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Tucson Collaborative Community Care (TC-3)

Mission

To reduce and prevent 911 calls by identifying the root cause of EMS system reliance through the client’s perspective and then addressing those needs by activating and collaborating with community resources.

Vision

The collaboration between the Tucson Fire Department and Tucson Medical Center to form a community to care for the whole person.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY TUCSON FIRE FIELD CREWS MAY REFER CLIENTS TO TC3

TC3 on the filed

Goals

Reduce and prevent overload of the emergency system.
Maintain 911 and emergency department reliability to keep medical units
in service and hospital beds open for time sensitive patients.
Increase awareness of and access to community resources.
Improve patient and provider quality of life.

History

Tucson Collaborative Community Care (TC-3) began with two fire personnel visiting the homes of individuals who frequently called 911. They soon discovered that when they took the time to listen and understand problems from the client’s perspective and then utilize existing resources within the Tucson community to address those problems that their client’s 911 utilizations dropped drastically. In 2018 Tucson Medical Center became a partner in the collaboration by providing personnel and resources. Since then, the program continues to evolve to meet the needs of the community.

Process

TC-3 staff will process referrals from field crews and complete preliminary phone calls when possible. Navigators will visit the client to listen and discuss their needs. By understanding the client’s needs from their point of view, TC-3 will collaborate with various community organizations to address those needs.

The Team

TC3 team

Navigators

William Simmons, Tucson Fire Department Firefighter

Jennifer Barkman, TMC RN

Jennifer Culbert, Medic Navigator

Tosha Perkins, Behavioral Health Navigator

Ricky Romero, CBI Navigator

Fire Captain

Christopher Don, MS

TMC Program Manager

Julieta Scroggs, RN

Community Outreach Coordinator

Natalie Becker, MS

Resource Specialist

Cheri Clinton

Community Risk Reduction Manager

Mari Vasquez, MEd

Community Partners

A vulnerable community member calling 9-1-1 frequently may be in need of a different type of response and support other than dispatching an Engine crew or transporting them to the hospital. Tucson Fire's TC-3 Program, working through many robust community partnerships, connects those callers to resources and entities that can help address social determinants of health. Our community partnerships include but are not limited to behavioral health agencies, pet welfare, housing, and durable medical equipment. Tucson Fire's TC-3 partnerships with these community based organizations enable us to better serve our vulnerable community members.