Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) has announced the winners of its 2025 Nurses Who Inspire contest, recognizing three nurses for their dedication and impact on patient care in Arizona. The annual contest, now in its second year, received hundreds of nominations highlighting the contributions of nurses across the state.
Dr. Cara Christ, Chief Medical Officer at AZ Blue, said, “We’re honored to celebrate Arizona’s nurses once again. Now in its second year, we received hundreds of nominations this year and are deeply inspired by the heartfelt stories shared. Our nurses are the heart of patient care, and we can’t thank each one of them enough for their unwavering passion and commitment to serving others.”
Each honoree will receive a $3,000 cash award and tickets to an Arizona Diamondbacks game. They will also be recognized on the field during the game and have an opportunity to participate in the first pitch ceremony.
The 2025 recipients are Gillian Aitken, Jean Gribbon, and Tajma Palma. Gillian Aitken is a nurse practitioner specializing in complex genetic, endocrine, and HIV care. Upon receiving her award, she stated: “My love for nursing comes from decades of being on the patient and family side of healthcare. For many years, I spent significant time in hospitals, and the nurses who cared for me were a constant source of compassion, advocacy, and comfort.”
Jean Gribbon serves as Founder and Chief Mission Officer at Beads of Courage, a global non-profit that delivers arts-in-medicine programs to children facing cancer and other serious illnesses. She commented: “Nurses transform the healing of people throughout the world! It is the most important discipline in the world!”
Tajma Palma is a dual-certified Family and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. On receiving her recognition she said: “I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to serve, to uplift, and to be part of a profession that truly changes lives.”
More information about this year’s contest winners can be found at https://www.azblue.com/inspire-health/blog/az-blue-nurses-who-inspire-contest-winners-2025.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona provides health insurance services to over two million customers across Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson through its non-profit operations.
