PHOENIX (Aug. 24, 2020) – Banner Health is proud to announce that Scott Nordlund, chief strategy and growth officer, was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of this year’s Top 25 Innovators nationwide. The complete ranking is featured in the August 24 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine, and profiles of all the winners are available at ModernHealthcare.com/awards/top-25-innovators-2020.     

Modern Healthcare noted that this year’s Top 25 Innovators championed scalable solutions that are being used to reshape the industry in big and small ways. While many of these honorees pushed solutions that directly address the coronavirus pandemic, their innovations and approaches to problem solving will be useful long after the crisis is over.

"While healthcare always looks for ways to transform, 2020 required more nimble, innovative adaptations than ever before. As communities hunkered down, providers and other industry members quickly found new ways to care for their patients, and they couldn't be afraid to try something new. This year's Top 25 Innovators exemplify the best of those transformations,' said Aurora Aguilar, editor of Modern Healthcare. "They put quality first and still looked for ways to improve their work during uncertain times. We congratulate the class of 2020."

Nordlund combines digital business expertise with purposeful innovation. He has led Banner in the development of a dynamic array of consumer-focused innovations on a cohesive digital platform, including virtual waiting rooms, chatbots for emergency department visits, digital symptom triage, online check-in and scheduling, and digital therapeutics. Under his direction, Banner launched the Banner Innovation Group (BIG) in 2019, a wide-reaching initiative that is helping to generate and evaluate innovative ideas, move valuable opportunities forward, and analyze and scale measurable results, with the ultimate goal of shaping the future of health care.

“I congratulate Scott on this prestigious and well-deserved recognition. Innovation is an integral part of Banner Health’s culture and one of the core values that we collectively work towards achieving day in and day out,” said Peter S. Fine, Banner’s president and CEO. “Scott and his team have developed an approach to innovation that ensures clear intention and purpose, helping Banner to consistently make health care easier so life can be better for our patients.”   

About Banner Health

As one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country, the team at Banner Health is committed to ensuring all Banner locations are a safe place for care. Headquartered in Phoenix, Banner Health owns and operates 28 acute-care hospitals and an array of other services, including: Banner Imaging, Banner Telehealth and Banner Urgent Care. Team members are dedicated to protecting the health and safety of patients, be it a routine checkup, elective surgery or an urgent health service. Waiting room and employee workstation layouts maintain proper social distancing; screenings are conducted at hospital entrances to verify that all employees and visitors are well; and, all Banner physicians are equipped to visit patients remotely. Learn more about Banner's commitment to safety at bannerhealth.com/safecare.