Be at the heart of health.
The campaign to advance world-class care for all.
A
destination for living deserves to be a destination for health.
Our $250 million systemwide Be at the Heart of Health campaign is designed to realize the fullness of medicine’s promise for the benefit of our patients and communities.
Campaign gifts from Southern Arizona donors and community partners can be designated exclusively to Banner – University Medicine’s Tucson-based initiatives.
Arizona and the Southwest have become population magnets, attracting multitudes of new residents with the lifestyle that existing residents have long treasured. As the region becomes ever more diverse, dynamic, and distinguished, the bar is raised for the quality of life expected — and deserved — by those who call it home. And nothing is more essential to our quality of life than the quality of our health care.
WE ENVISION A HEALTHIER FUTURE
That is why we have committed to a powerful mandate: to create the conditions for a place and its people to flourish by putting world-class care within reach of more Southern Arizonans. “Be at the Heart of Health: The campaign to advance world-class care for all” is one of the primary ways we will develop the deep resources required to reach this goal.
We envision a healthier future for our Southern Arizona communities, where every individual — regardless of their background — can access coordinated, world-class medical care provided by a deep bench of internationally renowned experts. We will build upon our tradition of excellence in medicine, and work in close partnership with the Tucson community, to transform the landscape of health care in this region. Our intention is clear — to ensure that everyone can access excellent care, with no one left behind due to financial limitations or other barriers.
Focal Points for the Future
Banner is making significant investments to scale these key programs and create destination centers for highly specialized care in Southern Arizona.
CARE
Together, we will build the highest quality clinical care and community health programs in Southern Arizona to serve our diverse communities and those who travel here for care.
INNOVATION
We will pioneer and scale vital solutions, deliver care in state-of-the-art medical facilities outfitted with the most advanced technology, and drive new ventures that improve access to and quality of care for everyone in our communities.
TALENT
We will attract top talent to practice medicine in Southern Arizona, building a world-class clinical team while helping young people explore careers in health care to build the talent pipeline. We will cultivate a working environment that prioritizes the mental and physical well-being of our providers, empowering them to deliver the highest standard of care for their patients.
STRATEGIC GROWTH INITIATIVES
Within our primary focal areas, we will invest in seven key areas that are fundamental to the future of world-class care. Each is essential to our quality of life — and represents an area of growing patient demand for services. This campaign will fuel growth and innovation in Southern
∙ Expanding Access to Care
∙ Neurosciences
∙ Cardiovascular
∙ Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
∙ Pediatrics
∙ Cancer
∙ Workforce Development
Banner is making significant investments to scale these key programs and create destination centers for highly specialized care in Southern Arizona. We invite our community to join us in creating the health care system that Tucson deserves.
Academic Medicine:
The Crown Jewel of American Health Care
Banner’s academic medical centers are Arizona’s best health care resources, committed to taking care of every patient’s needs — from routine procedures to highly complex cases.
Initiated in 2015, the affiliation between Banner Health and the University of Arizona Health Network created Arizona’s first academic medical enterprise known as Banner – University Medicine. This division includes three academic medical centers: two in Tucson and one in Phoenix, which serve as clinical partners to the UA College of Medicine. Here, education, research, and the very best in clinical care converge under one roof, offering leading-edge technology, resources, and therapies that community hospitals may not have available.
Banner’s academic medical centers are Arizona’s best health care resources, committed to taking care of every patient’s needs—from routine procedures to highly complex cases.
YOUR PARTNERSHIP IS CRUCIAL TO OUR SUCCESS
Building on our clinical excellence and vast scope of services, Banner has made unprecedented investments since 2015 to turn our vision for equitable, accessible, world-class care for everyone in Southern Arizona into a reality. Community support has been integral to our success thus far and will continue to play a vital role in our future plans. Through the campaign, we will make strategic new investments in patient care, digital transformation, workforce development and recruitment of top talent, right here in Tucson. Philanthropic investment from Southern Arizona donors and community partners will allow us to expand and innovate at a pace not otherwise possible.
