El Rio Health has announced that its new Stone Health Center will begin seeing patients on Monday, June 1. This state-of-the-art, 95,000-square-foot integrated community health center is projected to serve up to 22,000 patients annually once fully staffed.
Located at 4888 N. Stone—the former Tucson Heart Hospital, which had remained vacant for 14 years—the facility has been completely revitalized through a collaborative effort with Meridian, BWS Architects, Barker Contracting, and numerous local subcontractors. Initially, the center will be staffed by the team from El Rio’s Northwest Health Center on Prince Road, which currently serves more than 18,000 patients with a workforce of 109 employees. Over the coming year, El Rio plans to expand services further by hiring additional providers and staff to accommodate an estimated 4,000 new patients.
The El Rio Foundation’s “Blessing Project” aimed to raise $10 million but has surpassed expectations, securing $17.2 million from over 400 donors, foundations, and corporations—making it one of the largest community health center campaigns in the U.S. Contributions include more than $1 million from El Rio employees.
El Rio Health’s total economic investment in the project exceeds $45 million. Additional funding was secured through bond financing from J.P. Morgan, as well as a $1.45 million equipment grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Stone Health Center will provide comprehensive primary medical and dental care for children, adults, and families. It will also house El Rio’s largest behavioral health department, including a second pediatric and youth behavioral health team and new psychiatry residents. Expanded services will include onsite mammography, laboratory and X-ray services, a same-day clinic, physical therapy, health insurance navigation, community resource referrals, WIC services, and an on-site pharmacy. This location will also feature El Rio’s first drive-thru pharmacy, along with a dedicated mail-order pharmacy designed to serve its broader patient population of more than 130,000 individuals.
“We are excited to open our new El Rio Health Stone Health Center. For more than 55 years, El Rio Health has been a trusted provider of compassionate, accessible care, and our commitment to serving our patients and strengthening our community remains at the heart of everything we do.” said Clinton Kuntz, DBH, president and CEO of El Rio Health.
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