Dr. New Sang (right) observes a newly renovated room at the Sang Family Postpartum and Newborn Care center at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. Photo by Ben Hensley

Community Regional Medical Center (CRMC) unveiled renovations to its postpartum center in Downtown Fresno Friday morning, showcasing upgrades to patient rooms and new amenities for expecting and new mothers.

The department, now named the Sang Family Postpartum and Newborn Care center, received a $2.5 million donation from the Sang family in 2022. With the funds, the hospital was able to renovate all 31 postpartum care rooms and are also working on security system upgrades to doors and a video system, ensuring the continued safety of new and expectant mothers.

The improvements included new beds, bedside tables, couches with pull-out sleeping options and bassinets featuring a hydraulic system providing mothers with easier access to their newborns for breastfeeding and other purposes.

 

“We wanted to make it as calming, soothing and comforting as possible at the same time meeting the medical needs of the patient as well as giving them a sense that they’re at home in their bedroom,” said Bonnie Sorber, manager of postpartum and antepartum high risk at the Mother’s Resource Center at Community Regional Medical Center. “When that’s the case I think people relax a little bit more and they feel more comfortable, so it’s an all-around better experience for them.”

The Sang Family Postpartum and Newborn Care center honors Dr. Orathai Sangrujiveth, who worked at the hospital for more than 37 years. Her son, Dr. New Sang, grew up locally and also worked at Community Regional Medical Center, serving as the chair of the Department of Pediatrics from 2016 to 2020.

Dr. Sang also hosts a monthly segment – Kid’s Health Watch – on Fox 26’s Great Day program, sharing his knowledge of pediatrics with his viewers.

In 2012, Sang, along with his mother, established Sang Pediatrics.

Despite having moved from working in the hospital system to working at a private practice, Sang said that many of the nurses at CRMC still recognize him at the hospital, highlighting the community-driven support that is shared between Sang and his former colleagues at CRMC.

“The thing I want to underline is it’s a community,” Sang said “One day doesn’t go by that I don’t have a new patient, a newborn, a new baby, that is recommended to us [Sang Pediatrics] by Community hospitals.”

Between CRMC and Clovis Community Medical Center, an average of 10,000 babies are delivered annually.