By all accounts, Arizona has had a rough time through the COVID-19 pandemic. A staggering loss of more than 15,000 Arizonans, punctuated by devastating economic and mental health impacts, left our state reeling.

Vaccinations mean that hope is here, and Arizona’s recovery has been jump started with one of the highest-volume, 24/7 vaccination sites in the country at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. With more than 8,000 vaccines administered every day…about one every 10 seconds…Arizonans have come together in a colossal act of love.

This is exactly why, when state leaders called on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona to get involved in early January, we said “yes.” In less than two weeks, we mobilized our team to join the single largest and most important public health effort our nation has seen during the pandemic. We mobilized to assist. We mobilized to serve. And most importantly, we mobilized to deliver hope.

We anticipated the huge effort and are humbled to be part of this highly effective public-private partnership. What we did not anticipate was how much we would be touched by witnessing the absolute best of humanity in action. Thousands of individuals, most of whom are volunteers, have worked around the clock to help administer a dose of hope to more than 300,000 Arizonans in less than six weeks.

Working nine-hour shifts, some overnight, on their feet in the rain, sun, cold, and even desert hailstorms, these volunteers tell us how honored they are to serve in a role that has so much purpose. They experience words of thanks and tears of joy and relief every day, along with being witnesses to a monumental time in our country’s history.

President Biden and Vice President Harris recently took a virtual tour of the vaccination operations at State Farm Stadium. Calling the 24/7 vaccination operation “amazing,” President Biden and Vice President Harris pointed to the teamwork as an example of unity, saying, “We have never failed as a country when we’ve done things together.” Administering more than 20% of all COVID-19 vaccines in Arizona, the impressive vaccination results at State Farm Stadium to-date would not have been possible without a tireless team.

Together with federal partners, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard, along with state leadership from the Governor’s Office, the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, and the Arizona Department of Health Services, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona employees and their families and friends have volunteered to help make this a national model of an efficient and streamlined vaccination clinic. We joined hospitals, the Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University, Walgreens, the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation, the City of Glendale, and more with the shared goal of working together to win the COVID battle.

A true testament to the grit and resilience of our community, Arizona has managed to move from a time of hopelessness and uncertainty to becoming a role model of strength and unity. While we need to stay vigilant and still have a long road ahead, standing shoulder to shoulder against an enemy we cannot even see will lead us to victory. This is genuine, authentic love in action, and it changes us all for the better.

Pam Kehaly is President and CEO at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is helping address the mental health provider shortage through its initiative that promotes positive mental health and addresses the inadequate treatment of resources in the state.

BCBSAZ awarded $560,000 in funding to the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) to create a first-ever private funding of the SLRP.

“More needs to be done in our state to provide Arizonans with the support and resources they need for their mental health,” BCBSAZ Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jim Napoli said in a “We believe it’s our responsibility to play an active role in increasing the number of qualified healthcare providers to not only improve lives, but to inspire health across the state.”

Arizona ranks 49th in a analyzing rates of mental illness and access to care. In the past two years, frequent mental distress increased by ten percent from 11.2 percent to 12.3 percent of adults, according to an .

According to the (CDC), in the U.S. 9.4 percent of children have received an ADHD diagnosis, 7.1 percent of children have been diagnosed with anxiety and 3.2 percent of children have been diagnosed with depression.

At the same time, Arizona is facing a scarcity of mental health providers, ranking for access to mental health care.

According to U.S. News & Work Report, one of the reasons why mental health shortages may be occurring is because of the de-stigmatization of mental illnesses.

“Historically, the demand [for treatment] has not been as strong due to higher levels of stigma and lower rates of treatment being sought,” Dr. Jerry Halverson, chief medical officer for Rogers Behavioral Health in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin told “The supply has not caught up yet.”

Other reasons include the perception of inadequate pay and .

To help the supply “catch up,” BCBSAZ’s SLRP funds will help support five additional mental health providers over a two-year time period, and ensure that those providers remain practicing in any of Arizona’s nearly 180 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA).

The SLRP helps recruit and retain health care professionals by repaying providers’ qualifying educational loans in exchange for a two-year commitment to provide services in federally designated HPSAs or Arizona Medically Underserved Areas.

Even with $2 million invested in addressing the health care provider shortage in Arizona, more than 45 qualified professionals who apply for the SLRP do not receive funding.

“Since the state loan repayment program expanded in 2015 to include behavioral healthcare professionals, more communities around the state have improved access to critical behavioral health services,” Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ said. “We sincerely thank Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona for this funding that will help to strengthen Arizona’s behavioral health system and provide more support to our communities.”

As of right now, only of Arizona’s HPSA population have their mental health care needs met. BCBSAZ is the first company to make a private donation to the SLRP program.

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