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NEWS .............. 4 WV police departments aid in rail safety
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LETTERS ..........................9 BUSINESS..................... 14 SPORTS ..........................16 FEATURES .....................21 NEIGHBORHOOD......26 YOUTH ...........................27 OBITUARIES .................30 CLASSIFIEDS................31 NORTH
The Voice of the West Valley for 33 years
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October 10, 2018
Abrazo West Campus announces expansion By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The Abrazo West Campus in Goodyear is planning a multimillion-dollar expansion to meet the growing need for inpatient beds in the hospital serving the West Valley. “It’s very exciting for the community and the hospital,” said Stan Holm, CEO of Abrazo West and Maryvale campuses. A 12-bed nursing unit will be built in existing shelled space, fulfilling a projection for added hospital capacity in the coming months. The new unit will provide additional beds for telemetry patients, while offering the flexibility to accommodate medical/surgical patients as needed. “Seven years ago, we had a $26 million expansion and that included our south tower where we had shelled space and additional operating room space,” Holm said. “We knew we were going to need the space as more patients are choosing us.” Abrazo Community Health Network CEO Frank Molinaro added, “Bed expansion in the hospital’s south tower will help accommodate the area’s increasing population and serve the patients and physicians who are entrusting Abrazo West with their care.” Holm explained during the winter season, the hospital is frequently at full occupancy. Outside of winter, “we’re at a higher census than we’ve ever had before. A census is how many patients are in beds each day. Patients are choosing us and it’s a growing population.”
Abrazo West Campus staff recently celebrated the hospital’s 15th anniversary. Established in 2003, Abrazo West has evolved into a thriving medical center serving the West Valley and beyond. The hospital has announced a new expansion project adding inpatient bed capacity, which is expected to be complete in 2019. (Photo courtesy Abrazo West Campus)
The project is expected to be complete in 2019. The hospital is located at 13677 W. McDowell Road. “Abrazo West Campus opened 15 years ago as a small community hospital and has evolved into a thriving medical center serving the West Valley and beyond. Over time the hospital has added complex
services like the Level 1 Trauma program, neurosurgery, electrophysiology and interventional cardiology. This addition is another step in providing the resources needed to deliver on our mission to help people live happier, healthier lives,” Mo-
Abrazo...continued on page 3
New Buckeye school to be named after McCain By Steven Solomon
The first U.S. public school to be named after the late Sen. John McCain will likely be in Buckeye, following a unanimous vote by the Buckeye Elementary School District on October 1. McCain died on August 25, with his wife and their family at his side, after he was diagnosed with brain cancer about a year earlier.
The John S. McCain III Elementary School will be the West Valley district’s eighth school, for about 900 to 950 students in grades K-8. Two potential opening timelines are being considered, one in the fall of 2020 and the other being the fall of 2021 depending on emerging details associated with the project. “The planning process timeline for building and designing John McCain’s
namesake has provided the district with a unique opportunity to create a permanent tribute to the late senator’s legacy in the city of Buckeye,” said Dr. Kristi Sandvik, the district superintendent. “Much like the senator, the story of Buckeye is one of service to others,” she added. District officials worked closely with
School...continued on page 6