Mr. Purves has led a historic transformation of Valleywise Health, which is Arizona’s public teaching hospital and safety net health system. He transformed Valleywise from a financially struggling legacy county hospital into a modern, financially secure organization that remains steadfastly committed to caring for underserved populations, more than 70% of whom are on Medicaid or uninsured. When he arrived in 2013, he launched a systemwide campaign encompassing hundreds of projects to simultaneously cut costs and improve operations, generating over $170 million in fiscal improvements without significant across-the-board staffing cuts, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The culmination of his long-term strategic vision came in June 2024 with the opening of a state-of-the-art Valleywise Health Medical Center, which features a 34,500-square-foot emergency department, the nationally renowned Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center, and a level 1 trauma center, replacing a facility that had stood for 53 years. In 2025, Mr. Purves spearheaded an $898 million bond proposition to expand behavioral health services, enhance emergency services and build new community health centers, earning voter approval in one of the nation’s largest counties in the November 2025 election. He became the first Valleywise Health executive to serve on the American Hospital Association board of trustees, served as board chair of America’s Essential Hospitals, and held leadership roles within the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association. Mr. Purves has received the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association’s prestigious “Salsbury Award,” was named “Leader of the Year in Healthcare” by the Arizona Capitol Times in 2023, and received the U.S. Army “Outstanding Civilian Service Medal,” among numerous other honors.
