MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A Madera businessman is working to reopen the Madera Community Hospital after it closed in 2022. It’s the only hospital in nearly a 30-mile radius, so residents have had to travel to Fresno or Merced for healthcare. “We know there's been patients that didn't survive the trip,” Madera Community Hospital CEO Steve Stark said. He says having a hospital in Madera is vital for the health of its residents.  He estimates the reopening to cost at least $2.5 million. “We're starting with a basic emergency room and that requires eight core services to exist… So we really are going to be back to almost normal right on the day we start,” Stark said. He says the hospital will have new equipment like a CT scanner and will aim to get ER patients to a doctor within 30 minutes of their visit. They also plan to introduce outpatient services in the future. He hopes to open the hospital Dec. 16, but says they will have to hire a lot of people before that can happen. “It's time now to start bringing on all levels of staff… We've seen an overwhelmingly positive response from our community,” Stark said. They are hiring for a wide variety of positions, and will hold two job fairs to meet candidates. The first job fair is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They’ll hold another fair on Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. “It’s a hospital that everybody really kind of chalked off as going away forever… Our company looked at it differently and said, 'There's a real need in this community for a hospital,’” Stark said. He believes the hospital will save lives, and has crews working at all hours to bring healthcare back to Madera.