Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ announced on Wednesday that she will be passing through the revolving door on Aug. 27, to join Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona as chief medical officer.
Christ will be the longest-serving director in the history of Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).
Gov. Doug Ducey announced the leave on Twitter Wednesday morning, thanking Christ for her service. “She’s implemented effective statewide testing and internationally-recognized mass vaccination sites, established the national model Arizona SurgeLine, worked hard to increase vaccinations for communities in need, and so much more,” tweeted Ducey.
Opensecrets.coma defines the revolving door as a mechanism “that shuffles former government employees into jobs as lobbyists, consultants and strategists for private sector interests just as the door pulls former hired guns into government careers.”
UPDATE: @AZDHS Director Dr. Cara Christ, who has been instrumental in the state’s COVID-19 response, will leave her position on August 27 for another leadership role at @BCBSAZ. 1/ pic.twitter.com/m1BBIX8N28
— Doug Ducey (@dougducey) July 28, 2021
Christ has led ADHS as director since May 2015 after serving as chief medical officer, licensing director and deputy director of public health for the department since 2008. She will be the longest-serving director in the history of the department as of August 13, before her departure from the position.
Dr. Christ, an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist, earned a Bachelor and Master of Science in Microbiology from Arizona State University. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arizona, College of Medicine in Tucson.