Community Benefit
TMC supports Southern Arizona’s health for over 80 years through community programs and collaboration
Report to Our Community
Some of our best work takes place outside the walls of the hospital. As a nonprofit community hospital, our priority is to provide the very best care to our patients regardless of their ability to pay. We do this as part of our mission to serve the most vulnerable in the community.
We also take great pride in the work we do outside the walls of the hospital, from countless screenings, health fairs, educational sessions, bike-helmet fittings and more.
We hold ourselves accountable to you, our community, by issuing an annual report of our community-benefit activities.
Read past issues of our Report to Our Community.
340B Drug Pricing Program
What is the 340B program?
Tucson Medical Center qualifies for the federal 340B program through its delivery of care to a disproportionately larger number of uninsured/underinsured patients. Registration in the 340B program allows TMC to purchase certain outpatient drugs at a discount.
Why is it important?
As participants in the 340B program, TMC Health’s hospitals reinvest these savings into the community. Tucson Medical Center, Benson Hospital and Northern Cochise Community Hospital can provide free or reduced-cost care for uninsured patients, expand patient care services, fund outreach programs, educate and train medical staff and support vulnerable community members to improve their health and well-being.
What has TMC Health done with the prescription drug savings?
Charity care
340B program savings enable TMC Health facilities to provide charity care for patients who are uninsured or underinsured. Over the past five years, the total amount of uncompensated care has increased by 61%.
Essential services
These savings also support programs that are vital to community health, including the recent TMC Emergency Department expansion, new equipment purchases and the acquisition and development of TMC Health Cancer Center.
Outreach programs
340B savings help fund Tucson Collaborative Community Care (TC-3), a collaboration between TMC and Tucson Fire Department that connects vulnerable individuals with vital resources to reduce their reliance on the 911 system.
Rural investments
- 340B supports Food is Medicine, a Benson Hospital produce prescription program to help patients manage chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
- Supports education opportunities for students ages 11-15 in Cochise County. Every summer, Benson Hospital hosts Superhero Academy, a hands-on summer program to teach youth about health care careers with the goal of planting seeds to grow its future workforce.
Community Health Needs Assessment
In 2024, Tucson Medical Center joined forces with Tucson’s neighboring hospitals and health centers, as well as the Pima County Health Department and other community stakeholders on the 2024 Pima County Community Health Needs Assessment.
The Affordable Care Act’s requires tax-exempt, nonprofit hospitals to complete a community health needs assessment every three years and to implement strategies to address the needs identified in the report.
The resulting 221-page assessment draws from publicly available data sources such as American Community Survey combined with data from the Pima County Health Department, the Arizona Department of Health Services and stakeholder data. Additionally, community input included key informant interviews and focus groups with community members.
Based on the completed assessment, the TMC Health Board of Trustees is currently considering the organization's implementation strategy. If you have specific input on this report that you would recommend TMC consider, please email communications@tmcaz.com
