After this year’s historic storms and devastating floods, the federal government has been swamped with requests from agencies across the San Joaquin Valley seeking reimbursement for repair costs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided SJV Water a data sheet that enumerates more than 460 such requests from six counties, including Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kern and Tulare. Agencies in Fresno County have made requests for about $40 million, combined.
Most requests are self-explanatory, such as $1.45 million for debris removal made on behalf of the Fresno County Parks Department. Or $2.5 million for levee repairs to the Orange Cove Reservoir made by the City of Orange Cove.
But one request stood out – $1.23 million for “X-Ray Rooms” made on behalf of “Fresno Community Hospital and Medical Center,” according to the FEMA data sheet.
The data sheet provides no further information about the request, the nature of the damage nor even the location of the damaged x-ray rooms.
Neither did staff from the hospital.
“The claim was filed as a result of property and infrastructure damages and losses incurred from area storms during last winter,” wrote Aaron Dwoskin, director of emergency management for Community Regional Medical Center, in an email. “We have applied for Federal Disaster funding from FEMA under the Stafford Act, which is currently under review.”
SJV Water tried to get more specifics, but Dwoskin and other hospital staff ceased responding entirely.
FEMA staff also declined to elaborate on the requested funding.
“It’s not our practice to share internal communication or documentation from applicants,” wrote a FEMA spokesperson via email.
The Community Regional Medical Center is one of several facilities in Fresno and Clovis under the private, nonprofit Community Medical Centers. The nonprofit operates four hospitals, a cancer institute and several long-term care, outpatient and other healthcare facilities, according to its website.
