Valley Medical Center Heliport

The heliport was not closed in a traditional sense but was replaced as part of a major hospital expansion and modernization. The hospital, formerly known as Valley Medical Center, was acquired by Community Hospitals of Central California in 1996 and underwent a significant rebuild. This culminated in the opening of a new trauma and critical care building in 2007, which included a new, state-of-the-art rooftop helipad (FAA ID: 8CL3). The old heliport (likely a ground-level pad) was decommissioned and removed to make way for the expanded campus.

The site is the location of the modern and significantly larger Community Regional Medical Center. The function of the old heliport has been entirely superseded by the new, active rooftop helipad (Community Regional Medical Center Heliport, 8CL3) located on top of the hospital's main tower at the same address. The exact footprint of the original heliport has been absorbed into the expanded hospital campus, which includes new buildings, parking structures, and other facilities.

As the heliport for Valley Medical Center, the primary Level 1 Trauma Center for a vast region of Central California, it was a critical piece of emergency medical infrastructure. For decades, it handled countless medical evacuation (medevac) and air ambulance flights, operated by services like SKY LIFE. These operations were essential for transporting critically injured patients from accident scenes and transferring patients from other regional hospitals, significantly reducing travel time and improving survival rates for trauma, cardiac, and other critical care cases.

There are zero prospects for reopening this specific, legacy heliport. It has been physically removed and functionally replaced by a more capable, modern facility that is fully integrated with the hospital's current trauma and emergency services. The hospital's air transport needs are fully met by the active rooftop helipad.