Santa Clara County nurses who keep oxygen flowing to people with spinal cord and brain injuries already work in a tense environment, but some fear their jobs are about to get harder. Three nurses in the acute respiratory rehabilitation unit at Valley Medical Center — who spoke to San José Spotlight under condition of anonymity...
Advocates say San Jose is misusing opioid settlement funds
San Jose has received more than $1 million from opioid makers and distributors after major companies settled a lawsuit with cities and states wanting to hold them accountable for the opioid epidemic — but advocates are not happy with the proposed use of the funds. Criminal justice and mental health advocates said the ongoing funds...
State won’t stop closure of East San Jose hospital services
Despite urgent pleas by county leaders and local activists, state officials won’t intervene in the closure of lifesaving hospital services in East San Jose. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) told Bay Area state legislators that the state has no authority to deny the closure or reduction of services at Regional Medical Center because these...
San Jose advocates want more money for non-police crisis team
San Jose officials plan to allocate additional funding toward mental health services in the upcoming budget, after advocates pushed for more non-police emergency response. The Santa Clara County-operated Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST) program will receive about $450,000 from San Jose to fund another mobile crisis response team for a year. But advocates for...
Santa Clara County addresses Shigella spread in homeless camps
A bacterial outbreak has emerged among homeless individuals living at San Jose encampments in Columbus and Roosevelt parks, but health officials say the risk to the general public is low. Three confirmed cases of Shigella, a highly contagious intestinal bacteria, were identified between June 3-17. Two individuals have been hospitalized and four people are being evaluated....
Santa Clara County will offer short-term relief to family caregivers
One of the first times San Jose resident Raquel Green met her husband, Carlyle, he was lying on his side at a festival, smoking a cigarette and trying to act cool. She was 19 and not easily impressed, but when he dropped the cigarette accidentally and got embarrassed, they both burst out laughing. Married for...
State cuts will hurt Santa Clara County domestic violence services
Santa Clara County residents fleeing domestic violence may have a harder time finding safety come July. Due to a slashing of federal funding for crime victims, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a nearly 45% reduction in money to crime victim services in the state. These cuts could mean the shuttering of domestic violence shelters, longer...
Santa Clara County nurses reach deal on pay, worker safety
Santa Clara County’s public hospital nurses have reached a deal with management after a contentious labor dispute rocked the region’s health system. More than 88% of the Registered Nurses Professional Association’s roughly 4,000 members voted this week to ratify a tentative four-year agreement that will go before the Board of Supervisors on June 4 for...
State AG asked to intervene in East San Jose trauma center closure
Vulnerable patients and community health advocates are calling on California’s top cop to stop a private health corporation from cutting one of Santa Clara County’s only trauma centers. The financially-driven closure of Regional Medical Center’s life-saving services in East San Jose is discriminatory, argues a letter sent Thursday to Attorney General Rob Bonta, since it mostly...
Santa Clara County recognizes need for Latino health center
Santa Clara County leaders are moving forward with the idea of building a Latino health and wellness center. After an emotional budget debate on Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved having county employees come back in June with options for how to proceed with a facility and whether there should be multiple locations. Supervisors...