PHOENIX (April 20, 2020) – Select Banner Health hospitals have opened makeshift grocery stores for employees working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. These grocery stores provide a much-needed service since many Banner Health team members are currently engaged in longer-than-normal work hours, and might not have time to shop for the bare essentials they may need at home.
"We’re proud that we can do our part to provide this important service to our physicians and clinical staff," said Tracy Baskara, director of culinary and nutrition for Banner Ironwood Medical Center in Queen Creek. "Seeing our colleagues taking care of patients, saving lives and working a lot of hours during this time inspired us to help them and their families at home."
In addition to Banner Ironwood, the Banner Health grocery stores for employees are offered in the following metro Phoenix locations:
Healthy essentials such as fruits, vegetables, bread, dairy products and eggs are available for Banner employees to purchase at a discounted price. In addition, culinary staff at these hospitals are preparing prepackaged take-home meals for a family of four, with heating instructions included.
"We hope this is one less burden for our colleagues and their families to carry in their extremely busy lives," said Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix Culinary and Environmental Service Director Sandy Allen. "We're family here and if we can make life easier for our patients, we can also make life a little easier for our co-workers in these uncertain times."
Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa is offering a slightly different grocery format -- food baskets that employees can purchase, containing essential items such as milk, bread, eggs and other protein items.
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 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.
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