Senator still determined to re-open Madera Community Hospital

For The Madera Tribune

Sen. Ana Caballero.

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SACRAMENTO — Senator Ana Caballero issued the following statement in response to the announcement that Adventist Health would no longer pursue a partnership with Madera Community Hospital.

“I was disappointed to learn that a potential partnership with Adventist Health was no longer an option at this time for Madera Community Hospital’s plan to reopen. Since learning that Madera Hospital was in financial distress, I worked quickly to secure a $5 million appropriation and worked to expedite medi-cal reimbursement payments totaling more than $4 million from health plans for the hospital’s use,” Caballero said. “I worked on short-term solutions like the Distressed Hospital Loan Program to provide quick cash for struggling hospitals. Madera Community was prioritized and received $52 million out of the initial $150 million allocation. As a long-term strategy, I worked to re-establish and reinstate the MCO Tax for increased medi-cal reimbursement rates and ensured that funds generated from this tax would be equitably distributed to hospitals who treat a high number of medi-cal patients like those in Madera.

“While this latest turn of events is disheartening, I remain steadfast in my commitment to see restored health access for the residents of Madera.”