Affordable Care Act helps Madera get new medical facility

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Health care access just got a little easier for Madera County residents.

The rooms are set for patients at Madera's newest medical facility -- Camarena Health.

"As we see more and more a need for health care with the Affordable Care Act, we see more people getting insurance and fewer options for them to go to. So this allows us to provide further options for them to get services here in the community," said Camarena Health CEO Paulo Soares.

Soares says the Affordable Care Act has helped Camarena expand. He says it's also helping people get insurance, and the building was funded by a $4.8 million grant under the Affordable Care Act.

"We've seen about a 10-percent growth every year for the last five or six years, so we anticipate that to continue," said Soares. "And so we're trying to be proactive and make sure we have the space and the facilities to accommodate these patients so they're not waiting long periods of time to receive the care that they need."

The new 16,000-square-foot building has two floors of care. The bottom floor is dedicated to women's and pediatrics. Upstairs residents can get dental care. Local leaders say it's a positive sign for the community.

"It's a lot closer, it's affordable and it also helps us to grow our neighborhood for care. We needed this. It was a long time coming," said Madera City Councilman Donald Holley.

The expanded facility will help provide care to more than 13,000 patients in Madera County.

This new building marks the sixth Camarena Health center in Madera County. Employees say they can't wait to welcome more patients through their doors in the coming weeks.