St. Elizabeth's Health Center
With the well wishes of Catholic Community Services, St. Elizabeth’s Health Center became an independent non-profit organization on October 1, 2014. It is no longer an agency of Catholic Community Services. This new structure is in the best interest of both organizations and the people we serve.
Since 2010, St. Elizabeth’s has experienced significant financial challenges with the sudden loss of State funding from the Arizona Tobacco Tax. During this time, despite numerous efforts to reduce costs and increase revenue at the health center, losses at St. Elizabeth’s exceeded $1.5 million. Continuing to operate with this type of deficit is unsustainable for St. Elizabeth’s and for Catholic Community Services.
Under a new structure, as an independent organization, St. Elizabeth’s will be positioned to apply for federal funding through a collaborative partnership with El Rio Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center. This was not possible as an agency of CCS.
St. Elizabeth’s will retain its name and continue its mission to serve the uninsured and underserved as a Catholic healthcare provider. It will be governed by its own community board of directors. Catholic Community Services, along with El Rio, will be a collaborative partner with St. Elizabeth’s.
The leadership of Catholic Community Services and St. Elizabeth’s Health Center views this change as a very positive step that will strengthen the work of each organization. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to serve our community.