TMC Health
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| Industry | Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Tucson, Arizona |
Key people | Jennifer K. Mendrzycki (President & CEO) |
Number of employees | 4,085 |
| Website | tmchealth |
TMC Health is Arizona’s fourth largest health system, which includes four hospitals and a network of clinics, physicians and support. TMC Health is Southern Arizona's only locally governed nonprofit health system, and is one of the busiest care providers and employers in the region with facilities throughout southeast Arizona, including Tucson, Benson and Willcox.[1]
History
TMCare debuted as the new parent company of Tucson Medical Center (TMC) on January 2, 1985.[2] This restructuring of the community hospital, founded in 1944, occurred following the federal effort started in 1983 to better manage rising medical costs. Medicare went from cost-based payments to an inpatient acute care hospital prospective payment system which was based on patients’ diagnoses.[3] As a result community hospitals across the country were creating subsidiaries "to support money-losing hospital care."[4]
1980s
As part of the TMC restructuring, TMCare would manage three subsidiaries: the medical center, the philanthropic TMC Foundation and the for-profit TMC Health Enterprises. Additionally, TMCare entered into a partnership with members of its medical staff to establish a preferred provider organization (PPO), TMCare Health Network, that would later become Health Partners health maintenance organization (HMO).[5]
In March 1986, TMC Health Enterprises broke ground on a 60-bed nursing home, La Posada, in Green Valley, 30 miles south of Tucson.[6]
In 1988, TMCare entered into discussions with SamCor Inc., which included Samaritan Health Service, operator of several hospitals clinics in Phoenix, including the-then Good Samaritan Medical Center, the states largest hospital. While leaders said a merger “wasn’t out of the question”, they did meet regularly to discuss common interests. Both healthcare “giants” considered forming a statewide hospital-based managed care system. The system never came to fruition, but this would not be the last time there were discussions of combining operations.[7]
1990s
In 1993-94, TMCare changed its name to HealthPartners of Southern Arizona, which now included TMC, Partners health plan, GHMA Medical Centers, Palo Verde Mental Health Services and TMCHE Labs.[8]
In July 1995, the Partners and Samaritan Health Plans out of Phoenix merged with the new name of the HMO changed to HealthPartners of Arizona. Then, in September, HealthPartners and Samaritan announced plans to merge, creating a $1.3 billion statewide network of hospitals, physicians and other health services with a goal "to remain independent of for-profit hospital chains.[9] More than a year later, TMC decided not to pursue the merger with board Chairman John Carter saying local control was a "prominent concern."[10]
In 1997, in an effort to remove confusion between the organization and HealthPartners of Arizona, the board renamed HealthPartners of Southern Arizona to TMC HealthCare.[11]
1998 brought the need to tighten focus from a large integrated system to a more narrow focus on Tucson Medical Center. This move led to the elimination of TMC Hospital Administrator Rodrigo Pascualy's position. TMC HealthCare Chief Executive Darrell Thorpe now would oversee hospital operations until a successor can be found per his pending end-of-year retirement.[12]
In June, UnitedHealthcare Services bought HealthPartners of Arizona, which at the time was serving an estimated 520,000 people in Arizona. TMC HealthCare, Samaritan Health Systems and the Southern Arizona Independent Physicians Trust sold the health plan for an estimated $235 million.[13]
In April, TMC HealthCare closed its multi-specialty physician group, GHMA Medical Centers.[14]
In September 1998, TMC HealthCare hired Frank D. Alvarez as president and CEO, replacing the retiring Darrell Thorpe.[15] The TMC HealthCare Board of Trustees wanted someone to help refocus on TMC as a community hospital and no longer part of an intergrated health system. As of the end of 1998, TMC HealthCare was comprised of Tucson Medical Center, Palo Verde Mental Health Services, TMCHE Laboratories and the TMC Foundation.[16]
In 1999, as part of its reorganization, TMC HealthCare announced the elimination of 100 positions. In a prepared statement, the company said it "plans to focus on the hospital's attention on 'core' clinical areas." The company announced that layoffs would be a minimum, instead most of the positions were unfilled job openings that would not be filled. Bedside positions were not affected[17]
2000s
In late 2003, TMC HealthCare announced plans to purchase El Dorado Hospital, a nearby 160-bed hospital that opened in 1978 by Hospital Corporation of America. TMC HealthCare also announced plans to demolish its sprawling single-story facility and build a new hospital by 2010.[18]
Responding to growth on Tucson's southeast side, TMC HealthCare announced January 2005 that it would develop a 90-bed hospital with an emergency room and obstetrics, surgery, diagnostics and other inpatient and outpatient services, employing 300-400 staff. The plan called for building out a 20-acre parcel of a recent 40-acre purchase with it opening around 2010.[19]
In May 2006, the organization announced plans to phase out El Dorado as an acute-care hospital, consolidating emergency services, surgical services and acute-care medical services at TMC. Instead, plans called for creating a health-care related campus.[20]
As part of its redevelopment efforts, TMC HealthCare announced in November 2006 that it would seek historic designation from the National Register of Historic Places for the preserved Arizona, Erickson and Patio buildings, some of the first buildings built in 1925 for the Desert Sanatorium, the precursor to Tucson Medical Center.[21]
