About Arizona Healthcare Help
We are a bilingual, community-rooted nonprofit dedicated to one foundational belief: access to healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. Since 2017, our team of licensed social workers and trained patient navigators has helped thousands of Southern Arizonans overcome the financial, administrative, and linguistic barriers that prevent them from receiving the medical care, medications, and insurance coverage they deserve.
Maria Elena Figueroa
MSW, LCSW
Former Banner Health Patient Advocate (2011–2016). Community Health Worker Instructor, Pima Community College (2016–2019).
Our Founding Story
Maria Elena Figueroa spent five years as a patient advocate at Banner Health, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of healthcare access gaps in Southern Arizona. Every day, she saw patients discharged from the emergency room with chronic conditions that could have been managed through primary care, patients choosing between food and insulin, and families destroyed by medical debt that could have been forgiven through charity care programs no one told them about.
In 2017, Maria Elena left Banner Health to found Arizona Healthcare Help with a single objective: build a bilingual, community-embedded organization that could serve as the bridge between uninsured Southern Arizonans and the healthcare resources already available to them. The problem, she realized, was rarely that resources did not exist. The problem was that patients did not know about them, could not navigate the application processes alone, or were too afraid to ask for help because of language barriers or immigration concerns.
What began as a one-woman operation out of a shared office at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona has grown into a team of nine full-time staff members serving over 780 patients annually. Arizona Healthcare Help now occupies a permanent office suite on South Palo Verde Road, maintains formal referral partnerships with every major health system in Pima County, and holds AHCCCS Authorized Enrollment Entity status from the Arizona Department of Economic Security.
Despite this growth, the organization's core philosophy has never changed: every service is free, every patient is treated with dignity, every conversation is confidential, and no one is turned away for any reason. The office remains a safe space for all community members regardless of insurance status, immigration status, or ability to pay. Maria Elena personally reviews every charity care application before submission and still accompanies patients to appointments when requested.
Patient Navigation Staff
Ana Gabriela Moreno
Senior Patient Navigator, CHW
Certified Community Health Worker specializing in AHCCCS enrollment and KidsCare applications. Bilingual. Previously served as intake coordinator at El Rio Health Congress Campus for three years. Holds a Bachelor of Public Health from Northern Arizona University.
David Hernandez
Prescription Assistance Coordinator
Manages all manufacturer PAP applications, 340B pharmacy referrals, and state discount card enrollments. Maintains active enrollment partnerships with over 200 pharmaceutical manufacturers. Previously a pharmacy technician at Walgreens for six years. Bilingual.
Sarah Whitefeather
Medical Debt Counselor
Specializes in hospital charity care applications, medical bill auditing, and billing negotiation. Trained in Fair Debt Collection Practices Act enforcement. Prior experience as a medical billing specialist at Carondelet Health Network. Holds a certificate in Healthcare Financial Counseling.
Roberto Vasquez
Community Outreach Coordinator
Manages community health fair scheduling, faith-community partnerships, and mobile enrollment events at schools, churches, and food bank distribution sites across Pima County. Native Spanish speaker. Lifelong South Tucson resident and volunteer firefighter.
Michelle Torres, BSW
Intake Specialist & Navigator
Conducts initial patient intake interviews, insurance status assessments, and benefits eligibility screenings. Bachelor of Social Work from Arizona State University. Trained in trauma-informed care and motivational interviewing. Bilingual.
Patricia Kowalski
Transportation & Access Coordinator
Coordinates non-emergency medical transportation, manages volunteer driver network, and administers bus pass and gas card assistance programs. Previously transportation dispatcher at Pima Council on Aging. Ensures no patient misses an appointment due to transportation barriers.
Our Healthcare Partnerships
Arizona Healthcare Help maintains formal referral and collaboration agreements with the following healthcare organizations, ensuring seamless patient transitions and coordinated care delivery across Southern Arizona.
Community Health Centers
- El Rio Health (6 locations across Tucson)
- Marana Health Center
- United Community Health Center
- Community Health Center of Southern Arizona
- Santa Cruz Valley Community Health Center
Hospital Systems
- Banner University Medical Center (South & Tucson)
- Tucson Medical Center (TMC)
- Carondelet St. Mary's & St. Joseph's
- Northwest Medical Center
- Oro Valley Hospital
Our Mission
“To eliminate financial, administrative, and linguistic barriers to healthcare access for uninsured and underinsured residents of Southern Arizona through free, confidential, bilingual patient navigation, benefits enrollment, prescription assistance, and medical debt counseling.”
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