Why Banner Children’s is a Top Choice for Arizona Pediatrics

Children have unique health needs – they aren’t just little adults. From infancy through adolescence, each stage of growth presents its own challenges and considerations. That’s where pediatric providers come in—these highly trained professionals understand kids and have the expertise to help them grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Banner|Aetna members can trust Banner Health, one of our parent companies, to meet your family’s full range of pediatric care needs. As a leading provider of Arizona pediatrics, Banner Children’s cares for more kids than any other health system in the state. Whether you’re looking for a pediatrician for routine checkups or need a specialist for a specific condition like asthma, congenital heart disease, or cancer, Banner Children’s offers comprehensive services to support your child’s health every step of the way.

Banner Children’s philosophy: Care built around your family
Parents know their children best. That’s why Banner Children’s takes a family-centered approach to pediatrics that makes parents and caregivers true partners in every decision. Banner Children’s philosophy empowers parents and caregivers to be confident advocates for their kids through:

• Choice and respect in all aspects of care
• Open communication that supports shared decision-making
• Collaboration between parents and care teams that honors each family's values, traditions, and beliefs

When providers and families work together, children benefit from exceptional care that nurtures their whole health—physical, emotional, and social.

Primary care

Every child deserves a strong foundation for lifelong health. As a leader in Arizona pediatrics, Banner Children’s pediatricians provide comprehensive care for newborns, infants, children, and adolescents. From well-child exams and immunizations to developmental screenings and asthma management, these primary care providers are here to support your child’s growth and development.

Banner Children’s pediatricians also work closely with providers in more than a dozen medical specialties, ensuring a seamless continuum of care for your child.

Urgent care

Kids don’t always get sick or injured during office hours—and when they need care, you want it fast. That’s why Banner Children’s offers urgent care services across the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas, with two dedicated Banner Children’s Urgent Care locations and more than 40 Banner Urgent Care centers. Highly trained providers are ready to address non-emergency illnesses and injuries seven days a week. Plus, many Banner Urgent Care centers feature on-site labs and X-rays, so your child can get a faster diagnosis and treatment—with less running around.

For added convenience, virtual care options make it easy to get your little ones the care they need right from home.

Specialty care

When children require specialized medical attention, families can turn to the experts at Banner Children's. As a leader in Arizona pediatrics, Banner Children's delivers exceptional care across more than a dozen specialties for a wide range of diseases and disorders, including:

• Allergy/Asthma/Immunology
• Audiology
• Autism
• Blood Disease
• Cancer
• Cardiology/Heart Care
• Child Development and Behavior
• Critical Care
• Dermatology
• Diabetes
• Down Syndrome
• Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)
• Emergency Care
• Endocrinology
• Eye Care
• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Disease
• Mental Health
• Neurology
• Ophathalmology
• Orthopedics
• Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery
• Pulmonary Diseases
• Rehabilitation
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Speech Therapy
• Sports Medicine
• Surgery 
• Urology

With a dedicated team of pediatric specialists, Banner Children's provides Arizona families with tailored care and support no matter what their medical needs are.

Emergency care

Life with young children is unpredictable and emergencies can happen at any time. When it matters most, Banner Children’s is here to help with pediatric emergency physicians and experts covering more than 30 pediatric specialties at 10 pediatric-prepared emergency rooms (ERs) across Arizona. These ERs are certified by the Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AzAAP) for their proven ability to stabilize and/or manage pediatric medical emergencies.

Hospital and acute care

A hospital stay can be frightening for anyone, especially a child. Designed with kids in mind, Banner Children’s Arizona pediatric hospitals provide comprehensive services—from routine preventive care to specialized care for critically ill children—in bright, healing environments to make kids as comfortable as possible. Banner Children’s three convenient locations serve families across Arizona:

• East Valley: Banner Children’s at Desert Medical Center (Mesa)
• West Valley: Banner Children’s at Thunderbird Medical Center (Glendale)
• Southern Arizona: Banner Children's at Diamond Children’s Medical Center (Tucson)

Each hospital location features kid-centered services including certified child life specialists who provide comfort and support to kids and help reduce anxiety. For extended hospital stays, families can count on Banner Children’s Hospital School to help children maintain normalcy and preserve learning with certified teachers who offer bedside and classroom instruction. Other amenities include:

• Private patient rooms with space for family members
• Designated treatment rooms to keep hospital rooms a safe space
• Supervised playrooms where kids can just be kids

Neonatal and pediatric intensive care

Banner Children’s Arizona pediatric and neonatal intensive care units (PICUs and NICUs) specialize in the care of critically sick or injured infants, children, and teenagers. Highly trained pediatric intensive care teams use advanced technology to provide individualized care to the most fragile patients. In addition to all the specialized equipment found in adult intensive care units, Banner Children’s PICUs are family-centered to help kids, and their families, feel more at ease.

Banner Children’s NICUs provide the highest quality care for critically ill infants. Specialized multidisciplinary teams offer wraparound support for babies and their families at five NICU locations:

• Banner Children’s at Desert Medical Center
• Banner Children's at Diamond Children’s Medical Center
• Banner Children's at Thunderbird Medical Center
• Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix
• Banner Estrella Medical Center

Traveling for care

When children need specialized pediatric care, traveling far from home can add stress to an already challenging time. Whether treatment lasts a day, a month, or sometimes even longer, families coming from 30+ miles away may qualify for no-cost lodging at Ronald McDonald House locations near Banner Children’s hospitals in Phoenix and Tucson. These welcoming spaces keep families close to their child’s care team while offering privacy, support, and community—a comforting "home away from home".

Research and innovation

The Children’s Oncology Group has designated two Banner facilities, Banner Children’s at Desert Medical Center and Banner Children’s at Diamond Children’s Medical Center as COG Institutions for their research work advancing pediatric oncology medicine. This prestigious affiliation gives patients access to innovative pediatric clinical trials and emerging treatments for many types of childhood cancers.

In addition, Banner Children’s Diamond Children’s Medical Center is the only Arizona pediatric medical center connected to an academic research facility. The partnership with the University of Arizona Steele Children’s Research Center allows physician-scientists to participate in new pediatric research and facilitates collaboration in clinical care, enhancing the hospital's ability to provide cutting-edge treatments.

Find a Banner Children’s provider near you

When it comes to your child’s health, you want the best care possible. Banner|Aetna is proud to connect families to Banner Children’s, a trusted leader in Arizona pediatrics. Whether you need a primary care pediatrician, urgent care for a sudden illness, or highly specialized treatment for a complex disease or disorder, Banner Children’s has the trusted expertise to support your family every step of the way.

To find a Banner Children’s provider near you, visit bannerhealth.com/pediatrics.