Five years ago, I stood with nurses on a picket line when Regional Medical Center (RMC) announced the closure of its Labor and Delivery Ward. Despite public outcry, the unit closed in 2020 — a devastating loss to the East San Jose community.
After taking office as a Santa Clara County supervisor, RMC informed us it would also shut down its Trauma Level II Emergency Department and critical STEMI services for strokes and heart attacks in August 2024 — again citing financial reasons. Protests followed, but the outcome was the same: lifesaving services gone.
That’s why I was deeply relieved when, after two years of tense negotiations, Santa Clara County was able to purchase RMC for $150 million in April. We avoided eminent domain and costly lawsuits — and more importantly, prevented a vital hospital from going bankrupt, as nearly happened with O’Connor and St. Louise in Gilroy. In both of those cases, the county stepped in to save a hospital when no one else would…