Celebrating Women’s History Month at Valley Children’s

This month is Women’s History Month. What better time to honor our female founders?!

When Carolyn Peck, Gail Goodwin, Helen Maupin, Agnes Crocket and Patty Randall came up with the idea to build a children’s hospital in their hometown, they were driven by the desire to protect the health and wellbeing of their own children, as well as the children of their close-knit community.

In 1949, only a few pediatric hospitals existed in the nation and none were located in a town as small as Fresno. But these five women refused to be dissuaded. They spent three years generating enthusiasm and garnering support, and on Oct. 26, 1952, Valley Children’s Hospital was formally dedicated to the children of the Central Valley.

These women laid an unshakeable foundation. After more than 65 years of building upon their dream, Valley Children’s has expanded from a humble hospital in central Fresno to one of the largest pediatric healthcare networks in the country. Strategically positioned to serve more than 1.4 million children, our comprehensive network stretches from our main campus in Madera to multiple sites throughout Central California. Reaching north to Modesto, south to Bakersfield, and west to the Central Coast, Valley Children’s Healthcare has a singular focus ─ to provide the highest quality, most accessible care for children and their families.

Patient volume and regional span are not all that have grown in 65+ years. Valley Children’s has risen to national acclaim. Since 2017 Valley Children’s has been quickly receiving more and more recognition from U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Children’s Hospitals. The 2020-2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospitals rankings awarded Valley Children’s in 7 pediatric specialties: Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & Gastrointestinal Surgery, Neonatology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology.

“U.S. News & World Report has recognized what we’ve known for a long time – that our pediatric specialists, nurses and everyone here at Valley Children’s stack up with the best,” says Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “This prestigious, national recognition reflects our commitment to providing the highest level of pediatric expertise and family-centered care.”

By continuing to develop advanced treatments, programs and research across all our pediatric specialties, we honor the vision of our founding mothers. After 68 years, their tenacity and strength of character still define us.