A San Tan Valley resident is turning a deeply personal medical journey into a proposal aimed at helping medically fragile patients across rural Arizona access care more safely.

Holly Martinez, founder and CEO of the nonprofit Voices For The Rare, recently announced the launch of the Bridge to Care Housing Integrated Pilot (BCHIP)—a proposal designed to help rural patients find housing closer to the specialized medical facilities they rely on for treatment.

Martinez, who lives in Pinal County, says the idea came while she was navigating her own recovery following a second major mandibulectomy surgery. During that time, she faced the challenge of traveling long distances for life-sustaining medical care while managing an intensive recovery process.

According to Martinez, the experience revealed what she describes as a significant gap in how housing and medical services are coordinated for vulnerable residents in rural areas.

"I discovered what I call administrative violence—a system that hides federal housing resources from those who need them most," Martinez said in a statement announcing the initiative.

In many parts of Pinal County and surrounding rural communities, residents with serious medical conditions often live far from the hospitals and specialists who treat them. Martinez says this can lead to long travel times for critical care.

Some patients must travel more than 100 miles round trip to reach medical centers such as Banner University Medical Center in Tucson or Phoenix.

For individuals recovering from surgery or managing complex health conditions, those travel requirements can create serious health risks.

The issue also impacts the healthcare system itself. Long-distance transportation for medical appointments can increase costs through non-emergency medical transport services and emergency ambulance use when complications occur.

The Bridge to Care pilot aims to reduce those barriers by helping medically fragile residents access housing within 10 miles of the specialized medical facilities they depend on.

The proposal focuses on using existing federal and state programs—rather than creating new funding streams—to better coordinate housing and healthcare services.

The framework would align HUD Section 811 supportive housing resources with Medicaid programs administered through AHCCCS and ALTCS. The goal is to create a fast-track housing placement system for extremely low-income residents with complex medical needs.

Under the concept, housing units would be reserved near major medical centers for individuals who require frequent or specialized treatment.

Martinez says the model could improve patient outcomes while also reducing transportation costs for the state.

The pilot proposal outlines a collaborative approach involving several agencies and organizations.

The Arizona Department of Housing would allocate housing units designated for medically fragile residents. Medicaid programs could support housing transition services, while county health departments could help prioritize placements based on medical need.

Academic institutions could also play a role by researching how proximity to care affects healthcare costs and recovery outcomes.

Voices For The Rare would act as a patient navigator organization, helping individuals access housing resources and ensuring cases do not fall through administrative gaps.

Martinez submitted the proposal to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors and the Governor's Office last month as a starting point for discussion.

She says the goal is not to create new funding programs but to improve coordination between existing federal housing programs and healthcare services.

"We are witnessing a system where a patient's zip code determines their survival," Martinez said. "By moving patients closer to care and ensuring environmental safety, we reduce transportation costs and help people recover safely."

The proposed pilot would focus on the corridor spanning Pinal, Pima, and Maricopa counties, where many rural residents currently travel long distances to reach specialized medical providers.

Martinez says she hopes the initiative will spark conversations among policymakers and healthcare leaders about improving access to care for rural residents.

More information about the nonprofit and the proposal is available at voicesfortherare.org.