Residents urge new Sutter hospital in Los Banos include a trauma center; council hears staffing and wage concerns

Several members of the public used the Sept. 17 public forum to press for improved health‑care capacity in Los Banos and to urge that any new Sutter Health hospital include a trauma center.

Larry Byers, who identified himself as a member of the Tree Commission and a longtime Los Banos resident, described a recent personal experience using Riggs Ambulance and Los Banos Memorial Hospital and said he received good care. Byers said he understands the existing Memorial Hospital (part of the Sutter Healthcare system) does not meet current earthquake standards and that Sutter had decided retrofitting the existing building was too expensive. Byers said he had heard Sutter plans to build a new hospital in the community and urged that the new facility include a trauma center (higher levels of emergency care have five tiers) because Merced County currently lacks any trauma‑center hospital.

Byers asked the council to support efforts to raise salaries for health‑care professionals in the Central Valley so a new hospital could recruit and retain trauma‑level staff. He said having a trauma center would produce additional revenue for Sutter and be a motivating factor for creating a higher level of care locally.

Why it matters: Trauma centers provide higher staffing levels and resource capacity to handle major accidents and life‑threatening injuries; residents in the region are often transported to Modesto or other cities for trauma care. A trauma center in a new hospital would change local emergency care availability and could affect ambulance and air‑transport patterns.

Ending: City officials did not take formal action on the topic at the meeting; speakers urged continued council support for improving local health‑care staffing and facility capacity and asked the city to coordinate with Sutter Health and regional partners on workforce and capital needs.