Mesa, Gilbert medical cluster emerges

Not long ago, people were wondering whether the southeast Valley's health-care industry would ever catch up with its booming population. But in the blink of an eye, historically speaking, an array of treatment and research centers has joined the region's stable of existing legacy hospitals, creating what could become a notable national health-care cluster. The question now is whether, and if so, how, to brand and market the emerging corridor. The idea has yet to hit the stage of public discussion. So far, it's been tossed about mostly in the private conversations of two mayors, John Lewis of Gilbert and Scott Smith of Mesa. But each is hoping it develops into something big. Not coincidentally, each has lived in Houston, where the Texas Medical Center for years has been seen as one of the world's premier health-care destinations. But whereas institutions in the Texas Medical Center are bunched in a single campus for which planning began in 1945, the southeast Valley's dangle like pearls on a necklace formed by two freeways - one of which did not exist until a few years ago. Smith conducted an oral guided tour of the Mesa-Gilbert portion during a recent meeting with Mesa Republic reporters and editors. "Start at Cardon Children's Hospital and go down U.S. 60 to Power (Road)," he said. "What do you have in that little corridor?"

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