Investment opportunities are detailed on the following pages. Commemorative naming is available to recognize significant gifts:
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is nationally recognized for providing exceptional patient care, teaching future health care professionals, and conducting groundbreaking research. It is home to Southern Arizona’s only Level I Trauma Center and Burn Center. The hospital is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Tucson and the No. 3 hospital in Arizona, and is Magnet-recognized, reflecting the highest national honor for nursing excellence.
Banner – University Medical Center South is a comprehensive medical center with an emergency department, a state-designated trauma center, and a Behavioral Health Pavilion. It is an Arizona Department of Health Services-accredited Cardiac Receiving Center and a “senior-friendly” hospital as designated by the national organization Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders. Specialty services include inpatient and outpatient behavioral health, treatment and education for diabetes, innovative geriatrics care, and comprehensive orthopedics.
Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center offers a bright, healing environment where children feel safe while receiving the advanced care they need from pediatric specialty physicians. Diamond Children’s is Arizona’s only pediatric medical facility connected to an academic research facility — the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center — where physician-scientists conduct groundbreaking basic science and translational research to advance children’s health.
Banner – University Medicine North is a 208,000 square foot, three-story, state-of-the-art multidisciplinary adult outpatient services center located between the University of Arizona Cancer Center and the Ronald McDonald House of Southern Arizona. The clinic offers more than 25 specialties including cardiology, neurosurgery, obstetrics/gynecology, rheumatology, primary care, and general surgery.
BANNER – UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER TUCSON
BANNER – UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER SOUTH
BANNER – UNIVERSITY MEDICINE NORTH
BANNER CHILDREN’S AT DIAMOND CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER
CARE EXPANDING ACCESS TO CARE
Emergency Department Expansion
Initiative Goal: $2,000,000
Patient Navigation for Women
Initiative Goal: $700,000
The Emergency Department at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is the busiest trauma hospital in the west. Expansion of the Emergency Department will add 22 adult and pediatric treatment rooms, create more lobby space, add a small play area in the pediatric waiting room, and add 35 additional waiting chairs. The adult and pediatric Emergency Department entry areas will be redesigned to keep these patient populations separated. A dual-sided, shared registration area will allow for both adult and pediatric patients to check in and allow for shared staffing. This expanded capacity will enable more patients to be seen and treated in this busy Emergency Department, reduce wait times, protect patient privacy, and improve the experience patients have when visiting the ED.
The understanding that women have different health care needs than men—combined with research showing that women are often not taken as seriously as their male counterparts when reporting symptoms—has fostered important changes in clinical care for women in recent years. To continue building on this momentum, Banner – University Medicine is committed to meeting the health care needs of women in Southern Arizona with a Women’s Health Navigation Program that focuses on screening as the gateway to women’s health. Initial focus areas will be Banner mammography, gynecology, heart and stroke, and bone density screenings for female patients. If a screening exam is positive, Women’s Health Navigators will be incorporated into the patient’s care team to provide a single point of contact offering support and guidance through every step of their health care journey.
CARE
NEUROSCIENCES Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson provides comprehensive neurological services through a multi-disciplinary approach to care, while employing the latest technological and research advancements. The Neurosciences division at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is growing to meet our community’s needs to ensure that both urgent and routine care is always available. Philanthropic investment in the following programs will allow the Banner –University Medicine Neurosciences Clinic to provide the most advanced treatments right here in Southern Arizona:
Center for Brain Health: Age-related brain dysfunction is an epidemic that is growing at an alarming rate. Despite the trillions of dollars spent managing these conditions, we still lack accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. There is a disconnect between the existing care model designed for acute, episodic care and the progressive nature of chronic conditions that develop over lifetimes. This problem is exacerbated further in Arizona, home to a large population over age 65.
