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What We Do
Valleywise Health Foundation, founded in 1995, provides philanthropic support to Valleywise Health programs, education, research, and capital improvement projects that advance patient welfare, improve quality of care, and increase community access to health care. The mission of Valleywise Health is at the heart of all we do - provide exceptional care, without exception, every patient, every time. Every person who walks through our doors, regardless of the neighborhood they call home, receives the same compassionate treatment and expert care.
Formed in 1877, Valleywise Health is a public teaching healthcare system with one of Arizona's largest and longest-running physician training programs. Teaching is in our soul. More than 400 full-time physician residents train here each year, receiving an exceptional clinical training experience with opportunities not readily available elsewhere, such as burn, trauma and behavioral health. Valleywise Health also hosts approximately 875 medical students, more than 260 rotating medical residents, and nearly 2,000 nursing and allied health students, building the workforce pipeline for all of the Valley’s health systems.
T.W. Lewis Foundation Support
In 2023, T.W. Lewis Foundation provided a three year grant agreement to support the growing number of people in our community who need mental health counseling. Over the next three years, Valleywise Health will hire two new integrated behavior specialists each year at clinics across the Valley with the most need.
Sadly, Arizona has some of the highest rates of mental illness, substance abuse, suicide and opioid overdoses in the country. Additionally, Arizona has some of the lowest rates of investment in public education and highest rates of incarceration in the country. The 2022 State of Mental Health in America - Ranking the States, published by Mental Health America, ranked Arizona 32nd in the nation for the state's high prevalence of mental illness and 46th for limited access to mental healthcare. Mental Health American also noted that Arizona's youth were more mentally ill and underserved than adults: the state ranked 35th for mental healthcare for adults, while being ranked 49th for mental healthcare for young people. States with fewer than 17 child psychiatrists per 100,000 children are considered to have a severe shortage. Data from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry shows that Arizona has 11 child psychiatrists per 100,000 children. Nationwide the statistics are no less disturbing.
Nationwide, there are approximately 10,500 practicing child and adolescent psychiatrists in the United States with the average age of those physicians at 52 years old.
Half of all mental health disorders show first signs before a person turns 14 years old, and 75% of mental health disorders begin before age 24.
In 2020, 1 in 6 young people experienced a major depressive episode and suicide was the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-24.
Only half of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need.
