Following Phoenix Children’s recent recognition from the Greater Phoenix Chamber as Exceptional Innovator, Phoenix Children’s was honored as Large Businesses of the Year during the Chamber’s 31st Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon. Innovation, growth, quality improvement, and a goal to educate are among what leaders at Phoenix Children’s recognize as its major success drivers.

“This award goes to the exceptionally talented staff at Phoenix Children’s” said Robert L. Meyer, President and CEO of Phoenix Children’s. “Not only do they ensure our Hospital runs like ‘Business of the Year’ every day, they challenge what it means to give the best care to our community’s children. Our unique specialty care serves families all over the state and country and supports our growth.”

For these two awards, the Greater Phoenix Chamber recognizes companies who create new solutions and achieve remarkable results while moving the company and local economy forward.

Quality Innovation at Phoenix Children’s

Patient-safety innovation at Phoenix Children’s is changing standards across the state and pediatric healthcare as a whole. Hospital staff regularly develop new solutions and collaborate with strategic providers in the area, including The Mayo Clinic, Barrow Neurological Institute and Dignity Health.

New projects developed at the Hospital include real-time data solutions focused on quality, such as the Acute Kidney Injury Surveillance System. Phoenix Children’s IT team built this system alongside the nephrology team to evaluate the function of every inpatient kidney inside Phoenix Children’s. The system gives physicians early warnings about potential kidney damage, and drastically improves patient safety.

Patient-experience technology is also on the rise. In the last couple years, Phoenix Children’s installed patient iPads its hospital rooms and implemented online live chat for families to ask questions and instantly book appointments. Some of the Hospital’s concepts are so effective, other pediatric facilities have begun to adopt them. This includes a “Journey Board” app, a mobile teach-back tool designed to help families identify the important information and questions regarding patient care.

This is just the start. New innovation continues as Phoenix Children’s incentivizes staff to come forward with their ideas. The Hospital’s annual “Quality Day” gives all clinical staff the chance to present quality-improvement projects. Staff of all levels, including residents, trainees, fellows, nurses, physicians and allied health professionals, have a chance to win monetary prizes and necessary support for their concepts to grow as long-term patient solutions.

Continued Path for Growth

Phoenix Children’s employs over 4,500 employees, and the total grows each year. The organization also trains hundreds of aspiring pediatric clinicians across secondary education programs for nursing, residency and fellowships. The Hospital recognizes the great opportunity it has to teach the next generation of pediatric specialists; provide them facilities and opportunities to transform care; and retain these professionals here in Arizona.

Over 17 fellowship programs were added in the last 13 years, with more to come this year. These offer specialty pediatric training in programs like pediatric neurosurgery, orthopedics, hematology/oncology, critical care and more. Phoenix Children’s also partners with Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University to offer secondary education programs, including a “Transition to Practice” program for senior nursing students. This experience introduces students to nursing in a pediatric setting and allows Hospital staff to evaluate performance for a potential career at Phoenix Children’s.

Physical growth, beyond staff development, continues for Phoenix Children’s as well. In the last year alone, the Hospital opened three major centers including a state-of-the-art laboratory, a brand-new Emergency Department and Level 1 Trauma Center, and new Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders with infusion center. From here, Phoenix Children’s plans to open a women’s and children’s hospital with partner Dignity Health. The new hospital is scheduled to open in 2020, and help better serve the needs of our young, growing community in the Southeast Valley.

With so much exciting change at Phoenix Children’s, the organization’s goal remains the same: to provide hope, healing and the best healthcare for children and their families. This September marks the organization’s 35th birthday, and it has the surrounding community to thank for its successful presence in Arizona. Now, recognized as Business of the Year, Phoenix Children’s will deliver on its mission with even greater support. 

About Phoenix Children’s

Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only children’s hospital recognized by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals. Phoenix Children's provides world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. As one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, Phoenix Children’s provides care across more than 75 pediatric specialties. Phoenix Children’s is poised for continued growth in quality patient care, research and medical education. For more information about the hospital, visit phoenixchildrens.org.