In June 2007, Frank D. Alvarez retired and Judy Rich, who had been senior vice president of operations, assumed the role of interim president and CEO. In fall of 2007, TMC HealthCare had lost 11 administrators, including Alvarez, saw its hospital receive seven times the violations of other Tucson-area hospitals, lost millions in its purchase and running of El Dorado Hospital and had to lay off 100 employees and eliminate 50 unfilled positions from its 3,500-member workforce.[22]
By the end of 2008, TMC had nearly 3,200 full-time-equivalent employees and a payroll of more than $156 million, making it the 15th largest employee in Arizona. It was also implementing an electronic medical record with a 2010 go-live. The Board of Trustees also removed "interim" and named Judy Rich president and CEO of TMC HealthCare.[23]
2010s
2020s
The company rebranded in April 2022, registering the trade name TMC Health with the State of Arizona.[24]
TMC Health opened TMC Rincon hospital March 1, 2024, on the city's southeast side after two years of construction. It opened with 29 inpatient beds and 18 emergency department rooms. Plans to open additional floors will add an additional 26 beds.[25]
In response to an increasing number of cancer diagnoses, TMC Health partnered with Arizona Oncology Physicians to establish the TMC Health Cancer Center, aiming to enhance cancer care across Southern Arizona.[26]
Hospitals & Clinics
Subsidiaries of TMC Health include four hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, cancer care centers, two urgent care facilities, a charitable foundation and a graduate medical education program:[27]
Hospitals
- Tucson Medical Center
- TMC Rincon
- Benson Hospital
- Northern Cochise Community Hospital
Physician Groups
- TMCOne
- TMC Medical Network
Clinics
- TMC Health Cancer Care
- TMC Endocrinology
- TMC Hospice including Peppi's House, an inpatient hospice facility
- TMC Integrative Pain Management
- TMC Infusion Clinic
- TMC Outpatient Therapy
- TMC Pediatric Therapy and Audiology
- TMC Pulmonary Associates
- TMC Rheumatology
- TMC Sleep Diagnostics Laboratory
- TMC Urgent Care - Rincon
- TMC Urgent Care - Wyatt
- TMC Women's Imaging Center
- TMC Wound Care Center
- Benson Hospital Rehabilitation
- Benson Family Health Care Clinic
- Benson San Pedro Clinic
- Sulphur Springs Medical Center
- Sunsites Medical Cilnic
Other
- TMC Health Foundation
- TMC Health Medical Education Program
References
- ↑ "Arizona Hospital Select Indicators Report | Center For Rural Health". crh.arizona.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ↑ "Arizona Corporation Commission". Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Medicare & Medicaid Milestones, p. 4" (PDF). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ↑ Hubert, Cindy (January 12, 1985). "TMC 'unbundling' creates for-profit affiliate". The Arizona Daily Star. p. 9D. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ↑ "Tucson Medical Center, your community-owned hospital, presents its thirteenth annual Report to the Community". Tucson Citizen. January 21, 1985. p. 8A. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ↑ "Ground is broken for nursing home". The Arizona Daily Star. March 19, 1986. pp. 14A.
- ↑ Turner, Tom (June 21, 1988). "Health care giants discussing interests". The Arizona Daily Star. pp. 2B.
- ↑ Cohen, Lorrie (September 18, 1998). "Tucson Medical Center Chronology". Tucson Citizen. p. 1A.
- ↑ Snyder, Jodie (September 27, 1995). "Samaritan, HealthPartners unveil merger". The Arizona Republic. pp. 1D, 2D.
- ↑ Hammond, Sara (November 6, 1996). "TMC ownership decides not to pursue merger". The Arizona Daily Star. pp. 1B, 2B. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ "TMC HealthCare debuts". The Arizona Daily Star. September 23, 1997. p. 15A.
- ↑ "TMC HealthCare cuts out exec's job to 'tighten focus'". The Arizona Daily Star. February 24, 1998. p. 4B. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Pittman, David; Cohen, Lorrie (June 12, 1998). "HealthPartners sold; layoffs possible". Tucson Citizen. pp. 1A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Cohen, Lorrie (September 18, 1998). "Tucson Medical Center Chronology". Tucson Citizen. pp. 1A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Cohen, Lorrie (September 18, 1998). "New chief seeks to keep leaner TMC focused on patients". Tucson Citizen. p. 1A.
- ↑ Cohen, Lorrie; Boice, Jennifer (September 17, 1998). "TMC HealthCare names new chief". Tucson Citizen. pp. 1D, 2D. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ LaFleur, Michael (November 11, 1999). "TMC to cut 100 jobs; no big layoffs". Tucson Citizen. pp. 1C. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Erickson, Jane (December 16, 2003). "Hospital deal links TMC, El Dorado". Arizona Daily Star. pp. 1A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Denogean, Anne T. (January 21, 2005). "90-bed hospital planned for Southeast Side". Tucson Citizen. p. 3A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Kornman, Sheryl (May 27, 2006). "El Dorado Hospital to retool for more services to seniors". Tucson Citizen. pp. 7A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Kornman, Sheryl (November 29, 2006). "TMC to save 3 buildings; seeks to control fate of more". Tucson Citizen. pp. 4A.
- ↑ Rowley, Heidi (September 7, 2007). "Health of TMC far from robust: Violations soar; leaders leave; losses an issue". Tucson Citizen. pp. 1A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Innes, Stephanie (April 28, 2009). "TMC erases interim label, names Rich CEO". Arizona Daily Star. p. 10A. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ "eCorp Entity Search". Arizona_Corporation_Commission. April 12, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
- ↑ Christiansen, Andrew (February 28, 2024). "Tucson Medical Center opening new Rincon location on the Eastside". KGUN-9 news. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ Celaya, Eddie (April 1, 2025). "New partnership between TMC Health and Arizona Oncology brings providers, patients into system". KGUN-9 news. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
- ↑ "About Us". www.tmchealth.tmcaz.com. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
External links
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