Arizona Diamondbacks Celebrate Health Care Hero Physicians at Home Game
On a warm June evening in downtown Phoenix, residents and fellows from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix cheered as Marjorie Bessel, MD, chief clinical officer at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, threw out the first pitch at an Arizona Diamondbacks home game. Health Care Heroes Night was an opportunity for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization to recognize physicians and health care professionals for their tireless work during the coronavirus pandemic.
Cheryl O’Malley, MD, associate dean of Graduate Medical Education, said, “The idea came from one of our program coordinators who was looking for a way to be able to celebrate the graduating residents and fellows that would be in a venue large enough to accommodate the COVID-19 mitigation strategies.”
As part of an annual tradition, Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix medical staff fund a semiformal event for graduating residents and fellows, but this year the funds went to provide free concessions at the food and beverage vendors at Chase Field.
Dr. Marjorie Bessel posed for a photo with the Diamondbacks' mascot Baxter as she honored the important contributions that the residents and fellows made during the winter surge and the pandemic overall. During the fourth inning, a special message was displayed on the jumbotron that read, “Welcome Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix and the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix physicians. Thank you for being selfless while all the bases were loaded with COVID-19. You are homerun heroes!”
About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.