Invest in a legacy that will care for generations, in recognition of Steve Purves’ extraordinary impact in healthcare and commitment to our community.
A Legacy of Exceptional Care
For more than 45 years, Steve Purves has dedicated his career to improving healthcare through visionary leadership, innovation and an unwavering commitment to patients. As he retires following 13 years leading Valleywise Health, he leaves behind one of the most remarkable transformations in the organization’s history, building a stronger, more resilient health system that will serve Arizona for generations to come.
His leadership transformed Valleywise Health into a nationally recognized academic health system, expanded access to care throughout Maricopa County, strengthened the healthcare workforce, and inspired unprecedented public and philanthropic investment.
Today, hundreds of thousands of patients receive exceptional care every day because of the vision, courage and leadership Steve brought to Valleywise Health.
Your gift, in honor of Steve, will help complete the new medical-surgical unit on the 10th floor of the Acute Care Hospital, expanding access to exceptional care, and ensuring Valleywise Health continues to meet the growing healthcare needs of our community.
Leadership Honors
- 2023 Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association Salsbury Award
- 2023 Arizona Capitol Times Leader of the Year – Healthcare/Public Policy
- Chair, America’s Essential Hospitals
- Chair, Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association
- Board Trustee, American Hospital Association
- Community Hospital CEOs to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review
- Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
- Dean Conley Award, American College of Healthcare Executives
- U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Medal
- Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army
- 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award – AZBusiness Magazine’s Champions of Change
Transformational Accomplishments
- Guided Valleywise Health through a financial turnaround exceeding $170 million, securing long-term stability.
- Helped secure nearly $1.8 billion in voter-approved bond funding (2014 and 2025) to transform healthcare across Maricopa County.
- Led the opening of the new Valleywise Health Medical Center and expanded community health centers and behavioral health services.
- Established the Creighton University Arizona Health Education Alliance, dramatically expanding physician training and graduate medical education.
- Successfully transitioned MIHS to Valleywise Health, creating a stronger identity and expanding community trust.
- Advanced Valleywise Health Foundation into a sustainable philanthropic organization capable of supporting transformational investments.
- Maintained Arizona’s only public Level I Trauma Center and strengthened the nationally recognized Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center.
- Advanced a culture of quality earning national recognition, including Leapfrog “A” Hospital Safety Grades and continued accreditation excellence.
Elevated Valleywise Health’s voice nationally as a leader among America’s essential public health systems.
The Impact Moving Forward
Steve Purves has always believed that investing in healthcare means investing in people.
As Valleywise Health continues to grow alongside our community, one of the most important opportunities ahead is completing the build-out of the 10th floor of Valleywise Health Medical Center. This new medical-surgical unit will add much-needed inpatient capacity, helping relieve pressure on the Emergency Department and trauma services while ensuring patients receive exceptional care. It is an investment in the future of Arizona’s public teaching hospital and the thousands of patients who rely on Valleywise Health every year.
In recognition of Steve and Mary Anne Purves’ extraordinary impact in healthcare and enduring commitment to our community, the completed 10th floor will be a lasting tribute that reflects the lives they have changed and the future they have made possible.
Be a catalyst for the next chapter of Valleywise Health.
Invest in a legacy that will care for generations.
Today, you have the opportunity to invest in a future built on the principles that guided Steve’s leadership and transformed Valleywise Health. Your gift will help complete the new medical-surgical unit on the 10th floor of the Acute Care Hospital, expanding access to exceptional care, and ensuring Valleywise Health continues to meet the growing healthcare needs of our community.
Donations of $1,000 or more provide inclusion at various levels in Valleywise Health Foundation’s Embrace Society.
Leave a Message of Gratitude and Retirement Wishes for Steve