A new skilled nursing facility in downtown Fresno means expanded care options for Community Health patients needing extra recovery.

The 154-bed Burnett Extended Care Center across the street from the downtown office offers long-term and short-term skilled nursing and will begin accepting patients this fall, said Cory Belliston, chief operating officer for post acute services at Community Health.

“It will be patients that are discharging from the hospital that may not be ready to be taken care of at home,” Belliston said Wednesday. “So, they’ll come here to be able to receive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and also just be able to improve their activities of daily living with the goal of hopefully being able to discharge home.”

Burnett Center Offers Occupational, Physical Therapy Under One Roof

Community Regional spent $35.5 million rehabilitating the skilled nursing facility at 2715 Fresno St. It had previously helped patients recover, but due to its age, the state grandfathered it in despite having substandard regulations such as rooms with up to four beds, Belliston said.

The state will inspect the Burnett Center this month and Belliston expects it to begin accepting patients shortly after.

Now, the facility’s room are split between one-bed rooms and two-bed rooms. The first priority for Community Regional will be the patients currently in acute care.

The facility is the only one in the area that offers separate occupational therapy and physical therapy care spaces under one roof, Belliston said.

“It’s an added level of care to where if they’re not able to care for themselves at home, this would be a location where we would be able to help them regain their strength with the goal of being able to rejoin the community at home,” Belliston said. “But if needed would be able to remain here long-term and be able to receive that care that they need.”

Celia Burnett — the namesake of the facility — pioneered health care in Fresno. With five doctors, Burnett founded the Burnett Sanitarium in 1897, which later became Community Regional.

Fresno Among Areas for Highest ED Room Demand: Costa

The extra rooms at the Burnett Center will also help with Emergency Department wait times. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, who was present at the event, said Community Regional has one of the highest utilization rates for emergency rooms.

“This is going to help out and the hospital’s committed to doing everything they can to ensure that while we may still lead the state in the use of emergency room services here because of the nature of the region we live in, that people can be put in hospital rooms and not be in hallways,” Costa said.