Banner Health announced that it will name its new Chandler hospital Banner Ocotillo Medical Center.
In June, the health care system shared plans for a new, comprehensive medical center in the Southeast Valley. The Southeast Valley is one of the fastest-growing areas in Maricopa County, with Chandler and Gilbert representing a significant portion of the growth. The four-story, 245,000-square-foot hospital will be located on the southeast corner of Alma School Road and Loop 202 Santan Freeway. It will be adjacent to the existing Banner Health Center in Chandler and will help address the healthcare needs of area residents, including those who reside in Ahwatukee, Chandler and Gilbert.
Ocotillo continues a Banner theme of choosing names such as Estrella, Goldfield and Ironwood that reflect Arizona, the desert or nature. Ocotillo is a plant indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. Its tall, spiny stems produce bright-red flowers in spring and are attractive to hummingbirds. Ocotillo were also used to construct lean-tos and other structures for early residents of the Southwest and are still used today as fencing materials. Ocotillos can grow up to 20 feet tall and typically live 60 years or longer. Spanish for “little torch,” the name is pronounced “oh-kuh-TEE-yo.”
The name Ocotillo connects to the city of Chandler’s early history. The town of Chandler was originally known as Ocotillo, back in its days as a cotton-growing region. While the town’s name later changed to honor Dr. Alexander John Chandler, Ocotillo remained as the name of a prominent local road.
To select the name of the new hospital, the health system invited 15,000 local residents to participate via online voting back in June. The chosen name, Banner Ocotillo Medical Center, was the overwhelming favorite.
Banner Ocotillo Medical Center is expected to open in the fall of 2020 and represents an investment of more than $150 million. It will open with approximately 96 beds, and offer imaging, surgery, labor and delivery, intensive care and an emergency room. The hospital will have room for expansion as the community needs require more services.
Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 28 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, academic and employed physician groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services; including Banner Urgent Care, family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com.
