Central Valley County’s Lone Hospital Closes | All-Female West Sac City Council | Commission on the Status of Women

Updated 10:15 a.m.

What the closing of Madera County’s only hospital may signal for the rest of the state. A conversation with West Sacramento’s all-women city council. Sacramento County’s Commission on the Status of Women shares its work in shaping policy decisions to improve civic leadership opportunities for girls and women.  

Central Valley County's only hospital closes

Madera County is located in the Central Valley, with Modesto to the north and Yosemite to the east. The agricultural community in the San Joaquin Valley is home to a Latino majority where roughly one-fifth live in poverty and access to healthcare is slim. This became even more challenging this month. The county’s lone community hospital closed its doors and with it the three clinics residents relied on.  And there are signs other community hospitals across the state are struggling to stay open and may suffer the same fate. CalMatters reporters Ana Ibarra and Nicole Foy joined Insight to share their reporting on the state of community hospitals across California. 

All-women West Sac City Council

They're moms, aunts, grandmothers, and sisters with a common goal to make the city of West Sacramento a great place to live, work and visit. Last November, voters in West Sacramento made history by electing its first-ever all-female city council.  According to the League of California Cities, West Sacramento is one of six communities in our state with an all-female legislative body. Mayor Martha Guerrero, Councilmember Quirina Orozco, Councilmember Dr. Dawnte Early, and Councilmember Verna Sulpizio-Hull all joined Insight to discuss the historic makeup of the council and how they will work together to tackle the challenges of a growing West Sacramento. 

Editor's Note: Councilmember Norma Alcala was invited to join our conversation but was unable to attend. 

The Commission on the Status of Women

This week the Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls will be holding a reception to honor locally elected women and to inform them of what the commission does in and around Sacramento. They will also learn about several non-profits and how they can benefit women and girls here in our area. Sacramento County is one of the largest counties in California that did not have a Commission on the Status of Women and Girls until very recently. Erin Saberi, Chair of the Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, joined Insight to provide more details on the commission’s work.