Sometimes, when a person calls 911, they need more than a medical diagnosis. They need help navigating isolation, housing instability or access to necessities like food and transportation – support that can change the course of a life.

Recognizing that health care extends beyond emergency response, TMC Health invests in programs that step in during moments of crisis and help people find a path forward.

For Shawna, that moment of crisis came when everything felt like it was falling apart at once. She was facing eviction and struggling with emotional challenges that made it difficult to leave her home even for doctor appointments or grocery shopping. One day she called 911 for help.

 “When the fire department showed up, they said my oxygen level was super high because I was hyperventilating,” she said. “My arm was dead, I was tingling. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Upon arrival, paramedics realized that Shawna could also use help outside of doctors’ offices and hospitals. They referred her to TC-3, a collaboration between Tucson Fire Department and Tucson Medical Center that connects individuals in crisis with medical, behavioral health and social services.

“I didn’t know what that was, but I said yes,” Shawna recalled. “I figured any kind of help they offer, I’d accept.”

Through TC-3, Shawna was connected with nurse navigator Joyce Drozd and Maya Luria, Director of Community Outreach for TMC Health. Together they helped Shawna stabilize her housing situation by getting her bills paid and stopping the eviction. They also helped her get established with a behavioral health provider to address the anxiety that kept her from the outside world. As Shawna started taking her medication regularly, she slowly began to venture out of her home little by little.

“I gained confidence gradually,” Shawna said. “Maya and Joyce were very supportive. They were like ‘do you need groceries’ and they would get me groceries. Joyce would take out my trash and get my mail because I was very nervous to go out to those areas. Joyce made sure I took my medications.”

Now, Shawna is working two part time jobs and has a stable living situation.

“I went from a person who was severely underemployed and fearful to a person who has more confidence and is more self-reliant,” Shawna said. “They help people help themselves.”

Shawna’s story reflects a larger shift in how TMC Health is responding to community needs – one that doesn’t stop at city limits.

Commitment to whole-person care guides the work of the Southern Arizona Health Alliance (SAHA), a collaboration of nonprofit community hospitals and medical centers spearheaded by TMC Health to improve health and well-being across the region. A core focus of SAHA is ensuring patients – especially those in rural areas – can access care and support close to home.

One way SAHA does this is through its Rural Health Navigator program which consists of a rural case manager stationed at Tucson Medical Center and rural health navigators in Cochise County. Like TC-3, the program helps patients navigate complex systems, connect with local providers and access social resources that support independence and long-term health.

Barry Spencer, TMC Health rural case manager, identifies TMC patients from Cochise County and works to place them at Benson Hospital or Northern Cochise Community Hospital whenever possible – allowing patients to recover closer to home.

“Getting patients back to their community where their social supports are greatly enhances the recovery process,” he said. In many cases, he also uncovers unmet needs related to food insecurity, housing or utility assistance.

In one instance, Spencer helped a patient who could not safely enter his home due to steep porch steps and could not afford a ramp.

Spencer connected the family with Saws Southwest, a volunteer-based organization affiliated with Sierra Vista Methodist Church, which built a ramp – allowing the patient to remain safely in his home and community.

Rural health navigators work closely with Benson Hospital, Northern Cochise Community Hospital and Copper Queen Community Hospital by conducting post-discharge outreach calls to patients after emergency room visits or hospital stays. During these calls, they check on the patient’s wellbeing, explain discharge instructions, assess health status and help patients establish primary care if needed.

“While appointment scheduling is often needed, many patients’ most urgent concerns involve unmet basic needs,” said Claudia Gluck, rural health navigator, Benson Hospital. “RHNs play a key role in identifying those needs and connecting patients to local resources.”

In one case, a patient worried about being discharged because her primary caregiver had also been hospitalized, leaving her without food or transportation, which contributed to her emergency room visit. The rural health navigator worked with a nurse practitioner to ensure the patient was discharged with food tailored to her dietary restrictions, providing immediate stability during a vulnerable moment.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of the RHN program is knowing it makes a meaningful difference in patients’ lives,” Gluck said. “Patients often tell us, ‘Thank you for calling me – I feel like you truly care about my health.’”

TC-3 client, Shawna echoed that sentiment.

“They help people gain confidence,” she said. “These services really work.”