When Dianne Bennett has been out and about in recent months – at the grocery store, shopping mall, or at a local event – she has been making a lot of new friends.

That is because in addition to being a proud West Valley resident, she is the associate chief nursing officer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital – Arrowhead Campus in Glendale.

“Now that word is getting out about us, in fact, neighbors are singing its praises. When they find out where I work, they approach me with kindness, support, and all sorts of questions, wanting to know about every element of the hospital and the good it is doing for our babies, children, and teens,” Bennett stated in a press release.

When the hospital opened its doors in August 2024, it debuted with 24 inpatient beds, a 24/7 emergency department with 30 treatment rooms, six operating rooms, two minor procedure rooms, an on-site laboratory and a full suite of imaging services.

The campus represented an investment of $195 million and the creation of more than 400 jobs, enabling the hospital to treat up to 72,000 patients annually.

Now with the addition of 24 beds available to patients, Bennett stated families will have even more access to getting care in the West Valley community.

“When we opened last August, we did so with 24 beds, some of which are used to serve critical care patients with the others for acute patients,” stated Bennett. “By doubling our total beds to 48, we can now accommodate twice as many kids, especially those that need additional diagnostics, observation, and care.”

The state-of-the-art hospital marked the completion of the Arrowhead Campus. In late 2023, the first phase of the campus opened with a 45,000-square-foot multi-specialty clinic. This clinic provides care in more than 20 pediatric subspecialties including 10 specialties not previously available in the Northwest Valley — like psychology, neuropsychology and a neurodiagnostic sleep and electroencephalogram laboratory.

The first six months at Phoenix Children’s Hospital – Arrowhead Campus have been among the most rewarding in Bennett and her fellow team members’ careers.

“The need for care is so great, but especially pediatric care because it is so specialized,” Bennett stated. “When talking to neighbors and friends about Phoenix Children’s, I think this is where I really dig in on what we do and how we do it.”

She said that from the moment a family steps into the Arrowhead hospital, the focus is on the child’s mental and physical well-being, starting with the design.

“Our environment is bright and cheery; there are even sparkles. Going to a doctor is scary enough, but going to a hospital? Kids need to feel comforted, so our design reflects that,” stated Bennett.

Patient rooms have large windows, natural light, private bathrooms and calming colors. There is also a space for parents and caregivers to sleep.

“Beyond this, our Child Life team is on-site seven days a week and provide services like therapeutic arts, and playrooms are available to provide a space where children can come to take a break from hospital routines,” said Bennett.

There is even pet therapy on site. A child who needs to get up and walk to speed their healing process can give a dog a walk and the patient gets one step closer to going home.

Bennett stated that even the communications process in a pediatric hospital is different than a general care center.

“Our team is highly trained in talking to youth at all developmental stages, even working with them one-on-one to understand things like getting an IV or undergoing anesthesia,” said Bennett. “We connect in a meaningful way with parents and their kids, so the entire family fully understands what is happening and how we can help them get better.”

For information, visit www.phoenixchildrens.org/arrowhead.  

Alison Bailin is the director of client services for HMA Public Relations