By Sasha Weller, president, Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association | Guest Commentary
Why is the Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association opposing Banner Health’s proposed new hospital and helipad near Hayden and the Loop 101? The short answer is quality healthcare is dependent on healthy hospitals.
North Scottsdale already has great medical care. An unneeded hospital puts that quality care in jeopardy.
As president of the Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association, I understand the problems that come with a shortage of medical professionals and support staff. Arizona is in the bottom 10 in the United States when it comes to the number of nurses per capita, according to Becker’s Hospital Review. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says Arizona is short more than 650 primary care physicians. Banner’s proposed hospital near Hayden and the 101 would exacerbate the problem.
More hospitals do not mean more doctors and nurses.
Led by Mayo and HonorHealth, north Scottsdale is already served by multiple outstanding medical facilities and hospitals that are meeting the challenges associated with a tight labor market. According to recent polling among Scottsdale voters, healthcare remains last of all community concerns. This is a testament to our existing system and its choices.
However, an over-saturation of hospitals puts quality care at risk. This is not more “competition.” This is just unwise. An unnecessary hospital could lead to increased wait times at all hospitals, and increased costs because of a shortage of medical professionals, support staff, and resources.
North Scottsdale is not lacking excellent healthcare. To reiterate: in recent public opinion surveys, availability of healthcare services ranked last among the concerns of Scottsdale voters, but traffic was ranked first. HonorHealth and Mayo have been serving the area for decades with the capacity to add services to meet any future needs for the area.
Staff shortages at medical facilities can also greatly slow down first responders. If a hospital doesn’t have enough staff, our fire fighters must stay at the hospital until a patient is handed off to hospital staff.
The Level 1 trauma center at HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center serves all trauma patients in Scottsdale with the highest level of resources. To retain top level physicians, specially trained staff, and the latest technology, hospitals must treat a certain number of trauma patients annually to be certified as a Level 1 trauma center. Without those patient volumes, the trauma center would lose certification and that service could close.
HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Medical Center and HonorHealth Scottsdale Shea Medical Center are certified stroke centers. Osborn is also a Primary Stroke Center Plus, the only Arizona hospital to achieve this designation. To maintain these designations, the volume of patients needs to support the additional resources the hospital invests to achieve these patient critical designations.
For years we have worked with HonorHealth on quality improvement initiatives such as heart monitors that transmit directly from the ambulance to the hospital and physician, allowing us to treat heart attack patients when seconds count.
Our fire fighters trust HonorHealth and Mayo. We have partnered with them for decades to meet the healthcare needs of the community. It’s one reason why Scottsdale is the envy of the Valley in terms of healthcare.
There are also quality of life issues for many neighborhoods and tens of thousands of residents near Hayden and the 101. Hospitals do generate a lot of traffic. Just look at 92nd Street and Shea Boulevard. A new and unneeded hospital would create unwanted traffic. Scottsdale is a great city, but traffic can be a challenge. Why make it worse, unnecessarily?
The Scottsdale Fire Fighters Association is engaged in this issue because we realize the quality healthcare infrastructure we have built over the last several decades is at risk if there are too many hospitals in an area and not enough need.
When it comes to emergency services, it makes no sense to cluster all your fire stations in just one part of the city. The same is true for hospitals. Simply put, Banner’s proposal should be rejected by the Scottsdale City Council, not because of who is proposing it, but because of what is being proposed.
