As discussions continue in Washington regarding proposed cuts to the Medicaid program—cuts that could total $880 billion nationwide—Sierra View Medical Center joins Central Valley hospitals and families in expressing deep concern about the devastating impacts these reductions would have on our community.
“Our region is home to some of the most vulnerable populations in California, and at Sierra View Medical Center, we see firsthand the difference Medi-Cal makes in the lives of the people we serve,” said Donna Hefner, DHA, RN, President and CEO of Sierra View Medical Center. “More than 41% of our patients rely on Medi-Cal for access to essential health services. Cuts of this magnitude would severely destabilize local health care systems like ours, threatening the very foundation of care in the Central Valley.”
Across the Central Valley, more than 2.2 million residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, a rate that far exceeds the statewide average. In counties like Tulare and Kern, up to two-thirds of residents depend on Medi-Cal for their health care. Safety-net hospitals, including Sierra View, operate on thin margins to meet the needs of these patients—and further reductions in reimbursement would push many facilities to the brink.
“As a native of this area and someone who has worked in health care for more than three decades, I have seen firsthand the progress we have made in expanding access to care,” Hefner added. “Medi-Cal has been critical in reducing the number of uninsured patients and helping families avoid crippling medical debt. Reversing that progress would hurt not just individual families, but the health of our entire community.”
The potential cuts are not just numbers on a page—they represent real people: aging parents, children with special needs, hardworking individuals, and neighbors who contribute to the strength of the Central Valley every day. These reductions would also impact our local economy, as health care systems serve as major employers and economic engines for the region.
At Sierra View Medical Center, we remain committed to advocating for the patients we serve and ensuring that every person—regardless of their income or background—has access to the medical care they need.
“We urge policymakers to recognize the full human and economic consequences of these proposed cuts,” Hefner said. “We ask that they protect Medi-Cal and ensure that safety-net hospitals like Sierra View Medical Center can continue to care for the heart of California’s Central Valley. Our patients, our families, and our communities are counting on it.”
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Sierra View Medical Center (SVMC) is the pre-eminent healthcare provider located in Porterville, California, and has served Tulare County for over 60 years. As a 167-bed, full-service acute care facility, Sierra View Medical Center is a service of the Sierra View Local Health Care District.
The hospital is comprised of 132 acute care beds and a distinct part skilled nursing (DP/SNF) facility with 35 beds, in addition to primary and specialty outpatient clinics. SVMC’s primary and specialty outpatient clinics and programs include the Roger S. Good Cancer Treatment Center, the Urology Clinic in alliance with Keck Medicine of USC, the Wound Healing Center, Physical Therapy, Intensivist Critical Care programs, and adult and pediatric hospitalist programs. SVMC also operates a rural health clinic, Sierra View Community Health Center, in nearby Terra Bella, CA.
Featuring the latest in stroke care, Sierra View Medical Center is certified by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Primary Stroke Care Center. The SVMC Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory licensed by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) offers specialty heart services for the community.
SVMC has partnership affiliations with Valley Children’s Medical Center, the University of California’s Keck School of Medicine, and Healogics™. The hospital features a Graduate Medical Education (GME) Internal Residency Program, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and a Vizient/AACN Nurse Residency Program™ to cultivate and train superior community hospital-based healthcare professionals for our region and beyond.
Thanks to an expert care team and state-of-the-art facilities, SVMC provides excellent healthcare services in a compassionate environment where patients and their families feel comfortable. By demonstrating compliance with The Joint Commission’s national standards for healthcare quality and safety, Sierra View Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval.
To learn more, please visit sierra-view.com. Questions? Please contact [email protected]. SVMC Media Kit available online: www.sierra-view.com/media-kit