Q&A with Monica Vargas-Mahar
Market CEO of Carondelet Health Network
By Tara Kirkpatrick
When Monica Vargas-Mahar joined the Carondelet Health Network in 2021, it was a critical and volatile period for the healthcare industry. Like the rest of the world, Southern Arizona was slowly emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vargas-Mahar, armed with more than two decades in healthcare administration with Tenet Healthcare, got straight to work providing solid leadership for Carondelet St. Joseph’s, Carondelet St. Mary’s Hospital, Carondelet Holy Cross Hospital, Carondelet Marana Emergency Center and the St. Raphael Emergency Center.
She forged strong community connections, joining the board of United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona and serving as its campaign chair in 2023. Vargas-Mahar also was chair for the National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives, an organization she has long supported.
As Carondelet celebrates an inspiring 145 years in the region, BizTucson asked Vargas-Mahar to reflect on the hospital’s legacy and its promise moving forward.
What does Carondelet’s century-plus legacy mean to this community?
Carondelet Health Network has made an indelible impact on Tucson, Southern Arizona and the entire state over the past 145 years. Our hospitals have brought life-saving care to our community, broken ground with medical advancements, and expanded care to meet the needs of our neighbors. Like the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, who started our mission to make life better for those living here, we are driven by a deep desire to make positive change. Every day, our hospitals continue that mission. Today, we improve lives through advancements in healthcare and medical technology that are truly inspiring. We are here to make our community even better than it was yesterday. Our investment today is the seed for the future and also the very foundation for which generations to come will flourish and thrive. I look forward to what we’ll do in the decades to come.
What are you most proud of in terms of the care Carondelet Health Network offers?
I am motivated and humbled each day by the strong and inspiring people that I am surrounded by at Carondelet. Nurses, physicians, technicians – hospitals full of people who dedicate their lives to care for their neighbors. It’s these people who make Carondelet such an exceptional place to receive care, working tirelessly to bring hope and healing to everyone who walks through our doors. Our team is committed to driving quality, safety, and patient experience on behalf of the people who put their trust in us, who count on us in some cases, during the most difficult time in their lives.
I am also proud to be part of a hospital system with such a rich history. Starting with opening the first hospital in Arizona, the amazing legacy the Seven Sisters have left on Southern Arizona is truly remarkable. Continuing their work and mission to provide the best care possible to those who need it in our community is a privilege and responsibility that I don’t take lightly.
Looking ahead, what advancements or goals do you have for CHN?
Carondelet will continue to bring advancements in care and expanded services for our patients. But it’s not just about the latest technology, surgery, or therapy. I believe it’s also important to grow and mentor the next generation of healthcare leaders. We have a responsibility to guide and advance the careers of young executives, nurses, physicians and others in the healthcare industry, to encourage people to enter the healthcare field. In this way, we can help to ensure a strong and healthy future for the people who come behind us.
Why do you enjoy working with the United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona?
Giving back to the community is important to me. Being part of uniting people, ideas, and resources together for the greater good – and knowing that together, we’re making a difference. All of these things fuel my passion to support this organization. The foundation of a great community is built by the people who each day work to make it a better place for the generations of the future. My family and I are proud and honored to call Tucson home and feel blessed to be a part of supporting an organization that brings community resources to more than 420,000 people each year. We are a community built on care.
PHOTO COURTESY CARONDELET HEALTH NETWORK
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