Biozona Weekly: Banner Health growth; Zebrafish study; Mayo Medical School

April 9, 2015

By Matt Ellsworth

Banner Health expands health care kingdom
4/10/15 | Phoenix Business Journal | Angela Gonzales

Since it was formed in 1999, Phoenix-based Banner Health has been the state’s largest hospital system–and now that it has acquired the University of Arizona Health Network in Tucson, it’s the state’s largest private employer with the ability to help shape and move the health care industry for everyone from doctors and insurers to patients and businesses. Read also: What $1.2 billion means to Banner, UA and the state; Banner Health to move corporate HQ to midtown Phoenix

Mayo Clinic expansion in Arizona, Florida approved

4/9/15 | Post-Bulletin | Brett Boese

Mayo Medical School’s plans to expand in Arizona took a key step forward this week, putting the Scottsdale campus in partnership with Arizona State University just two years away from accepting its first class of students.

Ducey signs legislation to allow lab testing without a doctor’s order

4/7/15 | Arizona Capitol Times | Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services)

A new Arizona law removes all limits on the kinds of blood, urine and other tests patients can order up about themselves, legislation backed by California-based lab testing company Theranos that has offices at SkySong in Scottsdale and wellness centers in Walgreens pharmacies.

Phoenix Mayor Stanton pushes light rail, economy
4/6/15 | Arizona Republic | Dustin Gardiner and Brenna Goth

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton during his State of the City speech this week talked about the $1.3 billion economic impact of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus in 2013 and the planned Arizona Biomedical Corridor in northeast Phoenix along with other city issues such as transportation, foreign trade, and business relocations.

Zebrafish could hold key to fighting pancreatic cancer
4/3/15 | KPHO | Allyson Blair

Scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute are using the roughly inch-long Zebrafish to accelerate investigations of pancreatic cancer to aid in the search for therapeutics that could help slow down, and even reverse, the growth and spread of the cancer in patients.

Phoenix Children’s to staff PICU at TMC
4/3/15 | Arizona Daily Star | Stephanie Innes

Phoenix Children’s Hospital is moving into Southern Arizona with a contract to care for children hospitalized at Tucson Medical Center.

Parkinson Center at Barrow launches research into fall-prevention methods
4/3/15 | Phoenix Business Journal | Angela Gonzales

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is launching the Bob and Renee Parsons Fall Center, which is teaming with ASU to study falls and implement unique prevention methods.

ASU researchers explore new way to diagnose neurological diseases
4/2/15 | KJZZ | Mark Brodie

Researchers at ASU are looking at a new way to potentially help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological ailments by studying the transcripts of news conferences held by former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Will Humble lands at UA after resigning as state health director
3/31/15 | Phoenix Business Journal | Angela Gonzales

Will Humble, who resigned in March as director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, has landed at the University of Arizona as division director for health policy and evaluation at the Center for Population Science and Discovery at the Arizona Health Sciences Center on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus.