Leading Through Innovation

Several innovative technologies have helped Banner to continually improve patient care. Recent significant innovations are simulation education, iCare intensive care, surgical robotics, and the IPRob obstetrical system.

• Simulation Education
  Banner Simulation Education's vision is to "transform health care delivery through simulation, learning and research.'' We are fulfilling that vision with our extensive program available in seven states that has already trained thousands of health care providers and that is expanding rapidly. The 6,000 square-foot Simulation and Education Training (SimET) Center at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center uses a variety of approaches to help medical residents, surgeons, nurses, emergency medical technicians and others providers to perfect their skill without touching a single patient. In 2009, Banner opened the Banner Simulation Medical Center, a 55,000 square foot virtual hospital that is the largest such facility in the nation. In designing our simulation-education network, Banner studied how the aviation industry used simulation to achieve an outstanding safety rate. Banner is now seeing simliar results. The Banner Simulation System also has as extensive medical research program leading the field of simulation learning into the future.
  
  
• iCare Intensive Care
  Banner Health was the first health care provider in the communities we serve to implement eICU technology through our iCARE Intensive Care program, which allows for continuous monitoring of ICU patients by intensive care physicians from a remote monitoring center. From Banner Health’s iCARE “command center” at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, Ariz., intensivist physicians and ICU nurses working at computer stations are able to support the care of bedside clinical staff working in ICUs throughout our facilities. eICU technology has been shown to significantly decrease patient complications and mortality.Our iCare Intensive Care program is currently operational at four hospitals in Arizona and one in Colorado. By late 2008 the elCU technology will be utilized to monitor every ICU bed within Banner Health.
  
  
• Surgical Robotics
  Five Banner Health facilities have implemented advanced surgical robotics technology to expand the ability of surgeons to perform complicated procedures with fewer, smaller incisions. Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci® Surgical System is designed to extend the benefits of minimally invasive procedures and provides surgeons with the clinical and technical capabilities of traditional open surgery. Surgical robots perform minimally invasive cardiac, urological, pediatric, bariatric, and general surgical procedures. Robotics has proven to substantially decrease length of stay, reduce blood loss, decrease post-operative pain, and enable a faster recovery. Surgical robots are in use at Banner Heart Hospital, Banner Desert Medical Center, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, and North Colorado Medical Center.
  
  
• IPRob Obstetrical System
  Banner Health is the first health care system in the western United States to implement the IPRob obstetrical system, which provides clinical decision support, documentation and monitoring to help reduce complications during childbirth, ensuring safe deliveries for the more than 30,000 babies born at Banner Health facilities each year. IPRob has been successfully launched in seven Banner Health facilities in Arizona: Banner Baywood Medical Center, Banner Desert Medical Center, Banner Estrella Medical Center, Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center, and Page Hospital.