Banner – University Medicine will develop an innovative learning health practice that engages patients, caregivers, and providers using state-of-the-art techniques and leveraging AI and data analytics, to advance detection, early intervention, and treatment; and ultimately, provides continuity of care with a suite of comprehensive services.
This bold plan calls for institutional and philanthropic investments in three areas:
1. Creating a best-in-class facility which allows an interprofessional team of clinicians, nurses, data analysts, and scientists to address urgent, unmet clinical needs by leveraging research to better inform care and vice versa;
2. Implementing novel technologies to improve care delivery and quality of life; and
3. Employing community outreach programs to improve the quality of life of patients.
This unique academic-centered network is designed to embrace and support collaboration between providers and patients throughout our region, with a special focus on our large aging population.
Stroke Center of Distinction: Stroke is a prominent, worldwide concern in health care that has a notable impact on people, their families, and communities. It is a medical condition where the flow of blood to the brain is obstructed, either by a clot or the rupture of a blood vessel. This is a serious and potentially lethal condition that requires immediate medical treatment. The influence of a stroke on an individual’s health can result in a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional limitations that differ based on the seriousness and site of the stroke. Stroke also affects families and communities by requiring family members to assume caregiving roles and causing alteration in employment and financial stability, resulting in higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Overcoming these difficulties typically involves a prolonged rehabilitation process and assistance to restore functionality and improve overall mental and physical health.
To address the impact of stroke on individuals and communities, the Banner – University Medicine Stroke Center of Distinction will be dedicated to achieving optimal results for stroke patients by adhering to proven guidelines and employing state-of-the-art treatment methods.
NEUROSCIENCES Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
This involves raising awareness about risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, and obesity, and advocating for lifestyle modifications to mitigate these risks. Additionally, it is crucial to have access to excellent health care services, including specialized stroke centers, to quickly receive accurate diagnosis and treatment, as well as have access to rehabilitation programs that address the specific physical, cognitive, and emotional needs of stroke patients, which can greatly improve their recovery.
Philanthropic investment in stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation will reduce the impact of stroke on individuals and communities, enhance the well-being of survivors, and foster healthier communities in general. Nationally recognized stroke centers are focused on continuous quality improvement, research, and education. These activities require investment in excellent clinicians and a talented support team, including stroke coordinators, data analysts, and quality specialists.
CARE
CARDIOVASCULAR Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Banner – University Medicine Tucson has an unprecedented opportunity to further invest in, and significantly improve, the cardiovascular health and quality of life of Southern Arizonans and patients across the Southwest, now and in the future. Combining our unparalleled expertise within this signature clinical program with a compassionate approach to behavioral and lifestyle interventions, we can improve quality of life, reduce disability burdens, and minimize health disparities in our community.
Rhythm Disorders Center: An estimated 12 million people will have atrial fibrillation by 2030 and an estimated 10% of people will deal with an abnormal heart rhythm during their lifetime. Heart Rhythm Disorders occur when the electrical system of the heart is not functioning properly.
A multidisciplinary Rhythm Disorders Center in Tucson will provide a comprehensive approach to managing all aspects of heart rhythm disorders. Minimally invasive treatments for heart rhythm disorders focus on correcting the abnormal pathway by blocking the pathway or implanting a device to control the heart rhythm. These techniques include percutaneous ablation therapy, where the physician uses heat or extreme cold delivered through a small catheter in the vein to eliminate the abnormal pathway; placement of a pacemaker under the skin to regulate the heart rhythm; and the implantable defibrillator, where a device that will deliver a very small but sufficient shock to the heart to reboot it out of an abnormal, life-threatening rhythm is implanted through a small catheter in the vein.
Philanthropic support will accelerate the creation of this Center and make this expert care available to more Southern Arizona residents.
Structural Heart Program: While an estimated 10% of Americans over age 70 have heart valve issues, 60% of people with heart valve disease have no symptoms or do not recognize the symptoms—making coordinated care by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals key to early identification and successful treatment.
