Senator Feinstein Secures Funding
for Fresno Regional Trauma and Burn Center
October 31, 2000

Washington, DC – In her role on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that $850,000 has been secured for the development of a regional trauma and burn unit at the Fresno Regional Medical Center.

The funds were included in the Fiscal Year 2001 Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development (VA-HUD) funding measure which was signed by President Clinton late last week.

“Without a doubt, this Center will save lives and improve the quality of health care throughout the Central Valley,” Senator Feinstein said. “This funding is of critical importance to Fresno County as it will help create the only such Burn Center in California between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I am extremely pleased that we were able to include funding for this important facility.”

The Burn Center will be run by the not-for profit Community Medical Centers (CMC), Fresno County’s leading healthcare provider and largest private employer. With the combined services provided by CMC and the new burn center, the new facilities will serve combined patient volumes of 90,000 emergency visits, 1,500 major trauma cases, 2000 inpatient burn cases, 1,400 outpatient burn visits and 150,000 clinic visits.

With an unemployment rate nearly twice the statewide rate and more than a quarter of its population living below the poverty line, Fresno County faces a pressing need for adequate health care services and increased economic development.

Today, CMC is uniquely positioned to play a central role in the revitalization of the Downtown Fresno area. Health related development initiatives can increase access to quality health services lay the groundwork for strong economic growth and community revitalization. These initiatives provide employment opportunities as well as health services, allowing low-income individuals to succeed in the workforce.