MADERA, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A Madera businessman is working to reopen the Madera Community Hospital after it closed in 2022.
It’s the only hospital in nearly a 30-mile radius, so residents have had to travel to Fresno or Merced for healthcare.
“We know there’s been patients that didn’t survive the trip,” Madera Community Hospital CEO Steve Stark said.
He says having a hospital in Madera is vital for the health of its residents.
He estimates the reopening to cost at least $2.5 million.
“We’re starting with a basic emergency room and that requires eight core services to exist… So we really are going to be back to almost normal right on the day we start,” Stark said.
He says the hospital will have new equipment like a CT scanner and will aim to get ER patients to a doctor within 30 minutes of their visit.
They also plan to introduce outpatient services in the future.
He hopes to open the hospital Dec. 16, but says they will have to hire a lot of people before that can happen.