TUCSON, Ariz. (Sept. 3, 2025) – Beth Draves, RN, has been appointed chief nursing officer for Banner – University Medicine in southern Arizona. With nearly 20 years of nursing experience, Draves is committed to empowering teams to create meaningful solutions.
“I’m honored and humbled by this opportunity to help drive change, build resilience among teams, and advocate for staff, which has always been very important to me,” said Draves.
Draves joined Banner – University Medicine Tucson in 2018 and has since held nursing leadership roles in the emergency departments at the Tucson and South campuses, as well as in behavioral health and clinical care operations. She has played a key role in creating local workflows to support periods of high patient demand and has successfully led teams in nursing and quality to advance safety and quality initiatives.
“Beth’s deep clinical expertise, operational acumen and compassion for patients and team members define her as an exemplary leader who embodies our mission,” said Robin Shepherd, DNP, RN, vice president and system chief nursing executive for Banner Health.
For the past year, Draves has served as interim chief nursing officer.
“Beth is a trusted voice among her colleagues, and we are honored to have her step into this role permanently,” said Alison Flynn Gaffney, FACHE, chief executive officer of Banner – University Medicine Tucson.
As she transitions into this role, Draves is focused on streamlining education to expand hands-on training for patient care teams, supporting Banner – University Medical Center South in the pursuit of Magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and empowering bedside nursing staff to take active roles in committees, research and quality-improvement initiatives.
“Nursing leadership isn’t just about managing tasks and responsibilities,” said Draves. “It’s about inspiring others to deliver compassionate, high-quality care.”
About Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and South
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and Banner – University Medical Center South are part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. These institutions are academic medical centers for the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson. Included on the two campuses are Diamond Children's Medical Center and many specialty clinics. The two academic medical centers are part of Arizona-based Banner Health, one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. Banner Health is in six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/universitytucson or bannerhealth.com/universitysouth.
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