The History of Chandler Regional Medical Center
In the mid-1950s, the East Valley looked very different than it does today. Chandler was a town of just 9,500, surrounded by acres and acres of farmland. A drive to Gilbert, Tempe or Mesa was a day's expedition, and Sun Lakes and Ahwatukee Foothills did not even exist. In fact, the foothills of South Mountain were then a popular weekend destination for families who drove slow miles on a dusty, rutted Chandler Boulevard for country outings.
The nearest hospital was miles away in Mesa, too far if the medical need was urgent. Members of Chandler's Lions Club decided in 1956 that the time had come for a community hospital, and the idea of Chandler Community Hospital was born.
Building a Community Hospital
East Valley citizens spent five years in their pursuit of a community hospital. Their first challenge was to find a way to fund the hospital. They decided to follow the example of Casa Grande, where citizens had formed a hospital district, as allowed by Arizona law, to publicly fund the building and equipping of a hospital. In 1959, state officials approved creation of Maricopa Hospital District Number One, a 250-square-mile area extending from Baseline Road south to Sun Lakes and from Meridian Road to 40th Street in Ahwatukee Foothills. Voters in the newly created hospital district approved bonds to build a 40-bed hospital costing $650,000.
One final obstacle stood between the community and their goal of a hospital: the state's requirement that they have cash for two years of operations before the hospital opened. Citizens canvassed the community, asking for whatever donation people would give. The drive netted $21,000 enough to open the hospital's doors.
On July 17, 1961, East Valley citizens celebrated the opening of a truly community-based hospital, Chandler Community Hospital.
Serving the Rapidly Growing East Valley
Growth in the East Valley exploded during the next two decades of the hospital's history. Two of the East Valley's major communities had their beginnings in the early 1970s, Sun Lakes and Ahwatukee Foothills. The Hospital District went to the voters for approval of additional bonds for construction of a new hospital. The bonds were approved, and in March 1984, newly named Chandler Regional Hospital opened a 120-bed facility at its present location on the corner of Dobson and Frye roads.
In its new location, Chandler Regional Hospital served as the base station for Chandler's Emergency Medical Services system. It became the first smoke-free hospital in the East Valley in 1987. And its reputation for quality care along with the community's rapid growth brought the need for more expansion.
The first area to receive attention was the Family Birth Center. In 1991, a major expansion of the birth center updated the area to include labor, delivery and recovery suites and a Level II Nursery for newborns needing special attention and monitoring. In 1992, the Emergency and Trauma II Center was expanded to meet demand, and a permanent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit was added. The hospital's Surgery Department underwent a major renovation and expansion in 1993.
Focusing on Community Health
In the early 1990s, Chandler Regional Hospital began considering other ways of serving its community and came to the decision that helping citizens maintain their health should be an area of major emphasis. The hospital rewrote its lengthy mission statement to read simply: "To improve the health of the community."
With this new focus on community health, the hospital opened Chandler Kid Care in 1993, a daycare center for mildly ill children, and began offering free immunization clinics and public health seminars in 1994. A year later, Chandler Regional Hospital established Healthier Community Councils in Chandler, Ahwatukee Foothills and Sun Lakes. The purpose of the councils was to work with citizens in each community to improve the quality of life.
Expanding into East Valley Communities
Another major hospital initiative during the mid 1990s involved building outpatient health centers in the communities served by Chandler Regional Hospital. The first of these opened in October 1994 in Ahwatukee Foothills, a rapidly growing community seven miles west of the hospital. Ahwatukee Health Center which is now CHW Urgent Care in Ahwatukee provides urgent care with extended hours and outpatient services. A similar center located 10 miles east of the hospital in Gilbert called Gilbert Health Center opened in 1997, now named CHW Urgent Care in Gilbert. Sun Lakes Health Center also opened that year now called Sun Lakes Laboratory offers laboratory testing to the residents of Sun Lakes. These centers were built so that people would have more convenient places to go for health care.
The need for complete cancer care in one central location was another area of concern for the East Valley. In response, Chandler Regional Hospital built the Cancer Center on the hospital campus to provide convenient, high-quality medical oncology, radiation oncology and cancer support services. The centered opened in 1996.
Partnering with Others
Chandler Regional Hospital came into existence through the collaborative efforts of concerned citizens. Throughout its history, Chandler Regional Hospital has demonstrated a commitment to partnering with others through the Arizona Healthcare Federation and with citizens through Healthier Community Councils.
In 1998, the hospital came to the decision that in order to continue to grow, it must affiliate with a larger system that shares the Chandler Regional Hospital non-profit, mission-driven philosophy. After months of considering possible partners, Chandler Regional Hospital chose to merge with Catholic Healthcare West (CHW), the parent company of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center and Barrow Neurological Institute. The affiliation was completed in December 1999.
Continuing To Serve the East Valley Through CHW
In 2007, Chandler Regional Hospital changed its name to Chandler Regional Medical Center, reflecting the many health care offerings available on the campus.
Chandler Regional Medical Center maintains its focus on serving the East Valley. With the financial backing of CHW, one of the largest non-profit hospital systems in the entire country, Chandler Regional Medical Center is well positioned to expand its services and facilities to meet the needs of the community. The hospital remains non-profit and continues to be guided by a Community Board of Directors, while also having representation on the CHW Board of Directors. In addition, the hospital's CHW Foundation - East Valley continues to raise funds in support of the hospital's mission to improve the health of the community.
