Fresno Medical Center Receives Funding for Building Construction, Diabetes Program for Hispanics
A $3.3 million allocation in the $450 billion federal budget package will help finance a diabetes program and three additional buildings for Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center, the Fresno Bee reports. Reps. Cal Dooley (D) and George Radanovich (R), who procured the funding, said that a chunk of the money will fund a diabetes education and treatment program for Hispanics, who are twice as likely to have Type II diabetes than the general population. In addition, the money will go toward the cost of building a new trauma and burn center, outpatient care center and transportation center for the hospital. "We've been making the case in Congress that this area is one of the lowest-income areas in the country with one of the highest percentages of citizens who are medically indigent," Dooley said. While the allocation only "chips away" at the medical center project's $200 million price tag, Community Medical Centers, owner of the Fresno center, plans to use public and private money to cover the rest of the cost. Construction on the three centers has not yet started. While there is no estimate on when building will begin for the outpatient and transportation centers, construction on the trauma and burn center could start as early as February, pending state approval. The diabetes program is scheduled to begin "soon" (Hoagland, Fresno Bee, 12/21).
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