Banner investing $400M for expansion at 2 East Valley facilities

PHOENIX — Arizona’s largest hospital system is investing nearly $400 million for expansion at two medical centers in the East Valley.

Banner Health is using the funds to increase services and space for women and infant care at Banner Desert and Banner Gateway medical centers.

The Banner Desert project in Mesa will add adult acute care patient beds and a new women’s tower that will be adjacent to the Banner Children’s at Desert pediatric patient tower.

Acute beds in the facility will increase from 345 to 497 after construction is completed in 2023.

The expansion will grow the facility by 148,800 square feet and include 102,500 square feet of renovated space.

“With this tower next to our pediatric tower, we will create a focused women’s and children’s strategy to serve as a leader for those services in the East Valley,” Laura Robertson, CEO of Banner Desert and Banner Children’s at Desert, said in a press release.

The 351,000-square-foot expansion at Banner Gateway in Gilbert will double the size of the medical center campus.

That project will add a five-story patient tower, and new diagnostic and treatment space for women’s services.

Construction of the tower and new space is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2023.

“We are in a high-growth area, and our capacity has been stretched, particularly for cancer care and women’s services,” Lamont Yoder, CEO of Banner Gateway, said in the release.

“Increasing our capacity for expectant moms who choose Banner Gateway for their delivery experience is a top priority, and so is ensuring capacity for expected future growth of this community in years to come.”

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