""So having three kids myself, I really appreciate having the pediatric ward close by in our community," said parent Emily Pope. Pope says the pediatric unit at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital was there for her 12-year-old son Liam in 2024 when he suffered from several chronic medical conditions. Thankfully, Liam recovered and is now feeling good. "And I trust if something happened to him again, I would take him to Memorial first, I know the care would be excellent," Pope added."
""They will probably have to travel helicopter or by ambulance," said Dr. Heather Iezza. Dr. Heather Iezza works for Providence Pediatrics; she and her colleagues just authored an op-ed in the Press Democrat, expressing concern saying kids without Kaiser insurance need a local hospital. "It's one of the most vulnerable times in a family's life, having their child need to be hospitalized," said Iezza."
Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital is closing its inpatient pediatric ward, the only pediatric care unit in the North Bay outside Oakland and San Francisco. The closure reduces local inpatient pediatric options and could force families across the North Coast up to the Oregon border to travel long distances for pediatric hospitalization. Providence Health reports the unit averaged fewer than two patients per day, with most stays under 48 hours, and plans to redirect resources to meet other demands. Parents express trust in Memorial's pediatric care based on prior treatment experiences. Local pediatricians warn families without Kaiser insurance will face diminished nearby inpatient access and may require ambulance or helicopter transfers for hospitalized children, and emphasize that hospitalization is a highly vulnerable time for families.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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