Alexandra Morehouse will become Banner Health’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer effective Aug. 31, the company announced Wednesday from its Phoenix headquarters — bringing the firm special expertise in building media-driven consumer preference and demand.

Morehouse comes to Banner with enthusiasm following successful and productive stints in key marketing and branding positions with Kaiser Permanente, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and Charles Schwab.

"I'm extremely pleased to join a leading healthcare organization like Banner Health," Morehouse said. "We have a great story to tell, and I'm especially excited by the abundance of opportunities we'll have to engage consumers with the Banner brand."

Morehouse earned a B.A. at Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. She has been named among the "Most Influential Women in Business" by the San Francisco Business Times for three consecutive years in 2008 to 2010 and recognized by the Wall Street Journal in 2014.

"The development of networks by health systems is a major factor in the tremendous change that health care has been experiencing," said Ron Bunnell, Banner's chief administrative officer and EVP. "This change has greatly increased the influence of consumer choice, so we're very excited to add the skill-set in consumer-direct marketing … that Alex will bring to Banner."

As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit healthcare systems, Banner Health owns and manages 29 acute-care hospital facilities in seven states. It operates several affiliated groups, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and services such as family clinics, home care and hospice, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner serves close to half a million individuals in private and government health plans.