Shortage of pediatric beds
Heidi Mosier cuddles her 6-week-old son, Brauhner, at Children’s Hospital Central California, where he was being treated for a milk allergy after two hospitals in Bakersfield weren’t equipped to care for him. In roughly the last decade, more than 800 pediatric beds have been lost statewide. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Brauhner Gunther is cared for at Children’s Hospital Central California, which serves 10 counties and 45,000 square miles. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Janssen Hunter and son Wyatt walk outside Children’s Hospital Central California after visiting son Andy, who is battling leukemia. Six parking spaces have been allotted for RVs, and the facility allows families to plug into its power supply. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Janssen Hunter and son Wyatt spend time in their RV. Many families travel great distances for care at the hospital in Madera, just outside Fresno. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Andy Janssen, 15, is a leukemia patient at Children’s Hospital Central California. In the last decade, at least 49 hospitals have eliminated their childrens units even as the number of children has grown. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Jennifer Calafiore holds 6-month-old Hayden, who has spinal muscular atrophy, in the RV she bought after her son got sick. Children’s Hospital Central California has been strained by hospital closures and population growth in the Central Valley. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
