Banner Health Names Ajla Sutkovic COO of Two Mesa Hospitals

Banner Health has appointed Ajla Sutkovic chief operating officer of two of its Mesa, Arizona, facilities: Banner Baywood Medical Center and Banner Heart Hospital. The move, reported by Becker's Hospital Review, takes effect in July.

In the dual role, Sutkovic will oversee day-to-day operations across both hospitals. In an Aug. 3 LinkedIn post, she said she looks forward to partnering with physicians, leaders and frontline teams to strengthen culture and improve the patient experience.

The appointment reflects a broader pattern among large health systems of assigning single operational leaders to oversee multiple sites, a structure that can streamline decision-making and standardize practices across nearby facilities. As one of the largest nonprofit systems in the country, Banner operates dozens of hospitals across several states, and executive moves like this signal how it manages leadership across its Arizona footprint. For staff and patients at the two Mesa hospitals, the change places operational continuity and culture under a single accountable leader.