Tucson has long had a reputation for its healthful climate. For the past century its warm, dry air has attracted people suffering from such respiratory illnesses as asthma and tuberculosis. The city continues to attract wealthy residents from across Mexico's border who travel to Tucson for health care.
Tucson's medical community includes about 15 hospitals with 1,700 beds and more than 300 health care agencies; 1,750 physicians serve the area. The University Medical Center, the teaching hospital of the University of Arizona (with the state's only medical school), specializes in the research of respiratory illness, cancer, and heart disease. Providing health care to residents throughout southern Arizona, Tucson Medical Center houses Southern Arizona's Level One Trauma Center. The 60-bed Tucson Heart Hospital offers inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular and cardiology services. Tucson also offers internationally known health and spa retreats and alternative health care centers.
Health Care Information: Pima County Medical Society, physician referral service, 5199 Farness Drive, Tucson, AZ 85712; telephone (520)795-7985