Madera County in state of emergency with hospital’s emergency room shutting down

The Madera County Sheriff’s Office proclaimed a local emergency for the area in anticipation of the looming closure of the Madera Community Hospital’s emergency department.

The hospital’s emergency services will stop effective at 12 a.m. Friday — a few days before the entire hospital is set to shut down due to financial troubles.

Madera Community Hospital will close Tuesday and its associated medical clinics — including Family Health Services Madera/Specialty Clinic in Madera, Family Health Services in Mendota, and the Chowchilla Medical Center — will close Jan. 10.

Sheriff Tyson Pogue said the hospital’s closure will have widespread effects on the community with the lack of hospital services in the county expected to strain local resources deployed within Madera County.

Among the concerns is depleting ambulance and response resources from law enforcement and fire crews in the absence of local hospital service help.

“By proclaiming a local state of emergency, we are formally requesting help from state and federal officials,” a news release from the sheriff’s office reads.

Added Pogue: “This proclamation will request needed resources to support our efforts to continue providing the same high level of service and safety to our citizens in Madera County.”