Contact: media@bannerhealth.com

SUN CITY, Ariz. (Oct. 7, 2020) – McCarthy Building Companies recently completed the new Emergency Department at Banner Boswell Medical Center, located at 10401 W. Thunderbird Blvd. in Sun City, Ariz. The new ED began seeing patients on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020.

The new 40,000-square-foot ED is part of a larger $106 million expansion project that also includes a new patient tower. This is the largest renovation that the medical facility has undergone in 30 years. The new ED increases capacity from 42 to 56 beds, allowing the department to care for up to 60,000 ED patients annually, representing a 25-percent increase.

“We are thrilled about the extra capacity that will serve the growing needs of the community for generations to come. This new ED and patient tower lobby will truly transform our Boswell campus and create a welcoming experience given the new entrance,’’ said Sharon Lind, CEO, Banner Boswell Medical Center. 

In January 2021, the new patient tower’s first floor will open. The first floor will contain the main lobby, gift shop, retail pharmacy, admitting desk and chapel, along with connecting shelled space for future build-out of a new cardiac catheterization lab. The five floors above the lobby will be reserved for future inpatient rooms.

One of the innovative cost- and time-saving measures that was deployed on the Banner Boswell project involved the use of prefabricated interior and exterior wall panels. The panels were constructed offsite and delivered to the job site for installation, saving approximately three months of construction time. In addition, the use of prefabricated wall panels allowed for enhanced safety precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic because the nature of prefabrication installation allows for adequate social distancing and fewer people on-site.  

Of the 625 prefabricated panels used at Banner Boswell, most were fitted to the outside of the new tower as part of the exterior skin. Each of the exterior stone veneer panels, known as “Banner Block,” average in size at approximately 8-feet-tall by 30-feet-wide, and weigh approximately 2,400 pounds. During installation, the tower crane was used to lift each panel – the heaviest weighing nearly 10,000 pounds and measuring 16-feet-tall by 33-feet-wide – and the construction crew secured them to the steel structure. Approximately 125 of the prefabricated wall panels were interior partition walls and were placed inside the ED. All electrical, plumbing and medical gas piping required for these walls was installed prior to their arrival on site. The process minimized installation labor and waste, increased productivity, and reduced safety risk and costly site cleanup.

“This fast-tracked Emergency Department completion wouldn’t have been possible without the project team successfully employing its collaborative Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) construction method and utilizing large-scale prefabrication,” said Chris Nickle, executive vice president of McCarthy Building Companies. “We knew it was critical for Banner Boswell to open early and in time for the busy fall and winter season, and we’re thrilled to meet that goal.”

The new six-story, 322,000-square-foot patient tower, combined with the new Emergency Department, which the community is helping support through donations to the Sun Health Foundation, represents an investment of more than $106 million.

“The beautiful, new Emergency Department stands as a testament to the vibrant future our community can build when we work together,” said Gina W. Ore, chief philanthropy officer of Sun Health Foundation. “This milestone is made possible largely due to charitable contributions to Sun Health Foundation’s Generosity for Generations Campaign. Campaign funding currently is at 59 percent and making progress every day thanks to continued support from donors who recognize the impact of an investment in health care and the importance of preparing for medical emergencies. It’s all part of ensuring the health and well-being of our community for generations to come.”

The architect on the project is HMC Architects. Major trade partners include SGSI, Inc., Buehler & Buehler, Southland Industries, Foothills Fire Protection, Schuff Steel (Greywolf), Cannon & Wendt, University Mechanical, Norris Design and The Berg Group.

About Banner Boswell Medical Center

Banner Boswell Medical Center specializes in heart care, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, physical rehabilitation, stroke care, skilled nursing and emergency care. Banner Boswell is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit healthcare system with 29 hospitals in six states. Banner Boswell’s high-performing team has achieved many recognitions including five Top 100 Hospital awards and eight Top 50 Cardiovascular awards from Truven Health Analytics. Supporting Banner Boswell’s mission of excellent patient care is Sun Health Foundation, which encourages charitable giving to enhance health care delivery. For more information, visit www.BannerHealth.com/Boswell or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BannerBoswellMedicalCenter.

About Sun Health Foundation

Through generations of generosity spanning almost 55 years, Sun Health Foundation has been the philanthropic link between the community and the health care and wellness services provided in the West Valley. Today, we’re proud to continue being the philanthropic partner with Banner Boswell and Banner Del E. Webb medical centers. The generosity of the community enables these local facilities to expand and enhance their services with leading-edge medical equipment and innovative programs, and empowers people to lead longer, healthier, more purposeful lives.

About McCarthy Building Companies

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with more than 150 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. With an unrelenting focus on safety and a comprehensive quality program that span all phases of every project, McCarthy utilizes industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with value-add technology to maximize outcomes. Repeatedly honored as a Best Place to Work and Healthiest Employer, McCarthy is ranked the 9th largest domestic builder (Engineering News-Record, May 2020). With approximately 3,700 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis, Atlanta; Collinsville, Ill.; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Dallas, Houston; and San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.