Honoree: Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center

Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center has been revolutionzing the medical field for over 30 yearsFor nearly 30 years, Cancer Treatment Centers of America has been revolutionizing cancer care, and in December 2008, CTCA opened the doors of its Western Regional Medical Center in Goodyear.

Under the guidance and strong leadership of President and CEO David Veillette, the center has proven to be different from other hospitals and treatment facilities. CTCA patients find a comprehensive and integrative approach to fighting cancer — all under one roof. Even more importantly, patients receive what Veillette calls the “Mother Standard” of care. More than a gold standard, the Mother Standard reflects the way stakeholders would want their own loved ones to be treated if they had cancer.

An innovator in health care, Veillette’s background in developing digital hospitals, including building the first all-digital heart hospital, provided the basis for Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center to become the first and only all-digital cancer hospital in the United States.

This innovative design maximizes medical care, as patients benefit from greater efficiency created by real-time access to patient data; improved communication across departments; faster development of treatment plans; fewer medication errors, resulting in improved patient safety; and reduced turnaround times for lab results. In one year, Veillette and CTCA have made a tremendous impact on cancer care, not only in the Valley, but also across Arizona.

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Finalists: Banner Simulation Medical Center

The Banner Simulation Medical Center in Mesa is changing the way doctors, nurses and other health care practitioners learn, and in many cases, re-learn their profession. Banner Simulation Medical Center

Under the leadership of Dr. Mark Smith and Carol Noe, the center pioneers health care learning with the use of high-tech mannequins. The mannequins help replicate myriad medical conditions and emergencies, all of which are conducted in educational training centers to reduce medical errors and improve patient care. Wired to computers, these mannequins can speak, breathe, bleed and mimic a host of medical ailments, including heart attacks, stroke and even birth. Smith, who completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology in Phoenix, helped conceptualize and develop the simulation-training center. Noe led the development and standardization of simulation curricula for physicians, residents, medical students, nurses and allied health professionals.

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NextCare Urgent Care

But NextCare Urgent Care, under the leadership of founder and CEO Dr. John Shufeldt, has changed the way millions of patients view medical care.In the early 1990s, the concept of urgent care medicine was something new within the health care industry. But NextCare Urgent Care, under the leadership of founder and CEO Dr. John Shufeldt, has changed the way millions of patients view medical care.

From its beginnings 17 years ago in Mesa, with a staff of less than 10, NextCare has grown to become the country’s largest urgent care provider with 55 clinics across the nation, including 21 in Arizona. NextCare stays on the cutting edge of technology and reduces patient wait times by offering Web check-in, call-ahead patient scheduling, and electronic kiosk registration. Recently, NextCare became the only urgent care provider in the nation to offer conclusive H1N1 testing using Diatherix, which allows providers to decisively diagnose the specific type of virus in order to ensure the most effective treatment. Unlike some competitors, NextCare offers onsite medication dispensing.

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