Valvular heart disease occurs when the valves in the heart no longer function as well as they should, impeding the proper flow of blood through the heart.
In the past, treatment for these issues required surgery; however, many can now be treated through minimally invasive procedures that focus on improving the function of the heart valve without the impact, risks, and recovery associated with major surgery. Among the procedures currently performed at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson are trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), transcatheter mitral valve repair or replacement, Watchman and Amulet procedures to close a left atrial appendage for the approximately 40% of A-fib patients unable to take blood thinners, and correction of various structural defects in the heart like atrial septal defects.
Demand for valvular and structural heart disease care is expected to grow over the next 10 years as our population ages and heart disease becomes more prevalent. Banner envisions creating a multidisciplinary Structural Heart Center to provide comprehensive management of the most complex structural heart issues through minimally invasive techniques, simplifying the continuum of care from initial diagnosis to appropriate intervention—all with the goal of improving cardiovascular health in Southern Arizona. These activities require investment in excellent clinicians and a talented support team, including stroke coordinators, structural program coordinators, research staff, data analysts, and quality specialists.
3 to 6 million
estimated number of Americans who have atrial fibrillation.
10%
estimated number of people who will deal with an abnormal heart rhythm during their lifetime.
10%
estimated number of Americans over age 70 who have heart valve issues. 60% of people with heart valve disease have no symptoms or do not recognize the symptoms.
CARE
ORTHOPEDICS & SPORTS MEDICINE Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson’s orthopedic program provides advanced orthopedic care and features a comprehensive range of services including trauma care, pediatric orthopedics, sports medicine, and joint replacement.
The Orthopedics department is poised for growth including driving advanced surgical techniques, increasing research initiatives, and enhancing educational opportunities for residents and fellows. Philanthropic investment in the following programs will allow the Banner – University Medicine Orthopedics and Sports Medicine team to provide the most advanced care right here in Southern Arizona:
Total Joint Center of Distinction: With the goal of supporting active movement from birth along the span of an entire lifetime, Banner – University Medical Center Tucson aims to create a Total Joint Destination Center of Distinction, which will be one of only two Joint Commission-Certified Programs for Orthopedics in Arizona. Banner – University Medical Center Tucson is uniquely positioned with the capacity and expertise in adult total joint replacement to create this destination program. Banner – University Medical Center Tucson employs the largest group of expert, fellowship-trained total joint replacement surgeons in Arizona and has, to date, trained more orthopedic surgeons than any other group servicing Arizona. By encouraging activity and eliminating barriers to participating in sports and recreation, we can ultimately lower mortality rates by encouraging and supporting healthy living and movement in our adult and elder communities.
ORTHOPEDICS & SPORTS MEDICINE
Sports Medicine Injury Prevention Education in Tucson Schools
Educating young athletes about how to prevent injuries is vital to our mission. The Game On: Youth Athlete Support Fund provides preventative care through three distinct assessments proven to reduce injury and promote participation in sports. Sports physicals, ImPACT Assessments, and Fusionetics performance and injury risk assessment are the gold standard of preventative care for youth athletes. With support from the Game On Fund, Banner Orthopedics & Sports Medicine partners with the Arizona Interscholastic Association and school districts across Southern Arizona to schedule on-site sports physical outreach events focused on injury prevention. Philanthropic partners are essential for this work.
CARE
PEDIATRICS Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Diamond Children’s Medical Center is the only pediatric facility in Arizona directly connected to an academic medical center. Over the next decade, Diamond Children’s aims to be nationally recognized for providing highly specialized and innovative care, investing in science and technology, and recruiting and retaining top talent. Philanthropic investment in the following programs will allow Diamond Children’s to provide the most advanced pediatric care right here in Southern Arizona:
Fetal Surgery Program: The only fetal surgery center in the southwest, the Fetal Care Center performed the state’s first spina bifida repair surgery on a fetus inutero in early 2024. Two months later, Ramon Alberto Contreras was born at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. Delivered at 35 weeks gestation, baby Ramon weighed 5 lbs., 6 ounces and immediately took to bottle feeding and normal development, thanks to the highly specialized care received from the multidisciplinary team at Banner and Diamond Children’s Medical Center. Philanthropic investment in this program will allow for growth, while giving families access to exceptional care locally, with experts in Tucson. Philanthropic gifts will change a child’s life forever by advancing treatment options with the hope of reducing or fully eliminating the burden of chronic illness from their lives.
