Alison Flynn Gaffney

CEO

Banner University Medical Center Tucson

Banner University Medical Center South

By Valerie Vinyard

Alison Flynn Gaffney’s work team is always on her mind.

“I wake up and go to bed thinking of my team,” said Flynn Gaffney, CEO of Banner University Medical Center Tucson and Banner University Medical Center South.

Banner employs nearly 7,500 team members who work the two hospitals, a children’s medical center, a cancer center, and 23 outpatient locations. The hospitals are training sites for the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Born and raised in New York, Flynn Gaffney moved to Tucson from Salt Lake City in December. She and her family live in a historic neighborhood a few miles from her office.

“I’ve fallen in love,” said Flynn Gaffney of our desert city, describing Tucson as “a little quirky, a little gritty. The people are so genuine, they look you in the eye.”

She first became interested in medicine at 12, after being hit by a car, which shattered her right leg. “I was young enough to recover and old enough to remember,” she said.

Now 55, she luckily has no long-term issues from the injury.

“My entire career has been in healthcare in a capacity,” she said. “In some ways, I think I was born a volunteer. I’m excited to be a catalyst for improved healthcare in Southern Arizona.”

Much of that involves making connections. “One person at a time,” she said. “That’s really been my focus connecting with as many of my team members and as many of my community members.”

“We have tremendous opportunities in Tucson and Southern Arizona to tell our story,” she said. “I think Tucson is a hidden gem. I’m now a walking commercial for this city.”

Dr. Samuel M. Keim, UA College of Medicine Chair of Emergency Medicine, describes her as a quick learner. “Alison is a polished but down-to-earth leader,” he said. “She is very humble and always points to the contributions of others on the team.

“She really does live the ‘we are one’ team concept,” he continued. “It is an honor to work with her to bring the best possible emergency care to our community.”  

When Flynn Gaffney arrived, she immediately immersed herself in the community, including joining the Better Business Bureau and Southern Arizona Leadership Council.

Her first-year goal? “To walk through every door that has our logo above it.” 

“I have an opportunity to promote my team and support other women leaders, to be a voice in helping us move forward,” she said. “I’m a big believer in trying to influence the course of people’s lives in any way I can.”