New hospital planned for Glendale

The parent organization of St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center on Wednesday announced plans to expand in the West Valley with a 24-bed hospital in Glendale. Dignity Health said it has purchased a 35-acre site near Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue with plans to initially invest $44 million to build the new hospital and medical campus. The 60,000-square-foot hospital is expected to employ about 200 people when it opens in early 2014 with an emergency room, two operating rooms, space for diagnostic services and 24 inpatient beds. Dignity Health expects eventually to fill out the medical campus with outpatient services and medical office buildings, and the hospital can grow to 200 beds as demand warrants. It will be the first West Valley hospital for Dignity Health, which operates St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and two East Valley hospitals, Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center. Even though competing health systems, such as Banner Health and Abrazo Health Care, have West Valley locations, Dignity executives say there is enough room for another hospital in the region. "We have been looking for the right location," said Linda Hunt, Arizona president for San Francisco-based Dignity Health. "We have looked at the growth out there, and we feel there is enough need in that part of the community." Glendale officials said that a new medical campus should bolster nearby Westgate City Center and the surrounding area. Tanger Factory Outlets is set to open later this year at Westgate City Center.

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