Advancing age-friendly care in Arizona through a strategic partnership

9/10/26

What follows is a story about a remarkable medical advancement — one that is already changing how older adults are cared for across the country, and that began right here in Arizona. 

For our corporate and foundation partners, this story is a powerful example of what strategic philanthropic investment makes possible — and a reminder that supporting Banner Health means supporting breakthroughs that improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable community members: our older adults.

Banner Health recently completed a two-year grant in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) through their prestigious Diagnostic Excellence – Age-Friendly Health Systems Seed Grant Program. Through this partnership, Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix implemented a groundbreaking, systematic approach to the early detection of delirium in hospitalized older adults. Our hospital was one of only seven selected nationally to participate in this inaugural grant cohort. After successfully piloting the program thanks to this grant funding, it has now been implemented across all Banner Health hospitals. 

Through this partnership, Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix implemented a groundbreaking, systematic approach to the early detection of delirium in older adults. By leveraging information already gathered during routine nursing assessments, our clinical teams are now better equipped to identify at-risk patients sooner — enabling more timely diagnosis and intervention. This work is fully integrated with the 4Ms Framework (What Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility), ensuring a holistic, patient-centered approach to care.

“Accurate and timely diagnosis of delirium is essential to age-friendly care,” said Leslie J. Pelton, senior program officer at The John A. Hartford Foundation. “Every health system can adopt a systematic approach to early detection and intervention that improves outcomes for older adults and family caregivers.”

The results of this work have been recognized nationally. IHI has published a featured case study — "Pursuing Diagnostic Excellence for Delirium at Banner Health" — highlighting our innovative approach as a model for health systems across the country. This work is timely as Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix's Geriatric Program was recently ranked among the Top 50 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.

None of this would be possible without the generous support and visionary leadership of the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Their investment in Banner Health is directly improving the lives of older adults and reducing the burden of diagnostic errors and delays.

We are grateful for partners who share our belief that every older adult deserves the highest quality, most compassionate care — and we look forward to continuing this important work together.

Check out the case study published on LinkedIn here.