The moment we are in is unlike any I’ve experienced as a nonprofit leader.
The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law this summer, will devastate communities like ours. It strips billions of dollars from the social safety net, cutting Medicaid and other federal programs that have kept millions afloat. For Santa Clara County, the projected loss is staggering: $4.4 billion in revenue by fiscal year 2029-30.
The consequences won’t just fall on the poor. They will ripple outward, weakening the very systems we all rely on. Consider this, 60% of 911 ambulance trips from San Jose already go to a county hospital. It doesn’t matter if you carry the best private insurance or if you’re in a car accident or suffer a heart attack, chances are you’ll be taken to one of the county’s trauma centers. If we fail to protect this system, your access to lifesaving care could vanish when you need it most…