Valley Children's Hospital in Madera, Calif., is bringing commercial real estate on campus to increase revenue — and quality of life for employees, ABC30 reported Oct. 11.
The hospital sits on a large property with plenty of room to grow — but not necessarily the funds to do so. More than 70 percent of its patients depend on Medicaid, Todd Suntrapak, its president and CEO, told the news station.
"We have not received an increase to our Medicaid rates in over a decade, and yet, our costs go up between 8 and 9% every year," Mr. Suntrapak said.
Valley Children's has zoned 40 acres of land for the project and aims to attract business like restaurants, gyms, hotels and grocery stores. The new businesses could open on campus within the next two years.
Patients and staff could also benefit from increased services nearby, Shelbie Holden,BSN, RN, a nurse at Valley Children's, told the news station.
"We don't have a lot of options here just cause it's so far away," Ms. Holden said. "So, a lot of nurses right now are DoorDashing and trying to figure out other ways to get food options here, so having something so close to be able to grab a different variety of food and dining options, not just for the staff, but for the families around here as well."