$35M skilled nursing facility unveiled in Downtown Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A major investment in downtown Fresno is nearing completion.

On Wednesday, Community Health Systems unveiled its brand-new Burnett Extended Care Center, a 154-bed skilled nursing facility designed to ease the burden on local hospitals by providing long-term care in a more home-like setting.

“This is a 154-bed skilled nursing facility that we’ve invested $35.5 million to be able to bring up to code,” said Cory Belliston, who oversees Post Acute Services for Community Health System. 

“We’re excited to be able to care for these patients in a more home-like environment, free up some acute care beds, and get patients in a setting that is more conducive to their healing.”

The facility in Downtown Fresno had been closed since 2022. Community Health Systems spent the last two years renovating it from top to bottom.

“We essentially then were able to bring in construction teams and bring it back up to code,” Belliston said.

Those behind the project say the facility comes at a crucial time. With a shortage of skilled nursing beds across the Central Valley, many patients who no longer need to be in the hospital are left waiting in acute care beds.

“A number of patients are remaining in the acute care setting where they’re more appropriate to be cared for in a skilled nursing facility,” Belliston explained.

The Burnett Extended Care Center is designed to feel more like a home than a hospital. It includes group dining areas, calm spaces for family visits, and scheduled outings—all meant to support healing and recovery.

“There are large, beautiful spaces where, from a physical therapy perspective, the patients can regain their strength,” said Belliston. “They can improve their gait to be able to be safe, to then discharge home.”

What sets this facility apart is its dedicated physical and occupational therapy spaces.

Belliston says the occupational therapy room includes a full kitchen, laundry area, and training restroom—all designed to help patients regain the skills they need to return to independent living.

“These are things we often take for granted,” he said. “This helps patients regain that level of function with the ultimate goal of being home, which is where we all want to be.”

Craig Wagoner, President and CEO of Community Health Systems, credited long-standing community partnerships and leadership for making the facility possible.

“It couldn’t have been made possible without the tremendous amount of support that we’ve had over the years to get this done,” Wagoner said.

While the facility is now complete, it must still pass a series of inspections before admitting its first patients.

“With a goal of ultimately being full—accepting patients in all rooms—hopefully by the end of the year.”

Once licensed, the Burnett Extended Care Center will become a critical link in Community Health Systems’ continuum of care, serving patients from hospital discharge to full recovery at home.

More information on the facility can be found by clicking here.