I had the privilege of attending the Clovis Chamber of Commerce’s annual dinner meeting on Feb. 11 to see one of our Community board members, Jerry Cook, present the Einar Cook Leadership Award to Craig Castro, CEO of Clovis Community Medical Center.

Einar Cook's name graces the 1965 metal plaque commemorating Clovis Hospital's original board members.

Einar, Jerry’s father, was instrumental in raising funds for the first Clovis hospital on Dewitt Avenue and then later in convincing the community to hand over leadership to then Fresno Community Hospital in exchange for helping build something bigger and grander on farm land further out of town.

Einar Cook was a true visionary who worked to unify people for the good of the whole community, so it’s fitting that Craig Castro would get this award. Craig is also a visionary leader who has overseen a $300 million expansion of what was once a little suburban hospital. When Einar was pushing to build the current Clovis hospital, hospital officials were having difficulty attracting doctors and buying equipment.

CEO Craig Castro (left) accepts the Einar Cook Leadership Award from Jerry Cook, a Community Medical Centers' board member, generous Community donor-investor and son of Einar Cook.

Today, under Craig’s leadership and with the help of generous donors such as the Cook family, Clovis Community has brought in the latest in robotic surgical technology and it’s building a beautiful Medical Office Building that doctors are waiting to occupy. And with donor-investors’ help Clovis Community will have a state-of-the-art Health Education Conference Center where physicians will gather for symposiums and to watch “live from the operating room” presentations.

Einar Cook had a mission to provide for families in the Clovis area, it’s a mission that Craig Castro shares.

Join me in congratulating Craig Castro – and in thanking the Cook family for their continuing support of Community Medical Centers and our leaders!

   Robert V. Saroyan,
    Vice President
     Community Medical Foundation