Pediatric Oncology Program: Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center is home to one of Arizona’s leading pediatric cancer programs, offering advanced medical and surgical care, the latest technology to detect cancer, treatment options and a range of support services for patients with all types of cancer. The program is in the onlyone of its kind in Southern Arizona accredited to perform compatible blood, bone marrow, or umbilical cord blood, stem cell transplantation. Philanthropic investment will directly help a child diagnosed with cancer to heal and give families and caregivers the mental, emotional, and psychosocial support they need.
CARE PEDIATRICS
Because hospitals can be scary places for children, Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center offers many special programs and necessary supportive care that help children feel brave, empowered, and in control of their journey. These services are not reimbursable by insurance, making philanthropic gifts from generous donors vital to support staff salaries and modest program expenses:
• Child Life Specialists are the heart of our pediatric medical centers. As psychosocial health care professionals, Child Life Specialists are trained in child development, family systems, and evidencebased supportive interventions, making them indispensable members of the pediatric health care team. These dedicated professionals help children cope with their medical experiences, reduce child and family stress, and support emotional wellbeing through developmentally appropriate play, education, and therapeutic interventions.
• Hospital School Services pair teachers and trained volunteers with hospitalized children to ensure they stay on track with their studies and don’t fall behind their peers because of missed school—the top concern children express when asked what worries
them most about their illness. Hospital School teachers work with students one on one, assist with homework and test preparation, liaise with their home school and teacher, and even help teen patients study for college entrance exams.
• Music, art, and pet therapy are additional supports that brighten the day of hospitalized children.
Recreation spaces like the Diamond Children’s Play Zone allow children to relax away from their hospital rooms, host visiting performers and birthday celebrations, work with Child Life Specialists, and encourage movement and self-expression to speed healing and reduce trauma.
CARE
CANCER Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Banner – University Medicine, University of Arizona Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center headquartered in Arizona. With a focus on research to discover new treatments through its robust clinical trials program and provision of excellent clinical care, the UA Cancer Center also prioritizes community outreach on cancer prevention and promotion of routine screenings to reduce the incidence of cancer, particularly in Southern Arizona’s underserved communities and Tribal Nations.
Philanthropic investment in the following programs will allow our cancer patients to receive the most advanced cancer treatment right here in Southern Arizona:
Oncology Clinical Support: Philanthropic investment will support our cancer program in improving clinical outcomes through enhanced screening and interdisciplinary care with a focus on five priority cancers: breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, melanoma, and lung. Additional goals include becoming a trusted partner of communities with high disparities in cancer, particularly Latino and Tribal communities, attracting and training cancer care providers while fostering a culture of inclusion and diversity, and enhancing infrastructure to optimize resources, capabilities, and investments.
Cancer Center Infrastructure: Enhancements to the built environment include renovation of the oncology inpatient care areas to create a refreshed healing environment, as well as the Hematopoietic Cellular Therapies and Transplant program, where patients spend extended time—often 30 days or beyond receiving care and treatment. Funding will also support renovation of the Infusion Center in the Cancer Center. This renovation expands clinical exam and infusion space, adding 6 exam rooms, 1 procedure room, 7 infusion bays (17 treatment chairs), and 3 private infusion rooms. This expansion will allow timely treatment for more patients.
