Commentary: Strengthening safe, timely anesthesia services for all

Central California feeds the state and the nation. Yet too often, our region does not receive the same investment in health care that we give back in food, energy, and labor. Rural families deserve better.

As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) practicing in Madera County, I know the challenges our communities face in accessing safe and timely care. When Madera Community Hospital reopened this year, it was a victory for our entire region — thanks to the leadership of Senator Anna Caballero, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, AAM, and many others who understood what was at stake. Their work ensured that more than 150,000 residents once again have care close to home.

But our work is not finished. Rural California continues to face provider shortages, rising costs, and the very real threat of more closures. Adventist Health has already warned that two Central Valley hospitals are at risk. Across the nation, nearly one in five Americans lives in a “health care desert,” where services like maternity care, surgery, or anesthesia are simply unavailable. We cannot allow that to happen here.