FRESNO, CA - Rallying with fellow trade associations to make a change for our industry, the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) has joined a coalition made up of business and agricultural organizations. The coalition is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom, California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly, and Attorney General Rob Bonta to address the ongoing public health crisis in the Central Valley as a result of the closure of Madera Community Hospital.
“Far too often the Central Valley and our communities have been overlooked and underserved when it comes to our health care needs. This closure has had rippling effects on hospital facilities throughout the Valley, causing serious worry about the availability to access critical and emergency services,” CFFA President Ian LeMay commented. “State leaders have a responsibility to address these issues and supply the area with the resources necessary to ease the burden caused by the closure of the Madera Community Hospital.”
According to the press release, the hospital had been open since 1971 and served as the primary medical facility for the county’s 130,000 residents, providing services for maternity health, emergency room, and ambulatory needs. As with the closure of any public-oriented facility, the ripple effects can be felt, especially for local communities.
“This concern isn’t necessarily specific to agriculture. It’s more of a regional concern; when you take a facility like Madera offline, it will only lead to the exasperation of a significant issue in terms of access to care in the Central San Joaquin Valley. It concerns us as residents, it concerns us as business owners and employers, where we want to operate in a region where those individuals who are associated with us—be they family or employees—have secure access to care,” LeMay expressed in a call to ANUK. “Until the issue of Madera County is rectified, the state has a responsibility to lean into and support our regional hospitals, so they can take this new influx of service.”
CFFA continued, noting it will continue to work with businesses and elected officials on the local, state, and federal levels to find a viable solution to ensure that residents in its communities can receive the health care services they need.
To read the coalition's letter, click here.
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