explicitly, so the funds directly benefit the facility and/or program of the donor’s choice,” said Pamela Meyerhoffer, president/CEO. “The community engagement event and enterprise operations — gift shops, thrift shops and coffee service — continue to be organized by the dedicated volunteers of Sun Health Auxiliary to raise funds for the purchase of needed medical equipment for our local hospitals, research institute and other facilities.”
Joy Slagowski may be reached at 623-876-2514, or jslagowski@yourwestvalley.com.

Though the Sun Health community education office closed its doors after the merger, Boswell is still focusing on educational programs, including “Ask the Expert,” a monthly lecture series featuring discussions on health issues. Physician experts also participate in speaking engagements at local churches, community centers and events.