New Fresno neuroscience institute brings advanced brain care closer to home

A brain clot in Fresno can now be treated without sending a patient to San Francisco or Los Angeles. That is the promise behind the new Bob Smittcamp Family Neurosciences Institute at Community Regional Medical Center, a five-story, nearly 60,000-square-foot building built to keep advanced neurological care in the Valley.

The institute formally opened at a public reception on May 21, after a fundraising campaign that reached its $30 million construction goal in January 2025. The project was funded entirely by donations from people across the Fresno area. It began with an $11 million gift from businessman Robert “Bob” Smittcamp in 2018, and after his death in 2021, his family continued raising money to finish the job.

Community Health System said the institute will house neurology and neurosurgery clinics, neurological rehabilitation, research and educational programs. The health system has framed the project as a response to Central Valley growth and to the long-standing pattern of sending patients out of town for highly specialized brain care. The new institute sits on the Community Regional campus in downtown Fresno, where leaders say it will bring new and much-needed services closer to home.

For patients facing stroke, the timing can be critical. Dr. Ian Johnson, chairman of neurosciences at Community Regional, said the institute treats a wide range of serious conditions, including brain tumors, brain injuries, stroke, epilepsy, spinal injuries and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. He pointed to thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that can remove a clot and restore blood flow to the brain, as one of the advanced treatments now available locally. Johnson said having that level of care nearby changes the outlook for patients who once depended on a helicopter ride to reach a specialist in time.

Community Regional says it is the only Comprehensive Stroke Center in the five-county region of Fresno, Madera, Merced, Kings and Tulare counties, and the only hospital in Fresno recognized by The Joint Commission as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center. The hospital also says it is one of 14 neuroscience intensive care units in the United States and one of four in California to earn the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Beacon Gold Award of Excellence.

The opening adds a new layer to an already established specialty center in downtown Fresno. For families across the San Joaquin Valley, the difference is not just a new building, but a shorter trip when every minute counts.