101 Arizonans honored for raising immunization rates, saving lives

101 Arizonans honored for raising immunization rates, saving lives

Despite Covid, Arizona’s immunization advocacy group recognizes highest number of honorees

PHOENIX, AZ – Celebrating 29 years of advocating for the health of all Arizonans, The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) honored 101 individuals, organizations, and initiatives during the 2021 Arizona Big Shots awards held virtually due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Over 100 people joined the online event. (Viewable on the TAPI website.)

The event’s theme was “Pestilent Poetry, Prizes, and Pizza:”

• Karen Lewis, MD, Medical Director with the Arizona Department of Health Services’ Immunization Program Office provided an often-forgotten look at life before vaccines and the dramatic decrease in pestilence after life-saving vaccines were introduced. From her book of healthcare poetry, Dr. Lewis read her poem, “Tetanus.”
• Presenting the award prizes were Andrea Houfek, MD, board chair of TAPI; Debbie McCune Davis, executive director of TAPI; and Jim McPherson, a board member of TAPI since the organization’s inception in 1992.
• And event sponsor, Papa John’s Pizza, is donating a percentage of sales to TAPI through the end of the year with the promotion code “TAPI20.”

Recipients of 2021 Arizona Big Shots Awards (by category)

Hot Shots: Individuals or organizations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty to give tremendous amounts of time and effort to increase immunization coverage levels.

Individuals

• Amy Rowland, Banner Health
• Barbara Cinta, Arizona Family Clinics/St. Luke’s Pediatrics
• Maria Sifontes, TMCOne
• Jennefer Sifuentes, Valleywise Community Health Center (Guadalupe)
• Melanie Rodgers, El Rio Pascua

Organizations

• Banner University Medical Group (Family Medical Center)
• Cigna Medical Group (C.J. Harris)
• Joshua Tree Pediatrics
• North Country HealthCare (Winslow)
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Maryvale)

Hot Shots (COVID-19): Individuals or organizations that have gone above and beyond the call of duty during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Individuals

• Christi Lundeen, Mercy Care
• Isela Rivas-Reyes and Sergio Armando Reyes, Phoenix Union HSD
• Jacqueline Hoeffler, Dysart USD
• Sheldon Lessard, Maricopa County
• Tina Murray, Wickenburg USD

Organizations

• Arizona Food Bank Network
• Banner Health
• Northern Arizona University Campus Health Services
• Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
• Dysart USD POD and partners (Fry’s Pharmacy, Maricopa County Department of Public Health, City of Surprise Paramedic & Police Departments, Be Kind People Project)
• Maricopa County School POD hosts & partners (Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Arizona Pharmacy Association, Arizona Charter School Association, Arizona School Administrators, Phoenix Union HSD, Agua Fria Union HSD, Buckeye Union HSD, Chandler USD, Deer Valley USD, Dysart USD, Gila Bend USD, Gilbert Public Schools, Glendale Union HSD, Higley USD, Mesa Public Schools, Peoria USD, Queen Creek USD, Saddle Mountain USD, Tempe Union HSD, Tolleson Union HSD, Wickenburg USD, Albertson’s/Safeway, Fry’s/Kroger)

University Flu Shot Challenge

In 2019, TAPI and ADHS launched the first annual University Flu Shot Challenge with Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona to increase flu vaccination rates of college students visiting their health care clinics. In 2020, Midwestern University was added. Collectively the five schools vaccinated 8,238 students against the flu.

Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Award (by category)

Receiving the Daniel T. Cloud Outstanding Practice Award were healthcare providers that achieved a minimum 90% coverage level of their two-year-old patients (4 DTaP, 3 Polio, 1 MMR, 3 Hib, 3 Hep B, and 1 Varicella) and teen patients (1 Tdap and 1 MCV4). A pediatric surgeon by profession, Dr. Cloud served as Chief of Surgery at Arizona Crippled Children’s Hospital and Chief of Staff at Good Samaritan Hospital. In 1981, he was elected to a one-year term as president of the American Medical Association. He served as TAPI’s board chair since its inception in 1993 until his death in 2010.

Toddler Cloud Honorees (First Time/Creative)

• Banner Health Center (Queen Creek)
• Banner University Medical Group (Cholla Pediatrics)
• MVP Kids Care (Avondale)

Toddler Cloud Honorees (First Time/Catch-up)

• North Hills Pediatrics
• Valleywise Community Health Center (South Central)

Toddler Cloud Honorees (Repeat/Creative)

• Adelante Healthcare (Central Phoenix)
• Banner Children’s Banner Health Clinic
• Banner University Medical Group (Wilmot General Pediatric Clinic)
• Cigna Medical Group (Chandler, C.J. Harris, and South Mountain)
• EL Rio Community Health (Pascua Clinic and Southwest Pediatric)
• La Paz County Health Department
• Mesquite Pediatrics
• Mountain Park Health Center (Baseline, Gateway, Goodyear, Maryvale, and Tempe)
• MVP Kids Care (Maryvale)
• North Hills Pediatrics
• Paloma Pediatrics
• PCH San Tan Village
• Pediatric MultiCare West
• Phoenix Indian Medical Center Pediatric Clinic
• Pinal County Public Health (Apache Junction, Casa Grande, and San Tan Valley)
• Power Peds
• Sunset North Yuma
• Tuscany Children Clinic
• United Community Health Center (La Canada Pediatrics and Old Vail Middle School)
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Maryvale)
• Yavapai Pediatrics

Toddler Cloud Honorees (Repeat/Catch-up)

• Children’s Oasis Pediatrics
• Cigna Medical Group (Westridge)
• Desert Shores Pediatrics (Chandler and Gilbert)
• El Rio Health Center (El Pueblo and South East)
• Havasu Rainbow Pediatrics
• Joshua Tree Pediatrics
• Southwest Pediatrics
• Sun Life Center for Children
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Avondale)

Teenager Cloud Honorees (First Time)

• Arizona Family Clinics
• Luke’s Pediatrics
• LeChee Health Facility
• MVP Kids Care (Laveen)
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Avondale and South Central)

Teenager Cloud Honorees (Repeat)

• Adelante Healthcare (Central Phoenix)
• Banner University (Wilmot General Pediatric Clinic)
• Cigna Medical Group (Chandler, C.J. Harris, Paradise Valley, and South Mountain)
• El Rio Community Health (Congress Pediatrics, Pascua Clinic, and Southwest Pediatric)
• Hopi Health Care Center
• Mesquite Pediatrics
• Nahata’ Dziil Health Center
• North Country HealthCare (Winslow)
• Paloma Pediatrics
• Sun Life Family Health Center (San Manuel)
• Sunset North Yuma
• Tuscany Children Clinic
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Guadalupe and Maryvale)

Cloud Honorable Mentions

• Cigna (Paradise Valley and Multi-Specialty)
• North Country HealthCare (Winslow)
• Sun Life Family Health Center (Oracle and San Manuel)
• Valleywise Community Health Center (Guadalupe)

About TAPI

The Arizona Partnership for Immunization (TAPI) is a non-profit statewide coalition of over 400 members. TAPI was formed in response to the alarming fact that in 1993, only 43% of Arizona’s two-year-olds were fully immunized against preventable childhood diseases like measles, mumps, polio, and whooping cough. Through the efforts of TAPI’s partners in the public and private sectors, immunization coverage rates in Arizona have improved dramatically, with 63.4% of children fully immunized by age two. Unfortunately, the problem never ends. Each year in Arizona over 80,000 babies are born, and none arrive immunized. For more information, visit www.whyimmunize.org