PHOENIX (Dec. 16, 2020) – Marjorie Bessel, MD, chief clinical officer at Banner Health, has been awarded the American College of Physicians (ACP) Arizona Leadership Award, which recognizes an exemplary Arizona chapter member that has demonstrated dedication to the practice of medicine and has inspired and supported colleagues in becoming more enriched professionals.

“Dr. Bessel’s community impact, clinical excellence, and administrative leadership, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, are without equal, making her particularly deserving of this honor,” said Debbie Webber, CAE, executive director of the ACP Arizona Chapter. “She has risen above and beyond in unprecedented circumstances to ensure that her colleagues are supported, to share resources and best practices her team has developed with the broader community, and to continue fostering the next generation of physicians.”

As chief clinical officer, Dr. Bessel is the highest-ranking physician and clinician for Banner Health. She is responsible for driving the clinical quality of care across the continuum and for overseeing performance and safety improvement. She also leads the system’s efforts to support physician well-being through its Cultivating Happiness in Medicine program.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Bessel has fearlessly served as Banner’s “incident commander,” leading Banner team members in being adaptive and resilient, while also intensely focused on fighting the effects of the virus. She leads a statewide group of chief clinical officers to ensure that no hospital becomes overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. She has also been instrumental in the rollout of the “safe place for care” initiative, ensuring that Banner facilities are safe environments for patients and staff alike, and that patients do not have to choose between their safety and getting the care they need.

“I congratulate Dr. Bessel on this well-deserved recognition. Her leadership throughout this pandemic has been unparalleled and an inspiration to all of us who have the privilege of working with her,” said Peter Fine, Banner’s president and CEO. “She applies her considerable talents and knowledge consistently to ensure the very best care for our patients and well-being for our team members and clinicians.”

The ACP is a diverse community of internal medicine specialists and subspecialists who lead the profession in education, standard-setting, and the sharing of knowledge to advance the science and practice of internal medicine. With 163,000 members in countries across the globe, and nearly 2,600 members in the Arizona chapter, ACP is the largest medical-specialty society in the world.

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About Banner Health

Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 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.