Banner|Aetna Engages Community at the 2026 Phoenix Heart Walk
Banner|Aetna, an integrated health plan formed through a collaboration between Banner Health and CVS Health through its Aetna business, is actively participating in the 2026 Phoenix Heart Walk, taking place on March 28 in Arizona. The annual community event, organized by the American Heart Association, brings together healthcare organizations, employers, civic leaders, and community members to raise awareness and funds for cardiovascular research, education initiatives, and prevention programs.
The Phoenix Heart Walk has become a cornerstone event in the region’s public health calendar, drawing participation from a wide range of stakeholders committed to improving heart health outcomes. Banner|Aetna’s involvement reflects its broader mission of integrating care delivery with insurance coverage to improve patient outcomes, particularly in chronic disease areas such as cardiovascular conditions, which remain among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States.
As part of its engagement, Banner|Aetna Chief Financial Officer Dan Keller is serving on the 2026 Phoenix Heart Walk Executive Leadership Team. In this role, Keller joins other Arizona-based executives in guiding outreach efforts, encouraging participation, and helping to expand fundraising initiatives tied to the event. His involvement underscores the organization’s emphasis on leadership-driven community engagement and long-term investment in population health.
Keller emphasized the personal significance of cardiovascular health in his remarks, noting that heart disease has directly impacted his own family. He shared that his father experienced his first heart attack while Keller was in college, an experience that shaped his perspective on the importance of prevention, early detection, and access to quality care. His participation in the Heart Walk is therefore both professional and deeply personal, aligning with Banner|Aetna’s patient-centered approach to healthcare.
Banner|Aetna has maintained a consistent presence in the Phoenix Heart Walk since 2020, contributing through both executive leadership participation and employee-led fundraising efforts. Over the years, teams from the organization have consistently ranked among the top fundraising groups in the event, helping to drive significant financial support for the American Heart Association’s programs. Collectively, these efforts have contributed to local campaigns that have raised more than $1 million, demonstrating the organization’s sustained commitment to community health initiatives.
The Heart Walk itself serves multiple purposes beyond fundraising. It acts as a platform for community education, encouraging individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, understand risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, and engage in preventive care practices. It also fosters collaboration between healthcare providers, insurers, and community organizations, creating opportunities to align on shared goals related to improving health outcomes and reducing the burden of chronic disease.
Victoria Coley, Chief Executive Officer of Banner|Aetna, highlighted the importance of collective action and employee engagement in driving the company’s impact. She noted that heart disease and stroke continue to be leading causes of death and disability in the United States, reinforcing the need for ongoing investment in prevention, treatment, and research. According to Coley, the company’s employees have consistently demonstrated strong participation in the Heart Walk year after year, reflecting a shared commitment to the communities they serve and the mission of improving health outcomes.
Banner|Aetna’s participation also aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing value-based care, population health management, and community partnerships. By supporting initiatives like the Phoenix Heart Walk, the organization contributes to efforts aimed at addressing social determinants of health, increasing awareness of cardiovascular risk factors, and promoting early intervention strategies. These efforts are particularly relevant in the context of rising healthcare costs and the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, which require coordinated approaches across multiple stakeholders.
In addition to its fundraising and community engagement activities, Banner|Aetna continues to focus on providing integrated care solutions that combine clinical services with insurance coverage. This model is designed to simplify the patient experience, improve access to care, and support better health outcomes through coordinated care pathways. Participation in community events such as the Heart Walk complements these objectives by extending the organization’s impact beyond clinical settings and into the broader community.
The Phoenix Heart Walk also highlights the role of corporate leadership in advancing public health initiatives. Executive involvement, such as that demonstrated by Keller and other members of the leadership team, helps to elevate awareness, mobilize resources, and encourage broader participation across organizations. This leadership-driven approach has proven effective in sustaining engagement and driving meaningful contributions to charitable causes.
Looking ahead, Banner|Aetna’s continued involvement in the Phoenix Heart Walk reflects its ongoing commitment to cardiovascular health, community engagement, and collaborative partnerships. By supporting the American Heart Association’s mission and participating in initiatives that promote awareness and prevention, the organization aims to contribute to long-term improvements in public health outcomes across Arizona.
For community members, the Phoenix Heart Walk offers an opportunity to participate in a collective effort to combat heart disease and stroke, while also honoring individuals affected by these conditions. Through walking, fundraising, and awareness-building activities, participants help advance research and education efforts that have the potential to save lives and improve quality of life for millions of people.
Overall, Banner|Aetna’s participation in the 2026 Phoenix Heart Walk underscores the importance of partnership between healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and the community in addressing one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. By combining leadership engagement, employee involvement, and sustained financial contributions, the organization continues to play a meaningful role in supporting initiatives that promote heart health and community well-being.
About Banner|Aetna
Banner|Aetna is a health insurance company focusing on bettering member outcomes at a lower cost, all while helping to improve the overall member experience for employers and consumers in Arizona. The collaboration combines Banner Health’s quality, local providers and delivery systems with Aetna’s health-plan experience, care management and health information technology. Banner|Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company and Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc. For more information about Banner|Aetna, visit www.banneraetna.com.
About Banner Health
Banner Health is one of the nation’s largest fully integrated nonprofit health care systems serving communities across six states. With 33 hospitals and more than 450 additional care sites, Banner provides a comprehensive continuum of care including health insurance, a broad physician network, outpatient surgery centers, urgent care, home care and hospice services, retail pharmacies, imaging centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services.
Through its longstanding, innovative relationship with the University of Arizona, Banner drives clinical discoveries across more than 800 trials, recruits world-class physician scientists to advance diagnosis and treatment, and trains more than 1,300 residents and fellows annually through graduate medical education. We are also proud to train thousands of nurses and hundreds of allied health professionals. Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, a partnership with one of the world’s leading cancer programs MD Anderson Cancer Center, cares for more than 100,000 patients a year.
Banner Plans and Networks extends the system’s reach through Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial health coverage to more than 1 million members. In 2025, Banner Health provided more than $1 billion worth of community benefits to assist those in need through a range of programs. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health also has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com.
About CVS
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members.
The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company’s integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to help connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
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