FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, September 7, 2022​

CONTACT:

Elisa Rivera (209) 726-5495 (Caballero)

Hannah Ackley (916) 319-2005 (Bigelow)

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Sacramento – Senator Anna M. Caballero (D-Merced) and Assemblyman Frank Bigelow (R-O’Neals) announced today that they secured $5,000,000 in state funding to support Madera Community Hospital. Rural California overwhelmingly lacks access to health care and routinely faces a shortage of health care workers—issues only exacerbated by COVID-19.

Like many health facilities, the pandemic took a toll on Madera Community Hospital, pushing it to the brink of insolvency forcing it to close its doors and leaving no hospital care for the approximately 100,000 people who rely on their services for their medical needs. 

Senator Caballero, who successfully championed the funding request with colleague, Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, had this to say, “Madera Community Hospital provides critical medical care to a rural region in my district. Without its services, residents would have few or no healthcare options. I am pleased that Assemblyman Bigelow and I were able to secure the funding necessary to allow uninterrupted care to continue.”

“These dollars are critical to ensuring folks continue to have a hospital in our community,” said Assemblyman Bigelow, “I’m grateful we were able to work together to provide support in a time of need.”

Madera Community Hospital receives more than 80% of its revenue from programs like Medi-Cal and Medicare and provides vital resources as the only adult hospital in the County of Madera. Without the budget allocation of these key dollars, patients would have to travel more than twenty miles to receive care. State dollars secured are an investment to access health care and will help guarantee that the facility stays open until a merge with Trinity Health Corporation, Saint Agnes Medical Center and Saint Agnes Health is concluded.

For interviews or inquiries, please contact Elisa Rivera at (209) 726-5495 (Caballero) or Hannah Ackley (916) 319-2005 (Bigelow)

Senator Anna M. Caballero represents the 12^th Senate District, composed of Merced and San Benito Counties, the Salinas Valley, and portions of Fresno, Madera and Stanislaus Counties.

Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, R-O’Neals, is a lifelong rancher who represents the 5th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes all or parts of Placer, El Dorado, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera and Mono counties.

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