Dear Friends of El Rio:

The mission of providing accessible and affordable healthcare to all who need it is the goal that binds us together at El Rio – Board of Directors, staff, friends and community.  It brings us all together – not because it is easy, but, in fact, because it is so hard to accomplish in an era when there are so many among us who face every new day without medical insurance or the money to access health care.  By choosing to make a difference in one of the most trying issues of our time, we measure ourselves against a goal that demands our utmost energy and skill.

Today, El Rio serves the mission better than at any time before - a bold statement considering our history of 37 years of service to Tucson, yet the facts sustain it.  We are serving more people who need care than ever before.  Today, over 70,000 people depend on us as their regular source of medical care.

The quality of care we offer, as measured objectively, is better than ever.  Year after year, we equal or exceed industry standards for key quality measures for preventive and chronic care.  In addition, we are connecting thousands of low-income patients with the comprehensive healthcare benefits they deserve using our innovative, web-based eligibility screening system, Health-e-AZ.  All the while, the Health Center remains strong financially to further its mission in the years ahead by focusing on those most compromised by our community’s advanced, yet fragmented system of care.

In the spirit of providing “more than just medicine,” El Rio has served as a catalyst for improving access to care for many special population groups, including: women at risk, children, the homeless, individuals with HIV/AIDS and, of course, the uninsured.  Special program initiatives directed to each of these patient groups have led to better quality and access to care as part of our overall efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our community. 

We will continue to make a difference by working to ensure first rate health care is available to all who need it.  We invite you to meet our staff, review our programs, and learn more about El Rio Health Center through this website.  Finally, we hope to encourage your participation in El Rio as a potential donor, friend, board member or employee.  Join the team that advances the dream of accessible and affordable health care for all.

Meet El Rio’s Executive Director

Kathy Byrne joined El Rio Community Health Center as Executive Director in 2004.  Born and raised in Chile, she is a graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and has over twenty-five years of experience in health care management.  Her Arizona career started in Tucson and includes ten years with Carondelet Health Services (1976-1987), where she was responsible for strategic planning and new program development.   She participated in the merger implementation that brought Carondelet, St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Hospitals under one corporate umbrella.  During these years, she also provided consulting support to a variety of Carondelet affiliates, including: Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales, Northern Cochise Community Hospital, and Our Lady of Lourdes in Pasco, Washington.

In 1987, Kathy joined Mercy Care Plan on a full time basis as its President and CEO.  She served in this capacity through 2001.  Mercy Care Plan is a statewide-managed care health plan serving the Arizona Medicaid population.  During her tenure, the plan grew to serve over 140,000 members.  Kathy was also one of the founding members of the Baby Arizona Program.

Kathy has most recently served as an Assistant Director with the state AHCCCS program. Her focus has been on the services and support processes required to meet the needs of the fee-for-service population and the providers that care for them.  She has also served as a private consultant to a number of Arizona Federally Qualified Health Centers, including El Rio.