GOODYEAR – Abrazo West’s significant investments in advanced medical technologies and sub-specialty services – totaling nearly $50 million over the last three years alone – have given West Valley residents access to high acuity care close to home and enhanced the community’s quality of life.

The hospital’s investments include innovative, time-sensitive treatments for heart attack, stroke and trauma patients whose recovery – even, survival – can depend upon receiving advanced care promptly and effectively.

Abrazo West was the first West Valley hospital to provide mechanical thrombectomy – a minimally invasive procedure used to treat a severe and life-threatening type of stroke known as a large-vessel occlusion (LVO). During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into an artery in the patient’s groin and guided to the site of the blocked artery in the brain. A small device is then threaded up through the catheter and used to remove the clot, restoring blood flow to the affected area.

Rapid diagnosis and treatment is crucial for LVO, which is typically caused by a blood clot in an artery in the brain. Studies estimate an LVO stroke can destroy as many as 1.9 million brain neurons per minute.

“Time is brain, and every minute counts in that situation,” said Interventional neurologist Sushant Kale, MD. “Mechanical thrombectomy instantly allows blood flow to be restored to the brain, preventing additional loss of neurons. Having this advanced treatment available right here in our community can mean the difference between dying or living. It can be that impactful.”

In May 2025, 76-year-old Goodyear resident Allen Williamson was rushed to Abrazo West after suffering an LVO stroke at home. Dr. Kale performed a mechanical thrombectomy to remove the blood clot from Williamson’s brain, who is recovering well now at home.

“They told me afterward that if my wife hadn’t called 911 and the ambulance hadn’t taken me directly to Abrazo West, I might have been paralyzed or worse,” Williamson said. “They were very good to me and my wife at the hospital. The staff in the ICU were great. I felt very safe there.”

“Patient stories like this show the real value of the substantial investments we have made – and continue to make. Residents no longer must travel to other parts of the Valley to see a sub-specialist or to undergo an advanced medical procedure. We have them right here at Abrazo West,” said Abrazo West CEO Hans Driessnack.

The hospital recently acquired the da Vinci 5 robot, the most advanced robotic surgical platform available, to enable surgeons to perform complex, often groundbreaking minimally invasive procedures with exceptional precision.

Abrazo West also purchased a new dual-source CT scanner to enhance trauma and cardiac care, as well as advanced imaging systems that provide precision-guided 2-D and 3-D images to assist surgeons, in real time, as they operate.

Other investments include a high-tech hybrid operating room, new interventional radiology suites and pharmacy, as well as three new operating rooms dedicated to cardiovascular, brain and spine surgeries.

One of the most significant recent investments is the addition of a new inpatient rehabilitation facility, scheduled to open in January 2026, adjacent to the hospital campus, to support patients recovering after traumatic injuries, cardiovascular surgery, stroke, and advanced spine care, among other high acuity services provided at Abrazo West.

It will offer a wide range of rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, physiatry, internal medicine as well as surgical and medical subspecialty consultation services.

“Our commitment to delivering the highest quality health care to our neighbors shows in our work. Later this year, we’ll begin a multi-million-dollar expansion of our intensive care unit (ICU) that will increase our ability to meet the West Valley community’s continued need for high-level care,” says Rob Stantus, Chief Operating Officer, Abrazo West Campus.