Healthcare: Alliance plans to change “health-care landscape” in Sun Cities
Daily News-Sun
Officials with Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. and Plaza Companies said they have formed an alliance that will “change the health-care landscape in the Sun Cities.”
HTA purchased more than 641,000 square feet of medical office properties on the Banner Health campuses of Banner Boswell and Banner Del Webb Hospitals from Roskamp Management Company early this year. In all, the purchase involves 17 facilities.
Scottsdale-based HTA has reached agreement with Peoria-based Plaza Companies to provide property management and leasing services, as well as working with HTA on a capital improvement program for the facilities, officials said, adding the result for Sun Cities residents will be better medical offices for the area’s doctors and clinics.
“Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. acquired the Sun Cities portfolio because of the strong demographics of these retirement communities, the market strength of Banner Health and their continuing investment in these hospitals. The medical office portfolio is 92 percent leased and positioned to play a vital role in the delivery of quality care in these communities,” said Mark D. Engstrom, executive vice president of acquisitions. “Our balance sheet strength and local leadership will allow us to respond to the evolving needs of the physician and hospital community under the new era of ObamaCare.”
Plaza has a 28-year track record in the Northwest Valley.
“This is a very exciting alliance, and one we are proud to become a part of,” said Sharon Harper, president and CEO of Plaza Companies. “HTA has a superb track record as a medical office property owner of the highest caliber, and combined with Plaza’s commitment to superior service and facilities, our alliance will lead to better medical facilities for the region.”
Along with developing a capital improvement program, the HTA/Plaza alliance will also work to develop a strong relationship with Banner Health, owner of Banner Boswell and Banner Del Webb Hospitals, to enhance the ability to recruit quality physicians to the area, further improving health care in the Sun Cities, the officials said.
Dave Kobriger, CEO of Banner Arizona Medical Clinic, which is a tenant of Plaza on the Plaza Del Rio campus in Peoria and the Del Webb Hospital Campus in Sun City West, said the Plaza/HTA partnership is good news for area residents and for Banner Health.
“Banner Arizona Medical Clinic has a long and successful track record of working with Plaza Companies and is pleased to know that they have formed an alliance with HTA on these important medical office buildings,” he said. “From our own experiences we know that this alliance can have an extremely positive influence on the quality of health care in the area by making sure medical offices are in top condition and by helping to attract the best doctors to the Sun Cities.”
HTA/Plaza have begun reaching out to current tenants of the medical office buildings to provide them with information about the benefits of the alliance, and will also undertake a strong community outreach program to educate local residents about how the alliance will improve health care in the area.
The alliance will be working throughout the coming months to identify the most beneficial capital improvements to the properties and to begin the process of getting those improvements completed, officials said.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, HTA has invested in more than 1 million square feet of office and medical office properties in Arizona. It has a national portfolio worth an estimated $1.55 billion and consisting of 188 buildings and properties.
Additionally, Engstrom and Harper said that HTA and Plaza Companies will work together to look for additional opportunities to grow and expand their portfolios throughout Arizona.
