Carondelet & Rancho Sahuarita Co. to Develop Innovative Health Pavilion for I-19 Residents
Tucson, Ariz. – Dec. 12, 2012 – Carondelet Health Network and the Rancho Sahuarita Company proudly announce plans to develop a health and wellness pavilion for residents in Sahuarita, Green Valley and other growing communities along Interstate 19. This health pavilion concept is the result of several years of collaboration between Carondelet leadership, physician partners, local community leaders, residents in Sahuarita and Green Valley, Carondelet’s Board of Directors and Rancho Sahuarita.
As one of our state’s most dynamic and fastest-growing communities, the Town of Sahuarita has established a clear vision for planned future growth. Thanks to the revolutionary approach of its founders and the enthusiasm of local residents, Sahuarita has built a reputation for both quality and innovation − making it the perfect place for two well-established community members to enhance the region’s healthcare offerings.
To be built in two phases on a 21-acre parcel originally purchased by Carondelet in 2006, the medical pavilion will be located just south of Sahuarita Road along Desert Gem Lane. The new facility will become a featured landmark within the community’s master-planned town center. The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to be completed within a year.
Carondelet’s health and wellness pavilion will initially offer residents along I-19 an array of outpatient medical services – including robust primary care offerings for people of all ages and in all stages of their lives. The size of the initial complex will allow Carondelet to more than double the number of primary care physicians serving the Sahuarita area. Additionally, the pavilion will also serve as a satellite location for cardiovascular specialists from the nationally recognized Carondelet Heart & Vascular Institute at St. Mary’s Hospital and neurologists from the Carondelet Neurological Institute at St. Joseph’s Hospital, designated as a Center of Excellence in the neurosciences. Instead of a trip north into Tucson, Carondelet’s plan will allow for convenient access to these key sub-specialists, and many other medical specialists, right in Sahuarita. This will ensure patients receive preventive, diagnostic and follow-up care close to home. Public educational programs, together with health screenings and wellness workshops, will also be available and conveniently located at the pavilion.
Even as Phase One construction gets underway later this summer, Carondelet will continue working with community leaders, residents and physicians to identify additional offerings that may be needed now and in Phase Two. Carondelet is evaluating the addition of lab, imaging, urgent and/or emergent care services, space and technologies for outpatient procedures and same–day surgery, outpatient rehabilitation and pharmacy offerings in that expansion of the pavilion, currently slated for 2014.
Carondelet’s ultimate goal is to provide convenient access to a wide variety of comprehensive, meaningful and high quality healthcare services right in Sahuarita’s town center; and, when necessary, access to the high quality, specialized inpatient care available at Carondelet St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s hospitals in Tucson and Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales, Ariz.
“In Sahuarita, our health and wellness pavilion will provide a new and unique venue for these communities’ current medical needs, and possess the structural and programmatic flexibility to adapt and expand,” said Christen Castellano, Carondelet Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer.
“Healthcare is an ever-evolving field,” continued Castellano. “Advancements in medical science and technology have led to a growing trend toward ambulatory (outpatient) care in our industry. Many procedures that once required hospitalization no longer do – affording patients easier access, faster recuperations and the ability to get back to their lives sooner. As a result, outpatient care has become the option of choice for many patients and their families and presented Carondelet with a blueprint for a progressive model of healthcare that can meet needs now, and flex as those needs grow and change.”
“Carondelet has made a promise to serve individuals and families throughout our region by providing access to services in convenient locations and customizing those services to meet their individual expectations,” said Carondelet President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Beckmann. “We believe our efforts to create a facility that will grow with the communities of Sahuarita and Green Valley is a great example of our Ministry working to fulfill that promise.”
“Our discussions with Carondelet about this concept began back in February. We are so excited by the vision Carondelet has shown and the direction it has chosen for the development of a health and wellness pavilion within the Sahuarita Town Center,” noted Bob Sharpe, Founder of the Rancho Sahuarita Company. “Carondelet’s innovative approach to healthcare will continue to set Rancho Sahuarita apart from other communities in Southern Arizona. We are committed to partnering with outstanding organizations like Carondelet on projects that create a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle for all of our residents and our neighbors in Green Valley.”
Nationally, physician leaders and medical experts encourage the expansion of patient-centered primary care environments as well as a move toward providing more ambulatory care options for patients. In fact, a number of studies have shown that healthcare built on the development of strong relationships between primary care physicians and their patients result in longer, higher quality lives for patients, better outcomes and lower costs of healthcare.
“As the future of healthcare reveals itself, fewer and fewer people will need to be hospitalized for any significant period of time,” stated Dr. Donald Denmark, Carondelet Chief Medical Officer. “Most will be better served through preventive medicine and the development of valued relationships with their primary and specialty care providers.”
“As a responsible healthcare system, Carondelet embraces these ideas because we recognize their value to our patients and our community,” added Beckmann.