January: Health Note

As 2024 ends, the final few months have brought encouraging news for 2025 and beyond. I am excited voters have made sure more funding is on the horizon for Kaweah Health, our spine surgeons have been recognized for their good work, and our maternity ward is thriving.

Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 35, which will see Managed Care Organization (MCO) tax money distributed to doctors and hospitals as originally intended. Although the money was originally earmarked to help doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers who care for Medi-Cal patients, Governor Newsom and California policymakers had instead used the money to balance the California budget. With the passage of Proposition 35, that money will now go to doctors and hospitals each year. The MCO tax is expected to generate nearly $5 billion annually for the state. While we don’t know exactly how much or when Kaweah Health will receive its share, we are thankful to the voters of California.

We were honored recently when Kaweah Health Medical Center was named one of America’s 100 Best Spine Surgery™ hospitals by Healthgrades. Each year about 500 spine procedures are performed at Kaweah Health. With advances in technology and dedicated partners from Center Neurorestoration Associates and spinal surgeons, Dr. Mathias Daniels and Dr. Frank Feng, Kaweah Health makes it possible for patients to stay close to home to receive world-class care.

We have also been rated as a High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy) by U.S. News and World Report. Kaweah Health’s Labor and Delivery and Mother Baby units do an exceptional job of taking care of both mom and baby from when they enter the hospital until they go home. At a time when many California hospitals are closing their labor and delivery units, our staff continues to provide excellent and compassionate care.

While we are not here for the awards, it is nice to have our surgeons, doctors, nurses, and staff recognized for all that they do to provide the very best care to our community. Kaweah Health employees are the best and deserve any and all recognition that comes their way.