Why We Built Roya Health

By Dr. Shar Najafi-Piper, Co-Founder & CEO

There's a question I've been asked more times than I can count: Why behavioral health? Why now? Why Arizona?

The answer is that I didn't choose this work so much as it chose me.

For years, I watched families in our communities navigate a system that seemed designed to exhaust them before it ever helped them. Parents calling provider after provider, only to hit waitlists. Kids going months (often longer) without care they needed yesterday. Underserved communities facing a gap that wasn't just about access to appointments. It was about finding care that actually understood them, that met them where they were, that treated the whole family, not just a diagnosis.

I saw that gap up close. And I couldn't unsee it.

What I knew, from years of working in healthcare and behavioral health, is that integrated care works. When physical health, mental health, and family support systems are coordinated around a patient rather than siloed from each other, outcomes improve. People stabilize. Families heal. Children grow up with the tools they need to thrive.

That's the model we built Roya Health around.

We chose Arizona intentionally. This state has some of the most pressing behavioral health needs in the country, and some of the most underserved populations: children in foster care, families navigating poverty and trauma, communities where stigma around mental health still keeps people from seeking help. There's urgent, meaningful work to do here.

The name Roya means dream or vision in Farsi. The clarity of seeing what could be, even when the path isn't fully lit. That word has stayed with me through every decision we've made in building this company. It asks us to stay focused on the future we're trying to create, even when the work is hard.

What we're building isn't just a behavioral health practice. It's an infrastructure that will allow families to find the right care, trust the people delivering it, and stay connected to support over time. We're not interested in short-term fixes. We're here for the long arc.

I'm proud of the team we've assembled, the communities we're serving, and the model we're proving out. And I'm more convinced than ever that this work matters.

We built Roya Health because the need is real, the model works, and someone had to start creating the dream.

I'm glad it was us.