Superintendents of the Paradise Valley Unified School District and Scottsdale Unified School District recently thanked HonorHealth for offering vaccines to district employees.

As part of the Maricopa County Phase 1B vaccination roll-out, the districts partnered with HonorHealth to provide school employees with the opportunity to receive their first and second COVID-19 vaccinations at events held in January and February.

PVSchools Superintendent Dr. James P. Lee and SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott A. Menzel expressed appreciation for their organizations’ collaboration with HonorHealth, according to a press release.

An effort that began being forged last fall, the release said vaccinated employees, combined with other public health and safety mitigation strategies, are a critical component, in the districts’ efforts to offer safe, in-person learning to students.

“Our school community is the proud beneficiary of the tremendous partnership we have with HonorHealth. The vaccination of school staff has allowed us to open our doors to students with another layer of safety. Our partnership with HonorHealth serves as a model for school districts and health providers across the country,” said Dr. Lee in a prepared statement.

More than 2,000 employees of each district received first and second doses of the vaccine at the combined-PVSchools/SUSD HonorHealth events that took place Jan. 22-24 and Feb. 12-14.

Many employees have received the vaccine through other means, the release noted.

The superintendents of the neighboring districts in the north Valley praised the work by the numerous HonorHealth employees and volunteers, which resulted in a “well-organized and smooth, drive-thru vaccination process in the parking lot of a north Phoenix HonorHealth facility,” stated the release.

Many employees and volunteers are said to have gone above and beyond with their “compassionate, warm demeanor and comforting conversation, helping put school employees at ease as they were being vaccinated,” as school nurses from both school districts volunteered to administer the vaccinations at the clinics.

“Last fall, as we looked beyond the public health recommendations for additional ways of being able to keep our doors open to in-person learning and then, with multiple vaccines becoming a reality, HonorHealth was our go-to community health partner,” said Dr. Menzel in a prepared statement.

“Our early, deep collaboration with HonorHealth made it all possible, and our students, teachers and staff are the grateful recipients.”