Some much-needed medical care will come to Buckeye when Abrazo Health breaks ground on a new development later this year.
The Phoenix-based hospital system, a subsidiary of Dallas-based Tenet Health, announced Monday its purchase of 27 acres near the southwest corner of Interstate 10 and Verrado Way in the West Valley city. Plans for the new campus so far include a medical office building, ambulatory services and an acute care hospital, according to a news release.
Abrazo already serves the West Valley with its emergency center at I-10 and Watson Road and the Abrazo West Campus, a 216-bed Level 1 Trauma and Stroke Center in Goodyear.
“A new campus in the West Valley will strengthen our ability to provide essential health services. We view this as a long-term commitment to serve current and future residents,” Abrazo Health Market CEO Brian Elisco said in a prepared statement. “We view this campus as a critical investment for those we serve. Research shows that nearby excellent, cost-effective health care is considered a ‘must-have’ by employers and families alike.”
Abrazo officials said the company chose the site because of its proximity to both I-10 and Loop 303, as well as Buckeye’s potential population growth. It also can provide access to residents in nearby Surprise and Goodyear.
The project is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the area through construction, support services and staffing.
“This is great news and an incredible investment in the future of Buckeye and the West Valley,” said Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn in a statement. “Abrazo Health is already an excellent partner in our community, and this new facility will significantly enhance the health care services currently available to our residents and businesses, with the flexibility to expand with our fast-growing city.”
As the West Valley continues to develop as one of the fastest-growing parts of the country, its medical needs are changing, according to Hans Driessnack, CEO of Abrazo West Campus, which is 10 miles from the new Buckeye land. The most recent U.S. Census in 2020 put Buckeye’s population at approximately 91,502 people. Just 50,876 were recorded living there in 2010.
“We’ve heard from residents, physicians and community leaders that the West Valley is underserved for medical facilities and services,” said Driessnack. “We must plan for current and future patients, and our longterm planning is based on a number of community need factors including projected population growth and demographic trends.”
The new hospital is a continuation of a longstanding partnership between Abrazo and the city of Buckeye, he said.
“We’ve been part of Buckeye since 2011 and have served the community before then,” said Driessnack. “We appreciate the opportunity to work with community leaders as this new campus develops. The city has been an excellent partner, and we look forward to continuing that relationship. We applaud the city in its efforts to attract new residents, business and new industries into the region.”
This new development comes on the heels of several others Abrazo has undertaken in recent years across the Valley. A 16-bed expansion was just finished at Abrazo West, along with the renovation of its emergency department and operating room extensions. The provider has also opened three microhospitals, which are small-scale inpatient facilities, since 2019. Abrazo Cave Creek hospital opened last year, Abrazo Surprise opened in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and Abrazo Mesa Hospital opened in 2019.
While details on the Buckeye acute care hospital are scarce, Abrazo said it plans to break ground on the project in the next few months, but not before gathering input from physicians, city leaders and residents.
“We continue to gather input from local health care providers and the community,” said Driessnack. “As more details come into focus through the planning and design process we will share information, and look forward to breaking ground on the initial construction in the coming months.”
Lindsay is a Phoenix native and is thrilled to be reporting in her hometown.
After spending several years in advertising after college, she switched gears and graduated with her master’s degree in journalism at Arizona State University in 2019.
When she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading a book or playing with her family’s dogs.
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