Center for Integrative Oncology: Cancer doesn’t just affect the body; it impacts every aspect of a person’s life—their physical and mental health, emotional wellbeing, and sense of self. Integrative oncology complements traditional treatments to address the unique needs of each patient. Integrative therapies like massage, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and music therapy can help soothe the body and nourish the soul. Workshops that foster self-expression, support groups where patients can spend time with those who share their experiences, and psycho-oncology services to address mental and emotional health— all of these offerings help patients manage physical symptoms and find peace and respite. Supportive care and survivorship programs are a lifeline for patients navigating the challenges of life after cancer, offering personalized support and resources to help them navigate physical and emotional changes. Through survivorship programs, psycho-oncology services, and patient navigation, we empower survivors to reclaim their lives and find hope and healing beyond cancer. As these offerings fall outside the traditional model of care delivery and reimbursement, philanthropic investment is vital in our ability to sustain them for the benefit of patients and families.
The infusion center renovation adds 27 new treatment areas, including:
expansion will allow timely treatment for more patients.
Cancer Patient Lodging: Each year, patients travel to Tucson for care at the Cancer Center, sometimes requiring them to stay nearby—at their own expense—for weeks or months of treatment, surgery, and recovery. While many patients can afford a short hotel stay, few are prepared to pay for long-term lodging. For many, affording a place to stay during treatment can mean the difference between receiving care or not. Philanthropic investment will offset the cost of local lodging for patients who travel from outside the Tucson metro area, alleviating a significant barrier and giving them a bit of comfort and peace during their cancer journey.
INNOVATION
High Reliability Organization Initiative Initiative Goal: $5,000,000
Banner is on a journey to become a High Reliability Organization (HRO): organizations that operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents or catastrophic failures. Examples of HROs include the nuclear industry, commercial aviation, and aircraft carriers. Those industries experienced cultural transformations over several decades, leading to significant safety improvements. The health care sector is now embracing the High Reliability Organization approach which focuses on key principles like sensitivity to operations, preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, resilience, and deference to expertise.
Philanthropic support will allow Banner to create and deliver education and communication resources for all leaders and team members on high reliability behaviors and skills. It will enable listening, acting, and measuring continuous feedback and actions all team members take to support an environment that delivers consistently safe, high quality care and service. These practices and programs will cultivate behavior changes to help Banner become the safest health system in the country — impacting every one of our patients. Gifts may be restricted to support this initiative specifically in Tucson.
INNOVATION
Technology & Digital Infrastructure Fund
Initiative Goal: $10,000,000
Banner’s mission of making health care easier, so life can be better is the driver behind our passion for continued growth and innovation. Our patients can benefit from digital health solutions that provide them with easier access to care, customized and predictive health services, direct contact with their providers, real-time monitoring of health metrics, personalized digital experiences, and streamlined access to personal health records.
Banner – University Medicine is dedicated to delivering value for patients and improving care efficiency by developing and growing its digital infrastructure and products. This includes innovations such as highly personalized online patient and member portals, health wearables, telehealth services, on-demand medical services solutions, advanced disease history analysis, and utilizing generative AI to automate recordkeeping tasks while eliminating human error, perform predictive diagnostics, and create personalized patient treatment plans.
Banner is also ensuring that we invest in technological advancements that support our health care workforce’s ability to provide excellent patient care in the safest, most efficient way possible by enabling system integration and automation solutions.
Philanthropic investment in digital transformation within Banner’s Southern Arizona facilities will spark innovation and accelerate the creation of new solutions that are not feasible with operational funding alone. To maintain our standing as the top destination for health care across Southern Arizona and the Southwest, we need to be on the leading edge of technology across all healthcare systems, making it simpler, faster, and more convenient for patients to manage their health and care in partnership with Banner. Gifts may be restricted to support these needs specifically in Tucson.
