CA hospitals battle over region's tiniest and most fragile patients

Competition between Valley Children's Hospital and Community Regional Medical Center for the region's youngest patients is heating up. Community Regional now has a surgical team that is performing operations on newborns and preemies who previously had to be transferred to Valley Children's Hospital on the San Joaquin River bluffs in Madera County. California Children's Services, a state program which has standards for levels of care for neonatal intensive care units, granted approval in March for Community to do major surgeries, such as for blockages of the esophagus or intestines and abdominal wall defects. And this summer, Community added a second pediatric surgeon to the team at the downtown Fresno hospital.