A visionary physician who expanded Valley Children’s Healthcare into one of the most respected pediatric hospitals in the nation has passed away. Former President and CEO Dr. J. D. Northway died Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. He was 89 years old.
Dr. Northway built upon the dream of the Founding Mothers of Valley Children’s Hospital to provide healthcare to children of the Central Valley. A devoted leader and physician, he spent his personal time, skills and dedication to expanding a small 42-bed community hospital in Fresno into the 358-bed hospital that now sits in Madera.
“We all owe a debt to Dr. Northway that cannot be repaid - for his leadership, his dedication and his devotion to taking care of kids,” said Valley Children’s President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “Dr. Northway was the quintessential pediatric specialist - kind, gentle, compassionate, smart - and always focused on the belief that every child deserves the best healthcare. These were the values that he modeled every day during his time here at Valley Children’s Hospital.”
Prior to joining Valley Children’s in 1978 to lead the pediatric nephrology clinic, Dr. Northway was the chief of pediatrics at Valley Medical Center. In 1982, he became Chief Executive Officer and President of Valley Children’s Hospital, a position he held until his retirement in 2000.
His mark on Valley Children’s is substantial. From establishing the first hospitalist program to creating and leading the vision for the expanded hospital where it sits today, Dr. Northway’s work is seen and felt every day throughout the network. The plaza at the main entrance is named in his honor, and the J.D. Northway Award, established by Valley Children’s Medical Staff, is given annually to a non-physician who has promoted the mission of that team: “We take care of kids like they’re our own.”
Dr. Northway is survived by his daughter, Melody Page, who worked at Valley Children’s as a pharmacy tech; grandson, Jacob Page, and his wife, Katherine Deffebach Page; and brother John Northway and wife, Lisa Grote Northway. Dr. Northway’s wife, Ann, died in 2008, and his son-in-law Jim Page – who was Valley Children’s marketing director in the 1990s, passed away in 2022.
A memorial service will be scheduled for later this fall.