Marisue Garganta

Transforming Care through Heart, Hope, and Humanity

For decades, Marisue Garganta has been a quiet force of change, linking healthcare systems to the very heart of the communities they serve. Her story isn’t one of climbing the corporate ladder for prestige. It’s one of purpose. One that began at home, where she supported her visually impaired mother, unknowingly preparing for a lifetime of service centered on empathy, resilience, and connection.

Marisue describes herself as a Renaissance woman, someone whose diverse experiences in education, business, and nonprofit leadership taught her a foundational truth: true healthcare isn’t isolated within hospital walls. It lives in the places we work, eat, pray, and play. She entered the healthcare field not through a single door, but through many, all leading to one common goal: better health outcomes through collaboration.

That mission crystallized in 2002 when Marisue led one of Arizona’s first comprehensive Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA). What emerged was eye-opening: the biggest barriers to health weren’t clinical but social, including issues with housing, employment, food insecurity, and transportation. This clarity shifted her focus toward integrating social determinants of health directly into care delivery.

At Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, she pioneered initiatives that changed the game. From creating the Arizona Community Care Network using the Collective Impact model to launching ACTIVATE, a program that reduces hospital readmissions for vulnerable Medicare and Medicaid patients, Marisue has demonstrated that healthcare transformation isn’t hypothetical. It’s happening, with the right leaders at the helm.

But she didn’t stop there. With partners like Mission of Mercy and Circle the City, she tackled some of the Valley’s toughest challenges: caring for the uninsured and the unhoused. She co-led federal grants, helped develop mobile care units, and integrated social service providers directly into emergency departments. These weren’t short-term fixes; they were sustainable solutions rooted in trust, strategy, and compassion.

One of her most innovative endeavors was HOMeVP (Housing for Medically Vulnerable People), a coalition of over 30 organizations addressing homelessness with a comprehensive, whole-person approach. She also oversaw Dignity Health’s Community Investment Program, directing low-interest loans to fuel affordable housing and nonprofit growth across Arizona. For Marisue, housing wasn’t just a roof; it was a prescription for wellness.

Even after retiring from her formal hospital role, her service never paused. Today, she lends her expertise as a board member for Partners for Paiute, Catholic Charities, and AllThrive365. Her compass remains steady: lift where you can, support where you’re needed, and always advocate for those most overlooked.

Her legacy is vast, yet deeply personal. She’s proud of the Community Health Needs Assessments that informed policy and partnerships, the grantmaking strategies that empowered local leaders, and the integration models that are now shaping national frameworks. But above all, she’s proud of the lives changed, one patient, one family, one initiative at a time.

To those just entering the world of community health, Marisue offers timeless wisdom: "You won’t solve everything in a day. Help one person at a time. Know your limits. Teach others. And above all, lead with heart."

Being featured on the cover of Community Icons Magazine is a moment of reflection for her, not for glory, but for gratitude. If her story sparks one more person to step forward in service, then the mission continues.

"I hope to be remembered as someone who left things better than she found them. As someone who believed this life is not a rehearsal, it’s the real thing. Live it fully. Serve boldly. And never forget: we’re all in this together."

Marisue Garganta doesn’t just connect systems. She connects people, purpose, and healing.

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