Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Cultiva La Salud and Fresno Building Healthy Communities have filed this lawsuit to hold Community Health System (CHS) accountable for misusing hundreds of millions in public funds. These taxpayer dollars, intended to provide health care for underserved populations, were instead spent to expand Clovis Community Medical Center, leaving Fresno’s downtown hospital, Fresno Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC), underfunded and neglected.

Care4Fresno is not seeking financial compensation. Nor do we want to shut down any hospital. Instead, our goal is to ensure that future taxpayer dollars are invested in the right way, particularly into Fresno CRMC, to benefit the people who need care the most. A well-funded, well-equipped Fresno CRMC benefits everyone by improving care, and creating a stronger, healthier community.

CHS took hundreds of millions in public funds meant for Fresno CRMC and spent them instead to lavishly furnish and expand Clovis Community Medical Center. This has left Fresno’s safety-net hospital underfunded, and staff struggling courageously to provide vulnerable patients timely and adequate care. CHS spent these funds on the Clovis hospital knowing that the State of California requires earthquake safety upgrades to CRMC by 2030. Now, CHS says that it is “out of money,” and cannot comply with the law.

Without proper funding, Fresno CRMC patients experience long ER wait times, delays in diagnostic procedures, and overcrowded conditions. Buildings and equipment are outdated, and maintenance is inadequate, with breakdowns in medical equipment and even air conditioning. Patients are often treated in hallways due to insufficient space, and understaffing. All these factors affect patient care and outcomes, despite hardworking medical staff who do their best under very difficult circumstances. This neglect of Fresno CRMC primarily impacts low-income patients and communities of color who rely on our downtown hospital for essential healthcare.

The entire Central Valley depends on Fresno CRMC, especially for trauma and emergency services. CRMC, a teaching hospital connected to the world-class UC San Francisco medical school, brings many young doctors to the Valley, who remain to practice here, improving access to care for all Valley residents.

The lawsuit was filed on August 7, 2024, in state court. CHS’s lawyers have moved it to federal court. Our petitioners have asked the federal court to remand our case back to state court, since our claims seek to compel CHS to comply with state law. Key dates include a hearing on October 25, 2024, to determine if the case will return to state court, and a scheduling conference set for January 2025. CHS must respond to the lawsuit by November 12, 2024.

If successful, the lawsuit will require CHS to comply with state law, and to allocate future Medi-Cal dollars to improving Fresno CRMC. This will lead to better facilities and equipment, more operating rooms, more staff, and an overall higher quality of care for the community’s most underserved populations.

Follow our campaign on social media (@Care4Fresno), share our updates and posts, and encourage others to learn about the case. We also invite you to share your story about how healthcare at Fresno CRMC has impacted you or your loved ones through our website.