Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center adds 41,000 square feet of space, doubling the waiting area, expanding triage and vertical care spaces, adding mid-level and high-acuity rooms and introducing a cardiac cath lab (seen here). Photo by Ben Hensley
published on January 16, 2026 – 3:21 PM
Written by Ben Hensley
Kaiser Permanente Fresno celebrated the grand opening of its expanded emergency and cardiac care facility Friday morning, unveiling a project that doubles the provider’s emergency department capacity and consolidates key cardiac services under one roof.
The newly opened department adds 41,000 square feet of space and more than doubles Kaiser’s ability to see patients. The expansion also doubles the waiting area, expands triage and vertical care spaces, adds mid-level and high-acuity rooms and introduces a cardiac cath lab, interventional radiology suites and two wide-bore MRI machines capable of imaging patients up to 600 pounds.
Dr. Shahzad Jahromi, physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente Fresno, said the new facility marks a strategic step for the organization that recently unveiled one of its largest health care investments in its 40-year history in Fresno.
“Orchard Plaza expanded their patient capacity,” Jahromi said. “This expansion will expand its ED department and internalize cath and ER services.”
Today’s expansion is part of the Kaiser Permanente Fresno Medical Center campus.
Prior to the opening, Kaiser had to transfer many emergency department patients and cardiac patients offsite.
“Now, it’s going to make it seamless care — our patients, when they’re seen in our ED, they basically move them upstairs to have the appropriate treatment,” he said.
Jahromi said the consolidation aligns with Kaiser’s long-term model, aiming to provide a multitude of services under one roof.
“Kaiser Permanente is multi-specialty,” he said. “We would love to provide every care that we want for our patients under one roof — this helps us to get there.”
The cath lab is expected to treat about 300 patients monthly. Kaiser officials said the expanded center will bring 20 to 30 additional health care providers to Fresno.
Jahromi, who has worked in the industry for over 20 years, highlighted new technology inside the facility.
“We used to do injections without having ultrasound; we used to do injections without having an x-ray machine; that has become, essentially, the center of care these days,” he said.
He added that the modern systems give providers real-time patient information during procedures, keeping patients’ health outcomes more positive.
Jahromi noted that population growth in the Central Valley has increased the need for cath labs and cardiology-focused emergency services. Because cardiac care is time-sensitive, he said, delays caused by long travel lead to potentially negative patient outcomes.
Tyler Hedden, senior vice president and area manager of Kaiser Permanente Fresno, reinforced the system’s commitment to the region.
“You know, we’re very strong in the Bay Area, and also in the LA area, but we also want to bring those services to the Valley as well,” he said.
Hedden said the newly opened expanded emergency department shows that providers are responding to increasing demand.