HonorHealth Phoenix Project Hits Construction Milestone

By Eric Althoff

PHOENIXScottsdale-based healthcare provider HonorHealth this week topped out its newest Phoenix-area hospital, the three-story HonorHealth Sonoran Health and Emergency Center on the northern side of the Arizona capital city. It is the sixth such facility in the Phoenix area for HonorHealth.

The event Wednesday was attended by civic leaders, healthcare workers and other members of the community. The topping out marks the last construction milestone HonorHealth needs to hit before officially completing work on the three-story structure.

McCarthy Building Companies is the general contractor on the project, while Devenney Group Architects is leading the design elements; CBRE is construction manager.

“Today marks another step forward in HonorHealth’s century-long legacy of improving the health and well-being of patients in our communities,” HonorHealth CEO Todd LaPorte said at the ceremony. “With the opening of this new hospital, we are able to extend our reach and provide North Phoenix and Anthem residents with access to award-winning, comprehensive care that’s close to home.”

The 210,000-square-foot Sonoran Health and Emergency Center will feature a 24-hour emergency center and 40 beds at the outset, with the future option to expand to 80 down the line. The care center’s specialized facilities will include minimally invasive orthopedic and spine services as well as a state-of-the-art surgical unit.

Additionally, it will offer a Level II neonatal intensive care unit and comprehensive obstetrical and gynecological care. HonorHealth has announced that even prior to the hospital’s official opening later next year, the company will begin taking gynecological and cardiovascular patients at buildings adjacent to the future hospital’s site.

Furthermore, the older facility itself isn’t being completely torn down but rather is being repurposed as a new outpatient center. The center will include a breast health facility and medical imaging services. Also, a new ambulatory surgery center will offer same-day surgical services and will also entail offices for obstetrics, pediatrics and general surgery physicians.

HonorHealth, a nonprofit organization, currently serves over 1.6 million patients in the greater Phoenix area at its acute-care hospitals in addition to a large medical network, cancer care centers and community services. The company boasts some 12,300 employees, 3,700 affiliated physicians and 3,100 volunteers. HonorHealth was born when Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln Health Network formed a joint venture together in March 2015.

The $170 million HonorHealth Sonoran Health and Emergency Center, to be located at Dove Valley Road and Interstate 17, broke ground in December. At that time, HonorHealth CEO-Hospitals and Chief Clinical Officer Kim Post said that the new hospital would represent “HonorHealth’s commitment to improve the health and well-being of patients in the fast-growing communities of north Phoenix and Anthem. We’ll provide comprehensive care that’s close to home,” she said.

HonorHealth Sonoran Health and Emergency Center is slated to open its doors in September of 2020. When the facility opens, it is expected to bring some 200 jobs to this north Phoenix community.