Tara Cosentino

As Health Advancement Specialist, Ms. Cosentino creates and manages programs and partnerships that make Arizona a healthier state. Ms. Cosentino is the program lead for grants addressing substance use disorder, mental health, chronic health conditions, and the social drivers of health. She is instrumental in the application, selection, and support process, managing interactions with multiple grantees throughout their grant cycles.

Ms. Cosentino has served as project lead on multiple campaigns that address behavioral health including opioid overdose prevention, stigma reduction, and mental health education. As a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor, she teaches people how to recognize when someone may be experiencing an emerging mental health crisis and how to respond and connect them to care.

Tara Cosentino joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) in 2013 and has served as health advancement specialist since November 2018. Previous roles within the organization include working with employer groups to implement health and wellness programs and working with providers to implement value-based care to improve healthcare quality. Prior to joining BCBSAZ, Ms. Cosentino was an employee wellness coordinator for both Banner Health, Phoenix, and HonorHealth, located in Scottsdale.

Ms. Cosentino graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and wellness. She is passionate about improving both mental and physical health and loves working collaboratively to create programs and campaigns to impact health in Arizona.