To create and deliver innovative healthcare solutions that compassionately address the needs of men, women, and children facing homelessness.
We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, federally qualified healthcare organization. We serve more than 8,000 people a year, connecting many to stable, long-term housing.
Our model of care includes:
If you are facing homelessness and need more information about our services, please call (602) 776-0776
Our History
Circle the City is the vision of our founder, Sister Adele O’Sullivan, CSJ, MD. After her initial career as a pharmacist, Sister Adele and her community, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, recognized greater healthcare needs in underserved populations. Sister Adele then earned her medical degree from the University of Arizona in 1984 and returned as a doctor to care for people living on the street.
During that time, Sister Adele noticed a lack of sanitary conditions for wound care, challenges with medication management, and the lack of a place for people to rest and recover from a serious illness or injury. That inspired Sister Adele’s vision for a medical respite center for people facing homelessness. The first donations were kept in a shoebox. As donations and community support grew, Circle the City opened Arizona’s first respite center for people facing homelessness in 2012.
Today Circle the City operates two medical respite centers, two outpatient healthcare clinics, and four mobile medical units that provide care to shelters, transitional living centers, and hard to reach areas.