Southern Arizona Greatest Needs
Unrestricted gifts of every size are vital in supporting a range of needs across Banner – University Medicine Tucson, both today and in the future. New developments in medicine are happening quickly, and these flexible funds allow us to respond in real time to make a difference in lives. These funds allow Banner to respond to critical needs in the community, develop innovative solutions, and leverage additional philanthropic investment from individual and institutional funders to advance patient care and programs. Your gift to this unrestricted fund will help advance health care throughout Southern Arizona well into the future, leaving an enduring legacy of caring for our communities.
High-quality, accessible, affordable health care is a vital component of a thriving community. However, today’s health care workforce — both in the United States and across the globe — is facing an array of challenges while health care systems are under increasing financial pressure.
Workforce Growth and Development Initiative Goal: $15,000,000
High-quality, accessible, affordable health care is a vital component of a thriving community. However, today’s health care workforce—both in the United States and across the globe—is facing an array of challenges while health care systems are under increasing financial pressure. Shifting demographics, workforce disruptors like artificial intelligence, changes in care delivery, clinician burnout, high labor costs, and staffing shortages pose serious challenges to the ability of health care systems, like Banner – University Medicine, to provide the care our communities need.
A talented, engaged, and inclusive workforce is critical to delivering exceptional patient care, and Banner – University Medicine has made it a priority to support employees—professionally, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Banner is committed to engaging and growing our most valuable resource — our workforce — by offering opportunities and scholarships for ongoing education, training, reskilling, professional development, mentorships, and career growth. This includes programs and services to support employees’ physical and mental well-being. Philanthropic investment from donors and community partners is critical to the success of these initiatives, as these activities fall outside the traditional model of care delivery and reimbursement.
Career Pathways and Apprenticeships
Initiative Goal: $10,000,000
Program participants reflect the communities in which Banner serves, with the largest groups being:
The Career Pathways and Apprenticeship programs are helping to upskill and reskill lower-wage employees to serve in high-need roles, supporting them in attaining the required education, training, and certifications to build sustainable, long-term careers. Entry-level workers in areas like environmental services (housekeeping/janitorial), culinary (cafeteria/ food service), and call-center roles often lack access to the financial and logistical resources to pursue additional education at their own expense. Career Pathways & Apprenticeships offer both the social and financial capital needed for low-wage health care workers in our Tucson-based medical centers to advance their careers and boost their self-sufficiency, which leads to more equitable opportunities and greater earning potential for these team members over time—and a stronger economy.
Initially funded by an American Rescue Plan Act grant, the Career Pathways Program successfully launched its first phase in 2022 in four Banner medical facilities, helping select workers to envision, map out, and create sustainable careers in a variety of high-need roles like Certified Nursing Assistant, Certified Medical Assistant, and Certified Sterile Processing Technician.
Philanthropic investment allows the team to continuously add new pathways to the program. Participants reflect the communities Banner serves, the largest of which are Hispanic or Latino (47%), White (31%), Black or African American (7%), and female (78%). At the center of our Career Pathways & Apprenticeship programs is a dedicated effort to diversify and fortify the workforce. Banner – University Medicine is working to ensure that our career opportunities are visible and accessible to diverse team members who bring rich experiences, unique perspectives, varied backgrounds, and critical foreign-language skills to their roles. Recent growth includes a path to becoming a registered nurse—among the most important roles in care delivery, and one facing a critical shortage. About 100,000 registered nurses have left the workforce since 2021 due to stress, burnout, and retirement, and another 610,388 reported an intent to leave by 2027, according to a study by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Providing the financial and logistical support for professionals interested in pursuing careers in health care to attain the required education, training, certifications and clinical rotations will feed the pipeline of health care workers for the future.
At the heart of life is health. And at the heart of health is Banner.
You can help us continue offering the very best care to our diverse Southern Arizona communities.
With your philanthropic support, Banner will make strategic new investments that put compassionate, world-class care within reach of more Southern Arizona residents, expand the ways patients can find care and remain healthy, build the most talented workforce, and train our workforce in emerging areas of medicine, providing inclusive care for all.