A day in scrubs: See the future of health care in action
9/1/2026
For many middle schoolers, a career in health care is little more than a distant idea — something they've seen on television or glimpsed during a doctor's visit. Camp Scrubs changes that. Within days, students who arrive nervous and curious leave inspired, certified, and, in many cases, certain of the path they want to pursue.
Thanks to generous donors including H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, Alison Flynn Gaffney, CEO for Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, John and Mallee Hagan, The Tony and Milena Astorga Foundation, and Taco Bell Foundation, Banner Health offers a unique experience known as Camp Scrubs—a hands-on, week-long summer program for students entering the 7th or 8th grade who are ready to explore what a life in medicine and health care truly looks like.
And thanks to you, they experience it for free.
Every scrub top, every CPR kit, every snack, every staff member, every moment of mentorship — it is all made possible through the generosity of donors, ensuring that financial barriers never stand between a curious young student and a life-changing opportunity.
The demand for that opportunity has never been greater. In June 2026 alone, Camp Scrubs received four times the number of enrollment applications it could accommodate — a testament to how deeply this program resonates with Arizona's young people and their families. In response, Banner Health launched a special Mini Camp event at the Banner Simulation Center in Mesa, welcoming an additional 40 to 50 students who otherwise would have missed out entirely. Over the past two years, Banner's K-12 programs have introduced more than 4,000 students to health care careers — and the goal is to keep growing, expanding from two annual camps in Tucson and Apache Junction to four, adding sites in Chandler and Mesa.
This is workforce development at its most personal — one student, one spark, one future at a time. Arizona is growing rapidly, and with that growth comes a critical need for the next generation of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, paramedics, and clinical professionals. Camp Scrubs is helping build that pipeline — and doing so in a way that reflects the rich diversity of the communities Banner Health serves.
We are thrilled to share that a brand-new video capturing a day in the life of Camp Scrubs is now available to watch.
