SACRAMENTO, CA— Madera Community Hospital will receive immediate, financial assistance from the state, the result of an urgent and coordinated effort led by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria to bolster distressed hospital operations and continue to provide critical and vital regional health care services.
Today, Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced zero-interest loans for 17 state hospitals, including Madera Community Hospital. As part of the Distressed Hospital Loan Program, the state allocated a total of $300 million to help California hospitals most in need.
Assemblywoman Soria authored legislation to launch the loan program in response to the closure of Madera Community Hospital in her district. It was quickly signed into law by the governor earlier this year.
“Reopening Madera Community Hospital has been my number one priority,” Assemblywoman Soria said. “This financial assistance is an important step in the right direction to help Madera Community Hospital reopen its doors to the community. We have more work to do, but I’m proud to have led this effort, and am grateful the Legislature and Governor moved quickly to ensure vulnerable communities across California have health care access when they need it most. I remain hopeful and will continue to work hard to ensure Madera Community Hospital reopens.”
Distressed hospitals applied for $300 million in zero-interest loans, and Madera hospital is now eligible for the largest sum, $50 million in assistance.
The program created by Soria will strengthen hospital services across California and put Madera Community Hospital on the path to reopening.
Central Coast lawmakers also celebrated the announcement as a crucial step in supporting hospitals serving the most vulnerable communities.
“I commend Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria and Governor Newsom for their leadership, and I am grateful that two Central Coast hospitals will see immediate financial assistance,” Speaker Rivas said. “I’m also proud that our state has been able to provide a lifeline to many small, rural hospitals, which are closing at record rates in other states. But California has shown a commitment to maintaining access to care for all. We have a lot of work to do to ensure that our communities continue to have the best health-care services. I am very pleased we were able to quickly deliver this financial help to our hospitals that need it most.”
“It brings me tremendous relief to know that Madera Community Hospital and Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in San Benito County, have received grant awards and will be able to ensure that community members can once again receive vital and critical health care services in their own communities,” said Senator Anna Caballero, a Democrat from Merced. “When seconds mean the difference between life and death, we cannot afford to have hospital doors closed. Today is a great day for the region."
For more information regarding the loan program, see HCAI’s release.