GREEN VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Arizona faces a significant shortage of primary care physicians, the Green Valley Health Fair is taking steps to support the future of healthcare in the state. The event, held at Green Valley’s West Center, not only provided critical health services to attendees but also raised funds for a scholarship aimed at students pursuing careers in the medical field.
Bringing together around 80 healthcare providers, the event offered free health screenings, including glucose and blood pressure testing, while showcasing a wide range of services such as dermatology, hospice care, and home healthcare.
“This year has been the biggest turnout we’ve had in the last five years, and it’s a really great resource for everybody in the community,” said Judy Ortiz, Area Director of Bristol Hospice. “There are so many resources for the Green Valley senior that they may not know of.”
In addition to providing direct healthcare services, the fair featured a scholarship program for the second year in a row, aimed at supporting students pursuing education in the healthcare industry. Laura Peters-LeFever, a board member of the Greater Green Valley Health Fair, highlighted the importance of this initiative.
“We’re looking for people who are going for education in the healthcare industry. We had two recipients last year from Nogales, one from Sahuarita, and one from Rio Rico,” said Peters-LeFever. “We are lacking. We have a large, aging community in the Green Valley area. We’ve had about five primary care physicians that have retired in the last year.”
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Arizona ranks 42nd out of 50 states in primary care access and will need over 1,900 additional primary care physicians by 2030 to meet growing demand. The Green Valley Health Fair, now in its 32nd year, seeks to address these concerns through encouraging area students to enter the field.
The shortage of healthcare professionals is already being felt by local providers. Carrie Ellingson, owner of Southern Arizona Home Care, noted the challenges in finding caregivers and nursing staff, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Anyone who’s working in the healthcare industry now post-COVID has certainly seen a decrease in the available resource of caregivers and nursing staff,” said Ellingson. “Giving money to that scholarship to encourage folks to get their certified nursing aide license and go into nursing school to help provide care for this large group of people that need it is really important.”
You can learn more about the Green Valley Health Fair’s scholarship and donate on the organization’s website.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
